Smartcraft Retrofit on a 360DA

[Two Peas]

I'm just about ready to do the upgrade, and thought I'd post my collection of parts so far...

Here's my current gauge cluster (from a sister ship) Note that it has 11 different gauges:

Here is the new gauge panel with gauges installed. I really prefer the clean look of the 4 big gauges vs. the 11 on the old panel:

Here are the two engine to junction box cables:

Here is the engine room to helm connection cable (upon inspecting this, I think I may have to reorder, since the plugs don't look like they are made to fit the junction boxes):

New Fuel Tank harness:

Termination Resistor:

Helm gauge harness, SC5000 (with bezel removed), sun cover, and junction box:

I don't want to do the install until the boat is back in the water and resting at the dock, just in case I bugger something up while it is in the storage warehouse.

I'll update this thread with pictures as I do the install. I'll have the swear jar on standby... really though, with everything I've heard from others who have blazed this trail already - it seems like a pretty easy job.

My plan is to place the SC5000 where my TriData currently resides, and move the TriData down to the starboard side of the steering wheel.

 

[Two Peas]

The wireless inspection camera arrived today too. I've been having fun with it ever since. You don't think about where you can stick a tiny little camera like that until you have one in your hands...

 

[Two Peas]

 

[Two Peas]

Great price and super fast shipping. I think it came from Rochester NY, so to Buffalo it got here in a day. Not bad.

Camera unit seems like it is easily worth more than the price we paid...

 

[Two Peas]

I agree with your assessment on matrimonial usage of such a device - unless invited that could lead to trouble... maybe we should send one to Tiger?

 

[La Maddalena]

My 2003 360 already has the 4 guage dash that you are retrofitting to. Was this a design change from 2002 to 2003? The photo below shows my dash and how I was using the Navionics app on my iPhone as a makeshift chartplotter, since I was having trouble getting the Raymarine chartplotter to work (user error - I still need to learn how to use it).

I would like to re-configure my 4 guage dash to relocate smaller guages to each side and install a flush chartplotter in the center of the dash - have you seen this done? Any reason it can't be done? I like the E80 you installed to the left, I was hoping to maybe go to a widescreen E120 in the center. Ergonomically I would rather be able to look straight at the chartplotter, rather than staring at two 4" guages only showing RPMs.

 

[Two Peas]

I believe SmartCraft gauges were an option in 2002 (I've seen a few '02's with it), and it seems to have become standard in '03.

You could probably find a smaller SC tach - I don't know about smaller 4-in-1 gauges though. If you could find smaller ones, there is no reason you couldn't move them to both sides and throw an E120 in the middle.

These SC gauges are surprisingly simple - they have two daisy chain plug connections on the back, and they have one large threaded ring that screws in from the back to hold the gauge in place.

 

[Two Peas]

Did you get the rudder sensing unit also? I know you probably have autopilot which will tell you where the rudder is on the autopilot screen, but smartcraft also has the capability provided you buy the sensor.

I ordered the rudder position sensor, but it hasn't come in yet. I'm excited to have the ability to display rudder position on the SC5000 especially since I don't have an autopilot yet.

 

[Two Peas]

Good luck with the project. Remember to check with SR about the fuel sending units. If they are the wrong ones, it could set up a feedback loop and damage the ECMS. The mechanics at your dealer should know about this (enough have been fried over the years) and tell you how to prevent it.

I spoke with Andrew at Mercruiser (on Henry Boyd's advice), and got the correct part number for the fuel tank harness. I should have asked him one more question, though. I only ordered one harness since it said it was compatible with dual tanks. But, does this mean I only need one or do I need to order another one now??

 

[Two Peas]

OK. Three hours into my Smartcraft upgrade, and I've run out of curse words...

