df20A & Lowrance

[fritzdfk]

I have a new DF20 remote that will not talk to my new Lowrance HDS gen II Touch. Everything is hooked up and the Lowrance does recognize the fuel tank senders, depth transducer etc but no engine info. I have the Suzuki NMEA 2k adapter in place, the backbone is good and getting power. With the engine running there is no engine on the Lowrance device list or data sources list. There really isn't anything more to do.

[Moonlighter]

I originally thought that the DF20A was not compatible with NMEA2000, but a check with my sources says that the new DF15 and 20 A model (EFi) are just fine and will work with NmEA2000.

Given that your network is simply not detecting the engine, a couple of suggestions:

1. Apologies in advance for this one, but just in case ...... The engine must be turned on (key to the on position) in order for the engine to communicate with the network. Otherwsie network will not "see" the engine. So, network power on, mfD on, engine on. Network device list should then show the Suzuki device.

2. Had a simlar problem with another engine. It could be as simple as a bad network T piece, that is what we found- a brand new T piece that was simply faulty. Swap the T pieces around between the power supply, MFD and the interface and see if anything changes. Could give you a lead as to that being a problem. Replace faulty T piece if that is that case.

3. You wouldnt be the first person to get a SDS adapter cable that had either a broken wire, loose wire or incorrectly wired plug! In fact, every chance that this is your problem!!

Check the wires at the back of the adapter cable plugs (the white square ones) and see if they are loose or broken. A gentle pull on the wire will also tell you whether they are seated in the plug housing correctly.

If all of that checks out, search earlier in this thread and you will find info on the wiring of the adapter cable and which colour wires from the interface need to connect, thru the adapter cable, to the correct colour wires on the SDS plug.

If they are not correct, you can easily fix them. There is a tiny tab in the front of the plug near the pins that you lift up with a small spectacle screwdriver, and then the pin can be gently pulled out of the back of the plug with the wire still attached. Reinsert wires into the correct slot in the plug and push in until it clicks. Test.

Alternative is to send the adapter cable back and get a replacement.

[fritzdfk]

Thanks for the reply. I have checked several things but still no go. You mention in your post to search earlier in thread for wiring of adapter cable and SDS plug. Where can I find this as you must be refering to some other post.

[Moonlighter]

Eek, yes, sorry! Was referring to the thread i started on NMEA to Suzuki on ThT.

The wiring arrangement from the interface via the adapter to the SDS port is as follows:

Engine side: ------- Interface side:
yellow - ------ blue wire AND red wire
gray/red ------- single red wire
orange/yellow ------- white wire
black - ------ black wire

[fritzdfk]

I think I might know what is going on. I have been trying to connect the NMEA-2000 Engine Interface to the helm end of the standard Suzuki harness. Perhaps this is supposed to work but it doesn't and I see no voltage at the connector at the helm end of the harness. Looking under the engine cowling I see a connector that is the ( I assume) engine diagnostic/communications port. With the engine on I get voltage here. So I guess I need an adapter to be able to connect the NMEA-2000 Engine Interface cable here with a long adapter cable or a long NMEA 2k cable.

[Moonlighter]

Check with your local dealer, there may well be a way to change the connections under the engine cowl so that NMEA data gets sent to the helm end of the harness. I know this can be done on higher hp engines, but not sure about the smaller hp A series.

It will mean that none of the standard gauges will work, but if you don't have them, it wont matter, of course!