getting a 3 second beep with no indicator light on my starboard engine gauge

[VIboater]

Hi, new to the Suzuki forum. Just purchased a 2010 World Cat 270SD with twin Suizuki DF225's. I just started getting a 3 second beep on the starboard engine gauge, but no indicator light. The gauge is basically frozen as well. The rpm's read while underway, but I am, unable to to page up or down, or anything. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Moonlighter]

What gauge do you have? Is it the Suzuki SMIS display (same as Lowance LMF400) or something else? Post a pic if you can.

The first things I would check would, in any case, be electrical. These engines need to get good solid 12v and if they don't, weird things can happen even though there may be enough charge to start them.

So check the battery charge, the leads to make sure the connections are clean and corrosion free (remove and check and clean them regardless) and that the leads themselves are still flexible and not crunchy inside which would indicate internal corrosion.

Then check the connections to the gauges behind the dash for corrosion or damaged wires.

Let us know how you go.

[VIboater]

Yes, SMIS gauges. I put 3 new batteries in very recently and cleaned the terminals well. Agreed, I feel like the wiring to the gauge itself may be bad. Seems odd that the RPM's would still read though. I would think if it was a battery issue, it would affect more then just that one gauge. Thanks for the insight.

[Moonlighter]

Ok, now there's some things you need to know about the SMIS displays.

First, you will note that I have called them "displays" - because they are not gauges in the traditional sense at all.

They are basically a engine data display and to work, they have to be connected to a NMEA2000 network. The Suzuki engines are also connected to that network, and then the displays (if you have several of them) are configured to show the data that you want to see from one or both engines. The software to do this is on the display.

Thus, if you have say 2 SMIS displays, the port display isn't connected by separate wires to the port engine (as weird as that may sound). It is connected to the network, and then set up to select data coming from the port engine through the network.

So, trouble shooting is totally different to traditional gauges.

The fact that you are getting rpm to display, but can't get the display to change pages, suggests a software glitch or possibly even a hardware failure.

I will look up the procedure to reboot the SMIS software and it might be worth giving that a go to see if it resets itself and starts working again. Will post again shortly.

[Moonlighter]

Found this on an earlier thread:

Hard Reset (Deletes stored data.)

1. Turn Unit Off.

2. Press and hold the DOWN button.

3. Turn unit on (activate power to NMEA network or connect unit to operating network).

4. Release DOWN button after test screen appears.

5. Turn unit off (disconnect power to NMEA 2000 network or remove unit from network).

Then you can restart and see what happens!

[VIboater]

Tried all sorts of things today to no avail. What's weird is that the gauge remains on even after i have shut off house and both cranking batteries. Something seems to be wired incorrectly.

[Moonlighter]

sounds like something weird, maybe shorting???

You need to give us as complete information as you can, as we are not there to see things. So more info is always better than less.

Do you have more than 1 SMIS display? Do they both stay on?

The SMIS displays get their power from the NMEA2000 network. So whenever the network has power, the displays will have power and will turn on.

So you need to find the network power source. It may be wired directly to battery??? Bit unusual if so but ..... You never know what some people will do!

Behind the dash, you will find a group of T pieces, this is the network backbone and each T piece will have a cable plugged into the leg part of the T.

Trace the cables from each T piece to see where they go. Some will go to the SMIS display/s, others may go to a GPS puck or to a MFD such as a GPS/sounder. One will go to the Suzuki interface.

And one will split into - and + wires and go to a source of power. See where that is connected and report back.

Note: most installations of this setup use a spare + power wire in the engine harness to source power for the network. That way, the SMIS displays only turn on when the engine is turned on.

But before you change anything there, check those T pieces and make up a list of all the devices connected to the network and report back.

Final point - if you want to understand th Se Suzuki NMEA 2000 networks a big better, read my "sticky" thread at the top of the forum page if includes some diagrams that will help you learn what you are dealing with.

[VIboater]

l'll get in a little deeper today. I have a total of 3 SIMS gauges. Port and center are working fine. I found it odd that with all 3 batteries turned off, i was able to turn the key and get all 3 gauges to light up. The port and center gauge turned off after about 5-10 seconds, while the starboard gauge remained on and continued with the 3 second beeping.Could that one gauge be hardwired? Like you said, it's amazing what some people will do. I'll report back tonight. Thanks for all your help.

[Moonlighter]

No, impossible to hardware those gauges, as I said, the get their power from the network, there is only 1 cable to connect them and that is the cable from the gauge to the T piece that connects it to the network. Unless they are connected like that, they simply won't work, full stop.

There can be a little residual power to the network that might allow the gauges to come on for a few moments, but that is seriously weird that one display is staying on after that. I'd be finding that network power cable and figuring out where it is connected! Check the connections, check the fuse and fuse holder, clean all contacts etc.

Also it wouldn't hurt to unplug the weird acting display from the network and check the condition of the plugs in the network and on the T piece. Turn the networko N without that display connected and see if you get any alarms.

I gather that this is all on a 2010 year boat so it's not very old. But it's possible that the problemstic SMIS display has simply failed. You tried the reset procedure without any luck?

I take it that no codes are coming up on any of the SMIS displays?

[VIboater]

I didn't want to pull on wires too much. Do the displays just plug in to the network, or is it a twist and lock? I couldn't get the starboard gauge unplugged and didn't want to pull too hard and screw something up. What reset options do I have while the key is turned off? Once it's on the screen is locked up. I think i may have a bad gauge.

[VIboater]

Correct, no codes coming up on any gauge. Just the 3 second beep from Starboard.

[2014DF25ARS]

There are two versions of the display: the "mainstream" modern display comes with standard an NMEA2000 connector, which is probably black in color, and is threaded, with a little O-ring at the base of the connector to make it waterproof. So to remove one, turn the knurled barrel, probably 3-4 full rotations CCW, then pull on the connector and it should come out. I believe there was an earlier version of the display which came with a larger blue connector, which is a bayonet-type that would unlock with a single turn of the barrel.

One thing occurs to me - there are two cables coming out the back of the SMIS displays; the main cable has the threaded NMEA 2000 barrel connector. There is a separate cable that includes two pairs of wires; one pair goes to an optional piezo buzzer about the size of a U.S. quarter dollar, and made of plastic. The second pair of wires in that cable goes to power+ground for a "backlight", which you can optionally connect to your dash light switch. The User Manual says the backlight will come on when you apply power to that pair of wires. I didn't use the second cable with my installation, and I doubt that many people do. I just tied mine up unconnected behind the gauge. The gauge lights up and beeps when it is powered from the NMEA2000 network. To be honest I don't understand the intention for that second cable. It is described in the User Manual, which you can download from Suzuki - LOWRANCE | Marine Electronics. The manual also includes some photos of the connectors.

Could it be that your third gauge has that second cable connected, and that is somehow getting power?