SMIS gauges not working properly, help! - The Hull Truth

kramp · 05-11-2009, 02:53 PM

Most looks good until fuel management.

The starboard motor is not being recognized even after clearing the gauge and searching for it several times in bus devices.

I have two motors, both Suzuki 140's. One motor is an 03, the other is an 08.

The port side motor (03) is showing up on the SMIS screen, the starboard side (08) is not.

Guy who installed this said it should not be a problem that the motors are of different years and said he has checked all connections, the fuel sending unit and the fluid level sensor... he is stumped and says the Suzuki tech is stumped also.

Any suggestions would sure help guys.

kchace · 05-11-2009, 03:12 PM

Try swapping EP-20's. Also, check out the on-line data from Lowrance:

http://primus.lowrance.com/support/r...pe=5000#Goto14

Ken

kramp · 05-11-2009, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kchace

Try swapping EP-20's. Also, check out the on-line data from Lowrance:

Thanks Ken, I talked to the installer regarding your comments and he said it's only the tank level that is not reading on the starboard side, the GPH is reading and the Trip fuel is reading also. Thats why he was thinking it was either the fuel sending unit or a bad fluid level sensor. He said he also completely replaced the "T" that could have been the culprit.

So his take is the EP-20 isn't relevant, I hope it is at this point because we seem to be out of options. Is it possible the EP-20 can still be the problem?

kramp · 07-20-2009, 09:02 AM

Long road on these gauges..still not working correctly.

Worked through a couple of problems and have all items being recognized by the gauges. The only glitches are with regard to fuel management.

It turned out that the EP-15's (fluid level sesors) had to be reprogrammed to be recognized as two entities. The suzuki guys on the tech line did not suggest this, they just kept suggesting that one fluid level sensor was defective and to send it back for another. Three times, no difference.

After being sent to the Lowrance tech department ( by Suzuki) the guy I talked to immediately identified the problem. That blows my mind. How does Suzuki tech support NOT know of this problem or solution?

Wired the gauges through a switch so that the voltage drop when starting the motors would not cause a "brown out" and cause the readouts to malfunction. Problem solved.

The problem remaining is that when the gauges are turned on (after motors are started) they still are inconsistent. Sometimes one or the other just flashes ---- instead of reading fuel remaining. If the gauges are turned on and off a few times eventually they both work.

The lowrance tech I talked to yesterday said "those gauges have had alot of problems with that" and has given me another number for a OEM rep to talk to.

Have you guys had these problems? One guy I have talked to that runs a boat club with several boats having these gauges confirms that he has the same problem and just restarts the gauges until they work. This seems ridiculous.

Hoping for some new information from you guys who have these gauges and have worked through this problem.

Thanks,

Mark

edyer · 07-20-2009, 09:39 AM

I have been playing with the lmf 400s (same guages) in a single engine tank setup. One thing that I had to do was change the order in which the devices were plugged in. The engine was causing some kind of conflict with the fuel levels. Putting it into a different T was the solution. So in other words reorganizing the chain.

The other thing is to make sure that everything is set up correctly in the menus. I'm assuming you set up two engines and 2 tanks?

The fuel flow meters (ep60s ) are way more accurate than the tank reader.I just use that and disconnected the ep 15/65. The ep 60s will show remaining fuel and are very accurate.

So in short what I did was go into the menu for the fuel flow setup and selected the ep 60 for flow and fuel remaining. The ep15 is now sitting on the bench in the back of the shop and everything seems to be working fine.

wdkerek · 07-20-2009, 10:20 AM

Similar here.
I can't get the thing to see two different EP15s.
I swap the plug positions and the same one works.

will a 12 volt tester see if the analog units are working in the tanks?

Or maybe put the engine interface in between the two EP15s???

kramp · 07-20-2009, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wdkerek

Similar here.
I can't get the thing to see two different EP15s.
I swap the plug positions and the same one works.

will a 12 volt tester see if the analog units are working in the tanks?

Or maybe put the engine interface in between the two EP15s???

WD - What we were told and found out was that one of the EP-15's has to be reconfigured. On your menu set up you should be able to unconfig and reconfig. It was also suggested that when you do this you only have one of the EP-15's plugged in. The problem here is that they are set from the factory with a certain configuration and until it is changed, the gauges cannot read them as separarate tanks.

That part we were able to get figured out after a long haul, what I cannot figure out is why the gauges "error out" upon powering them up occasionally.

I will try systematically switching ports, T's and Backbone wires but am hoping that someone who has had this problem and fixed it can chime in.

According to the Lowrance tech, this is a recurring problem.

edyer · 07-20-2009, 12:35 PM

By any chance do you have a lowrance display on the boat?

It will interface right in with the smis guages and you can get a lot more info about what is going on. You would be able to see for example the address of each ep unit.

kramp · 07-20-2009, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edyer

By any chance do you have a lowrance display on the boat?

It will interface right in with the smis guages and you can get a lot more info about what is going on. You would be able to see for example the address of each ep unit.

Edyer, we have furuno electonics. We were able to reprogram the one of the units and now both show. That was one problem we did work through.

The remaining problem is that the gauges still flash the reading "---" upon powering up at times and so far the only way to reset them is by powering off and on several times.

I love the gauges but we are still missing something or have defective parts somewhere in the mix.

The system itself is sold as "plug and play" so far I've experienced only Plug and Pay.

edyer · 07-20-2009, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kramp

The system itself is sold as "plug and play" so far I've experienced only Plug and Pay.

Oh man the joys of boat ownership!!! Might as well just break out another thousand right now and get it over with.

Fortunately for me the wife has two horses so when she starts to complain about the boat costs I just look out at the pasture.......

wdkerek · 07-22-2009, 09:23 PM

just not working...........
I even tried replacing the EP15 I thought was not reading now I am getting a negative reading??

from 00.0 % to -124 WTF??

this thing is killing me.

now when I replaced one unit I noticed the dealer had them both grounded to the same ring terminal, would that cause a problem?

Horto22 · 07-23-2009, 05:48 AM

Ken

Do you know if a similar document exists to show how-where to connect up SMIS engine interface cable to the DF300? I have the Engine iterface cable and the single engine adaptor cable but no one at Suzuki Australia can advise as to where to connect into the Suzuki loom.

Can anyone with a DF300 running the SMIS gauges or LMF400 take a photo showing where the engine interface cable has been connected up.

Cheers
Horto