Suzuki NMEA Engine Interface

[wusty]

Thank you for your valuable help in my NMEA 2000 questions. I did have one more question for you. Is it a good idea to spray inside of all the electrical connections with silocon spray before connecting them and what size fuse would you run to the power source wire feeing the backbone? OK...that's two questions . Anything else I should know about wiring it all up?
Thank you.

Thanks Ninja. Mate, your PM box is remains full, so I've tried posting here on the public forum for you to read. You need to clean your in-box out if you want replies.

I spray my connections with INOX actually, then wrap them with self-annealing electrical tape. I'm sure any electrical waterproof residual spray would be fine.

As to the fuse, I use 3A. All the info you need is on this thread, so I have nothing else to offer.

I hope it's all working now.

Wusty

[jjlm]

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suzuki
wusty igot my twin df250 suzukis fitted with the suzuki interface and a mate done a df175 at idle it tells me im using about 13.4 litres per hr his is 10.4 we tested his and was using 250ml every 10 minutes no where near what the guage said my 250s tell me at 4500rpm im useing about 100 lph each when i know it to be about half that any idea where we went wrong would appreciate any help you coul give us regards jac

[leezor]

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suzuki
wusty igot my twin df250 suzukis fitted with the suzuki interface and a mate done a df175 at idle it tells me im using about 13.4 litres per hr his is 10.4 we tested his and was using 250ml every 10 minutes no where near what the guage said my 250s tell me at 4500rpm im useing about 100 lph each when i know it to be about half that any idea where we went wrong would appreciate any help you coul give us regards jac

Jac,

Are your new gauges the Suzuki Commander type?
I had these gauges originaly when I bought my DF225 and ended up taking them back, they gave me nothing but grief.
At the time the NMEA2000 gauges were not available in Australia so I ended up getting them from the US.
The Commander gauges are made by Faria and do not utilise the NMEA2000 network, they still use the old paddle wheel type adapter to measure fuel flow which is not as acurate as the interface which gets the info directly from the engines ECU.

[jjlm]

leezor no the guages are the new smis gauges from the US lmf-400 cheers

[wusty]

Hey jjlm, not sure mate. As you know, fuel consumption is a function of boat weight, speed, sea conditions, wind, et al. 100 l/hr at 4500 rpm seems possible to me. I have seen a boat with 250 Verado figures at 106 l/hr at 4500 rpm, and 10 l/hr at 1000 rpm at http://www.boatpoint.com.au/boat-review/1959450.aspx

I haven't googled up any useful graphs of DF250 fuel rates under load. So, am fishing so to speak on what the numbers should be. You will need to get that data from a dealer or somewhere?

I note that you have LMS-400 gauges. I think you do have some good news. As you are getting readings and can see the buss, you can deduce that it is all working electrically, but a configuration issue is the probable cause. Let me try a few ideas for you to check:

1. Check that your two motors each have a different network address. This must be right, otherwise the buss gets confused. The address is changed in the advanced area on a Lowrance where it says don't change anything!! I don't know how to do it on a LMS-400. Can you borrow a Lowrance and connect the power and network port up? Or do you have one already - you don't say in your post. (A hassle for sure if you don't, but you might need to do this so you can see all the setting screens). Make sure you write any settings down before changing them, so you can reset manually. Try each motor separately with the other turned off, and get the individual figures at idle - obviously then turn both on and make sure they are still the same for each motor. If not, it points to a configuration issue in the settings pages still.
2. Same for any other 'dual' active devices on the buss. eg digital fuel tank sender. Same principle - all active devices must have a unique address.
3. With 2 motors, do you have two tanks? Do they feed the motors separately or as one fuel stream? This is important because of the way the data is then interpreted by the display gauge. You are checking to see that your engine data isn't being doubed or halved in performance calculations depending on the parallel or serial fuel flow configuration actually used.
4. The only other thing I can think is to check the measurement unit settings. Make sure they are all in litre and km (or whatever) and are consistent between the active devices.

Hope this helps. I'd like to know any feedback on your tests. Thanks.

[jjlm]

wusty i found this on a US chat it is only for 2007-8 engines but suzuki did recall and put new ecu s in my 2006 df250 s and i would say that they are now 2007 ecu s but i cant find the link for the update ive emailed lowrance but still waiting ill let u know how i go cheers
Quote:
After doing some research on this problem, and talking to Suzuki, we have discovered that there were some other changes that were made in the engines that we were not made aware of. Suzuki made some changes in the way that the fuel flow information is outputted, and due to these changes the fuel flow information is going to read extremely high. We have had our engineers re-write the software for the fuel flow and we have attached the update files to this email.

In order to run this update yourself you will need a Lowrance unit attached to the network that has a memory card slot in the unit. If you do not have one on the boat, then if you can find a friend that has one you can do a temporary connection into the network so that you can run the update to the EP-20 sensor. If you are unable to find someone with a unit that you can use, you can try with a local dealer. If unable to find any way of updating the software locally then you would need to send the sensor to us either direct or through your local dealer so that we can update it for you.

To run the update, copy and paste the file to a blank MMC/SD card, insert the card into the card reader of the Lowrance unit and press MENU, MENU, select BROWSE FILES and press ENT. Highlight the .luf file and press ENT, select Update and let it run. Once the update has run all fuel flow should read normally.

Last edited by Shark : 19 December 2007 at 11:10.

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[wusty]

thanks jjlm. That is interesting indeed. Other people are going to need that update file, so I hope you get it. wusty

[skipalong]

hi i have a lowrance 7200c unit and was wanting to put a fuel flow metre on it for my 140 suzuki, was wandering if was to go the engine interface would i get the fuel flow or will i still need the other fuel flow harness instead

[jjlm]

wusty i got a file to run ran it but alas no good after much more discussion with suzuki and lowrance apparently they are writing new software so in the menu u can select the year of the motor wich should fix the issue . the quest continues ill keep u posted cheers

[jjlm]

wusty i got a file to run ran it but alas no good after much more discussion with suzuki and lowrance apparently they are writing new software so in the menu u can select the year of the motor wich should fix the issue . the quest continues ill keep u posted cheers

[wusty]

A newish model DF140 will be able to give you the fuel data direct from the engine computer as used by the motor, so you do NOT need to buy the fuel flow meter. You would only buy the fuel flow meter if you had an older engine that didn't have the engine computer interface. Wusty.

[skipalong]

thanks mate are these available is australia yet? are they expensive,

[wusty]

Between my local Lowrance and Suzuki dealers, they seem to be able to get whatever now, and I live in Yeppoon which is fairly out of the way. So, I'd try your local guys too. If a dealer is not convenient because of where you live, you can order straight from the US - try Browns Point Marine or Cabala which I was doing 12mths ago. But watch the BLUE versus RED cable issue with all of them, to make sure you get the right coloured cable connectors for your network. I assume you've read all the previous posts in this thread on this issue? Wusty.

[frank100]

Hi Guys !
Great thread.
I have an older df140 (2003), it appears to have the round "diagnostic plug" with the rubber covering boot that some have shon in photos. How do I tell if an interface cable/ T connectors/NMEA2K compatible display will work with my engine ??

Frank

[wusty]

The SMIS interface uses the same engine diagnostic plug - so you should be fine. I assume you have a display (Lowrance or similar, or digital gauge) that can connect to a NMEA2000 network? This is important because it is the display that takes network data and calculates the results, not the SMIS interface which is simply a data port to the engine computer output. So, all should be ok with your motor. Watch the red/blue plug issue when ordering your cables/connectors, and follow carefully the installation instructions in the previous posts. Wusty.