Let me start by outlining what I've done so far today:

1. Removed old gauge panel, but just placed it on top of the dash - no wires removed yet.
2. Ran blue CAN cable from engine room to the helm.
3. Plugged blue CAN cable at the helm into junction box, along with yellow terminator cap.
4. Plugged SC5000 harness cable into junction box, and put weather cap on the 4th port.
5. Connected shorter blue CAN cables to both engines.
6. Connected new fuel tank harnesses to both engines (two harnesses).
7. Cut the pink wire coming from each fuel tank, and spliced (using Thomas and Betts connectors) each fuel harness in to the appropriate fuel tank sending line.
8. Connected engine CAN cables and ER-HELM CAN cable to engine room junction box, with a yellow terminator resistor in the 4th port.
9. Connected 4-in-1 and tach gauges at helm to the proper connections on the SC 5000 harness.
10. Connected SC5000 to the harness.
11. Connected NMEA and ground connections.

Now, when I turn the ignition switches on, the old gauges respond properly (except the fuel gauges). The alarm beeps once, and the fuel pumps run. Both engines start perfectly.

But... NOTHING ON THE SC GAUGES or SC5000.

What have I missed???

 

[Two Peas]

Here's a link to a Picasa album showing pictures of most of my progress - or lack of it - today.

http://picasaweb.google.com/strategy9/SmartcraftInstall?feat=directlink

 

[skolbe]

Can you explain how you have your junction box setup - something doesn't look right - you have 2 sets of gauges and the SC to setup.

 

[Two Peas]

Can you explain how you have your junction box setup - something doesn't look right - you have 2 sets of gauges and the SC to setup.

I have two junction boxes.

One is in the engine room, and has both engines plugged in, along with the can cable going to the helm. The fourth spot is occupied by a yellow termination resistor cap.

The other j-box is at the helm. It has the other end of the er-helm can cable connected, along with the sc 5000 harness, a yellow terminator, and a weather cap.

The three can cables (two from engines to engine room jb, one from er jb to helm jb) are blue cables without built in terminators.

Everything looks perfect.

One thing though - I thought all sc stuff was 5v. A sticker on the sc5000 says it is 12v...

 

[Two Peas]

When I turn the running lights on, the new sc gauges don't light up like the old style ones do. Does this indicate that there is no power at all getting to them?

 

[Henry Boyd]

Andrew,

Easy stuff first: Lights for gauges are controlled through the SC5000.

1) Are you sure you have the right plugs in the SC 5000? physically the top and bottom are the same size. Neither plug is marked 'top' or 'bottom'. I had to call Merc and ask which went where. Did you get any info with yours for the connection?

2) You might also disconnect the old gauges. I have never tried to use both at the same time, so this is just a guess.

Henry

 

[Two Peas]

Thanks Henry. The sc5000 plugs on my harness are keyed, and each plug only fits in one spot.

I removed the grounds from the original 11 gauges but still no go on the new ones.

 

[Two Peas]

Well, I'm stumped. I wonder if my SC5000 is bad? It came out of a 2005 340, and was said to be working fine. Anyone know how to have it checked easily?

 

[gyrospiro]

I am not sure, but isn't the pink wire on the fuel tank sender a power wire? I think your suppose to disconnect, and attach the smartcraft fuel harness to sender? please double check this I think I read it on this forum somewhere

 

[Two Peas]

Thanks Spiro. I disconnected both pink wires (I have two tanks) and connected them to new smart craft fuel tank harnesses, which then plug in to the empty connector on each engine.

My symptoms are that I get no movement on the new gauges, and the sc5000 does nothing. Every connection looks perfect and has been checked 50 times...

I looked forward to doing this all winter, and it is disappointing that I can't bring it to life.

I unhooked the new dash and sc5000 today and took the boat out for a spin. Everything worked perfectly with the engines, I just don't have the old fuel gauges working since I cut the pink wires and spliced them to the new harnesses.

 

[Two Peas]

Here is a picture of where I spliced in to the port fuel tank sending wire (the pink wire).

And this picture shows where the new Smartcraft fuel tank harness plugs in to the electronic harness on the port engine:

I did the starboard fuel tank the exact same way (cut the pink wire coming from the fuel tank sender, spliced it to the pink wire from the new SC fuel tank harness, and then I sealed the other cut end of the old pink wire with gooey heat shrink tubing).

Is there some dumb thing I need to do like disconnect the batteries to allow the ECMs to "reboot" from scratch? I'm pulling at straws to figure this out.