Interface cables not getting power.

[LITECATCH]

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I have 2015 Suzuki 115's on my boat. I had the engines interfaced with my Garmin chart plotter and the data was displayed on my 4208. (I set it up with a Lowrance machine) OK with that said my boat sank at my house. The engines were totally underwater but the console remained above the water. I have since installed new engine harnesses on both motors and they are running sweet. I thought my interface cables had gone bad due to the cables being in the water. I ordered the new interface cables and a Suzuki multi function gauge's. I hook everything up and the gauge does not see the interface cables. Is there and inline fuse somewhere on the engine harness I can't find? Are the interface cables powered by the engines or from the 2000 network? I can check voltages if I knew where to check at. Thanks for any help, Scott

[LITECATCH]

I have the cables plugged in under the dash. Thats where I had them before and they worked fine. I checked all the engine fuses and they are all good.

[LITECATCH]

I have looked for an inline fuse but can't find one. Is there one I have overlooked?

[2014DF25ARS]

The engine interface cable is powered by the engine, and should boot when the engine is turned on. It would help to know what Suzuki Multi-Function gauge you have. Are you saying the gauge/display boots up and shows you menus, but does not see your engines? Does it see other devices on your network? Did you remove the old engine interface cables and replace them yourself with the new ones?

[LITECATCH]

The gauge is #990C0-88162 and it works. I sees my gps on the bus list, but not the engines. My software version on the new cables is 3.5.0 I don't remember what version my old cables is. I bought new cables because I thought the old ones were bad from the sinking, but I now feel that is not the case. I would like to put 12 volts straight to the interface cables to try and see if the cables are getting the data when powered up. I just don't know what wires are the power for the interface cables. I have on the interface cable a blue and a red wire together a single red wire, a single white wire and a single black wire. I don't want to assume that the red is the 12 pos. and the black is the 12 neg. I can't find that information anywhere! I don't know why I have lost power from the engine to power the cables up. I don't know where on the engine it comes from.

[Moonlighter]

Do you have only digital guages, or digital gauges plus analogue?

[LITECATCH]

I have analogue, I was going to change them to digital. I wanted to get the network working again before I started changing them out.

[Moonlighter]

Alright.

Here are a few highly relevant facts for you. The engine’s ecu outputs 2 lots of data -

1. one is analogue data that is required for the analogue gauges to work. Engines come from the factory with the harness that runs up to the dash/controls plugged into the analogue connector from the ecu under the cowl.

2. The other is digital data, and it is output thru the SDS plug that also comes from the Ecu. This is the same plug that the mechanic connects their laptop to when they run the diagnostic tests etc on their laptop. This plug also supplies the interface cable with power so that it works. Red wire = positive 12v

3. If a boat was only running analogue gauges, this SDS plug would not be connected to anything, but would sit in a small rubber holder. On my Df115 this is on the port side of the engine just near the fuse box. You should be able to find it there on yours, its a small 4 pin plug about 1/2” x 3/16”. On a very short set of wires.

4. If the boat was running ONLY digital gauges such as the C-10 that you have got, then the engine harness under the cowl HAS TO BE unplugged from the analogue connector and plugged into the SDS plug instead. Thus, digital data goes up to the harness behind the dash. In fact, as a result of point 1-4, the harness from the engine to the dash can only have digital OR analogue data going thru it, not both.

5. In boats like yours and mine that have analogue gauges but also want to use digital data to be displayed on a MFD such as a Garmin or Lowrance display and /or on a C-10 or similar digital data gauge, there is only ONE WAY TO GET digital data up to the dash - the interface cable MUST BE CONNECTED TO THE SDS plug on the engine, using what is called an SDS adapter cable.

The above 5 points are facts, it is simply how the system works. There is NO OTHER WAY for it to be set up.

Now, I have made up a long SDS adapter cable that runs from the engine thru the rigging tube and all the way up to the back of my dash. My interface cable is plugged into it there. (The factory supplied SDS adapter cable is fairly short, usually its just not long enough to run from the engine thru the rigging tube to the inside of the transom, so many people then connect the interface cable to it then to a T piece inside the transom, with a long NmEA2000 drop cable running from there up to the dash.

