Mercruiser Gateway

[rondds]

Henry
When I connected the diacom software I found out that there's no fuel level sender that's linked to smartcraft. Diacaom gives an error code if there's no sender for a parameter. Called them to ask why I had several error codes and they explained it to me. And that's OK. I can tell the Garmin when I fill up the tanks, or I can tell it I put 55g in the port and 50 in the stbd and it will keep track of what's left. Besides that, I'll use the dash gauges (yes, primitive, but functional).

No new gauges in my future. This new display will give me a sorely needed GPS upgrade from the old RL80c (which will stay on as a secondary GPS and a radar display), as well as the ability to get all sorts of engine data (oil pressure, raw water pump pressure, and any other PGNs it can read).

 

[rondds]

Here are some pix I took today. HORRIBLE quality. Not sure why. I apologize.

I retyped what the labels said. The DIAGNOSTIC plug is where I connect the laptop with Diacom software. FUEL FLOW is capped and not connected to anything. I imagine that could go to NMEA2000 Floscan gauge. The TRANSOM HARNESS looks like it's attached to the hose but it's not. It is coming off the harness that is plugged in where there appears to be yellow chalk writing (a # 5??)

I looked for something on the serpentine-belt side of the motor and found this yellow-capped plug. Not labelled. But the cap said TERMINATOR on it. This is just forward of the flame arrestor, near the top of the engine.

Remove the terminator cap and this is what's there. Lavender color, 10 pin. Is this what I'm looking for??

 

[mistercomputerman]

Ron

Check out maretron's tank level indicator. It appears to hook to existing analog guages on one side and NMEA2000 on the other.

http://www.maretron.com/support/manuals/TLA100UM_1.3.pdf

On the other hand, if the Garmin will do some math based on fuel flow that you get from the Mercruiser gateway and you are willing to turn the Garmin on every time you run the boat and if you are willing to add fuel to the Garmin every time you fuel up, and you are happy with all that, you need not do anything but add the gateway and appropriate cables.

This is the way mine is currently working.

 

[Pseudomind]

Okay my boat is a 2002, as I understand it I believe they use NMEA 183 and will not talk with anything which is NMEA 2000, so if what I have been reading in this thread, does this gateway mean it will work with earlier NMEA 183 engines?

 

[rondds]

Rick
Maybe a story for another day. Sounds interesting. But my head is spinning right now! Didn't read through the manual but I guess they've resolved the difference in voltage issues (?)

 

[rondds]

Pseudo...
Henry can answer that better, but I believe a NMEA 0183 display will not display the data that your engine is capable of putting out.

 

[mistercomputerman]

The maretron device hooks to the Gauge, not the sender. I did not read the entire thing myself, but, it appears not to matter on the voltage.

 

[Henry Boyd]

Ron,

The transom harness is the main smartcraft connection. I'll look tomorrow to see if there is an intermediate harness between that plug and the CAN bus cable. I think the the unused plug that you have is used on the sterndrive applications for the trim limit and and trim position data. They probably use the same wiring loom for both the 496 and 8.1 engine variants. The plug that you have marked as 'fuel flow' is actually the fuel gauge contact. There is a sub-harness with three wires (tank1, tank2, ground) that connects to that plug that connects to the tank senders. The pink wire is tank1 and is the default fuel tank. Tank2 would be for a second fuel tank, or can be configured for any type of tank with a sending unit.

The Mareton unit looks like it solves the analog/Smartcraft incompatibility issue for the fuel gauge.

Something else to think about is getting a NMEA0183 to NMEA2000 converter for the RL80 display. I know my old RL70 had two TX/RX NMEA circuits. Actisense makes a converter for 0183 to 2000. If it will work with the output from the RL you could then get most of the data from the RL on the new display. Radar won't go over, but position, heading, sog, cog, depth etc should all show up on the new display. I have a good contact at Actisense who helped me with the multiplexer I installed when I addd AIS last year. I'll contact him to see if it will work. I was already interested in a NMEA2000 solution for the C80 that also does not support NMEA2000.

Pseudo,

The Merc Gateway outputs NMEA 2000. It would be interesting to find out if they will also accept NMEA 2000 in to feed the Smartcraft displays. Smartcraft will still accept NMEA 0183 as input for use on the System/Vessel View displays and SC1000 Tach and SC1000 speedometer. As far as I can tell the new Vessel View7 and Vessel View4 displays only accept NMEA 2000.

Henry

 

[rondds]

Henry
the lavendar 10 pin (TERMINATOR) is not going to help me? Are you saying that the TRANSOM HARNESS must be unplugged and something (J-box??) needs to go into that to allow me to start the pathway up to the helm? Is it possible that the TERMINATOR comes off of the TRANSOM HARNESS? I can trace it back tomorrow. I didn't think to do that today.

 

[Henry Boyd]

Ron,

The terminator resistor caps and weather caps look the same. I can't remember if that cap is a resistor, or just a weather cap.

Henry


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[rondds]

But if I pull of the terminator cap what are the odds that the plug there is SC data?

 

[rswhite]

Researching compatibility of the NMEA 2000 Gateway with earlier 8.1L engines (mine are in 2003 Dancer). Talked with Merc rep this week and he verified 8.1L engines above 0M300000 S/N have the right electronics to interface with and xfer engine data via the gateway. Have not verified, but working on estimates to get an N2K network built/powered and will then order parts and install along with new Garmin chartplotter, where I want the data displayed. Told the Merc rep what I'm planning and he said it should all work fine.

 

[tc410]

I'm having this gateway installed to interface the Cummins data to my e120 classic MFD's. Anybody have results to share when tying into the QSM11's?

 

[mistercomputerman]

Mine and rondds are gassers. No help from us.