What does that all mean with respect tp your problems where the interfaces are not registering on the network? It means the interfaces are probably not getting power. Most likely because they are not connected properly to the engines. Everything points in that direction.

Now you said that you replaced harnesses etc aftre the sinking. So it is likely that in the process of replacing wiring after the partial sinking, your interface cables either were not reconnected to the SDS plugs under the cowl vis the adapter cables, or, the adapter cables, or the network T piece it was connected to somewhere in the transom area, got wet and failed or was not reconnected.

I therefore suggest as a starting point, you check the SDS Plug on the engines and see what if anything is plugged into them. If there is a connection, trace it into the boat looking for continuity or wet joins.

[LITECATCH]

Moonlighter, I really do thank you for your help, but I had the data displayed on my Garmin 4208 by plugging it in under my dash. I can't understand why it does not work now. I would post pictures of my install but my pictures are too big. There has NEVER been anything ever plugged into the SDS. I don't own anything that would even plug into it. When I installed the interface cables 2.5 years ago I NEVER EVEN REMOVED THE ENGINE COVER. I know where the SDS is but I did NOT have to use it to make my network work. I posted a picture on the hull truth of the data being on the screen of my 4208. I am just not sure what to look for now. I guess I could get an adapter and do it under the cowling but I didn't have it that way before and I just want it to work the way it did. Sorry if I come off with an attitude but I am frustrated. Thanks for your help, Scott

[LITECATCH]

Maybe the engine harnesses are different in Cleveland, Australia?

[LITECATCH]

Wonder if the new engine harnesses I ordered are different than my original ones that came on the 2015 engines?

[Moonlighter]

Where the Garmin is connected is not the issue. Of course it connects to the network behind the dash! That statement just shows that you know very little about how this system works.

It is the interface cables that need to be connected to the engines.

This Suzuki system that uses the interface cables works the same everywhere.

I have helped hundreds of people in the US and around the world set up and sort out their Suzuki networks, and have set up plenty of them here in Aus, so I know what I am talking about.

The fact that your network is not talking to your motors and you cant figure out why by yourself speaks for itself.

As they say, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.

[LITECATCH]

Dang dude! I know the Garmin plugs into the 2000 network. Good GOD! How can I make you understand I had the system was working perfectly fine until my boat sank during a storm. The Suzuki interface cables plugged into the console end of my wiring harnesses not the engine end. Then the interface cables plugged into my 2000 network. I posted a picture of the engine data on the hull truth for you to see. I can't understand why you don't believe me when I explain that to you. When I started putting the system together I thought I had to plug the interface cables in under the cowling. Well the cable and the SDS port are female. So I called the Suzuki guy that installed the new (2015) engines on my boat and asked him how I was supposed to plug it in when the connectors are the same. He told me that I did not need to be under the cowling at all. He said I have the plugs at the other end of the harness (at the console) for the interface cable to plug into. then add the T's and plug into the 2000 network. So I did and it worked flawless after I set it up with a Lowrance machine my friend has. Now that machine have moved to his house in the keys, hence the reason I bought the Suzuki digital gauges so I could program my new interface cables I had bought because I thought my old ones were bad from the sinking. Apparently my old ones are not bad because the new ones don't work either. Holy cow I am tired of typing!

[LITECATCH]

Do you not have the same plugs under your dash? I can't believe I am the only one who had the plugs on each of my 2015 115's.

[2014DF25ARS]

Didn't you say you replaced the engine harnesses? That means you (or someone) had to plug in the new harnesses under the cowling, correct? Is it not possible that your new harness is connected differently than your old ones were? The "s*x change" problem at the SDS connector is usually solved by a male-male (or maybe female-female, I can't recall) "Adapter cable" under the cowling. I don't think you will find anyone on this forum who doesn't have their digital gauges connected via the SDS connector. I know I do...