Smartcraft or MFD engine displays

boaterholic

boaterholic

Active Member
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Jan 2, 2021
445
Welaka, FL
Boat Info
2005 420 Sedan Bridge
Engines
Diamond Performance Series 430HP 6CTA 8.3M's
I’m working on closing deal on new to me 2005 420sedan bridge with Cummins 430hp. It does not have the digital smartcraft display or other display that I’m aware of.
Can somebody tell me what does it involve to install a smartcraft or connect it to MFD’s ?
 
That is strange??? I though all late model Cummins used that display. Are you sure is just not plugged in behind the dash and connected to the MFD? The displays went out on most of these units but you need them to run the gauges. I have heard of installers leaving it plugged in behind the dash and using the adaptor to send the signal to the MFD's. What is the MFD in this boat? Did you go through all the screens to check for engine data?
 
Unfortunately I did not go through all the screens and see if it had engine data showing. There is no Smartcraft display installed on the helm area. As to whether there is something behind the dash I don’t know. Once I get possession and have her home then I can dig behind the panel and see if there is something there. The only engine instrumentation are the Sea Ray tachs with hour meters, and below those are the multi parameter displays showing oil pressure, engine temp, fuel level, and battery voltage.
If there is anything behind the dash to send out engine info, what would it look like? Is there a special engine wire harness I need to look for that would connect to smartcraft display? I would like to be able to display other info such as percent load and mpg.
Mfd is a Garmin 5212 front and center and off the port is a Raymarine I think C120. thanks
 
What engines do you have? This will convert and send Nema 2000 signal to your Garmin (I think). That Raymarine is too old so nothing will display on it.
upload_2021-1-31_8-45-55.png
 
Engines are 6CTA 8.3M’s. Diamond Performance Series 450/430hp.

I think I will be updating electronics within the year. Probably Garmin. But I need to do some other high dollar improvements first such as new surround curtains up on the bridge.
If I end up getting that cable to display engine information on the Garman, will it be obvious where I connect the engine side of that harness?
 
boaterholic said:
If there is anything behind the dash to send out engine info, what would it look like? Is there a special engine wire harness I need to look for that would connect to smartcraft display?
Mfd is a Garmin 5212 front and center and off the port is a Raymarine I think C120. thanks
Click to expand...
This is a picture of the standard Smartcraft engine data junction box. If you have this you are probably in good shape to move forward:
J-Box.jpg
 
boaterholic said:
Engines are 6CTA 8.3M’s. Diamond Performance Series 450/430hp.

I think I will be updating electronics within the year. Probably Garmin. But I need to do some other high dollar improvements first such as new surround curtains up on the bridge.
If I end up getting that cable to display engine information on the Garman, will it be obvious where I connect the engine side of that harness?
Click to expand...
My money is on the smart craft is tucked behind the Garmin he added. I bet the screen took a crap. I am a Raymarine guy so not sure if that Garmin you have is NK2 or not but I thought they all were. At this point you need to do some exploring behind the MFD and find what you have hidden.
 
Thanks guys,
I will definitely explore what’s behind the dash once I have the boat home. And I’m almost 100% positive that garmin has nmea2k as I had an older unit than that which had it.
If by chance it does not have that engine data junction box, how big a deal is it to add?
 
boaterholic said:
Thanks guys,
I will definitely explore what’s behind the dash once I have the boat home. And I’m almost 100% positive that garmin has nmea2k as I had an older unit than that which had it.
If by chance it does not have that engine data junction box, how big a deal is it to add?
Click to expand...
The junction box itself would be easy. The issue is whether you have the Smartcraft cables coming from the engines up to the helm that plug into the box; adding that would be involved. I think the odds are highly in your favor that you already have the core components based on the age of your boat. Once you get behind the dash, post pictures and I'm sure you'll get lots of help from folks on this forum.
 
Not to rain on your parade, but my 2004 420 with 6CTA 8.3 M's is straight mechanical. No electronics and no fancy indication of engine data other than Tach, Volts, Coolant Temp, and Volts on the gauges. I thought you had to go to the 480 CE flavor of Cummins engine before you got any on-board data, but I could be in error.

Jaybeaux
 
Jaybeaux said:
Not to rain on your parade, but my 2004 420 with 6CTA 8.3 M's is straight mechanical. No electronics and no fancy indication of engine data other than Tach, Volts, Coolant Temp, and Volts on the gauges. I thought you had to go to the 480 CE flavor of Cummins engine before you got any on-board data, but I could be in error.

Jaybeaux
Click to expand...
I looked at one other 420 sedan bridge that also had the street mechanical engines and it had a smart craft display on it. So I have my fingers crossed that at least the cables and junction box are there.
Once I have the boat in my possession at home I will definitely get pictures from behind the panels to put on the website here and see what the consensus is. Thanks for all the help guys!
 
Similar to Jaybeaux, we have the 04 which have full mechanicals. Though you have an 05 looks as if you have the fully mechanicals as well. Upside is that they are rock solid motors without the head issues. Down side is no digital read outs of all that cool data that everyone loves. You would have to do a bit of work to add these features by adding senors etc.
 
Hmmmm, I thought 05 was digital and had the Mercury Diesel View with C-Cruise. There are four harness's to the helm from the engines in which two are Smartcraft and two are the DTS. The two Smartcraft harnesses are yellow in color one with a Green tapped end and one with a red tapped end. Those yellow Smartcraft harnesses terminate into the J-boxes in the picture @alnav showed.
 
ocgrant said:
... I am a Raymarine guy so not sure if that Garmin you have is NK2 or not but I thought they all were. ...
Click to expand...

The Garmin 5212 is a touch screen version of the 4212. It definitely is NMEA 2000, but the engine screens are not that customizable, but they are there. If they are not available then there is no N2K engine data present. That series does not show what it can not detect.
 
SKybolt said:
The Garmin 5212 is a touch screen version of the 4212. It definitely is NMEA 2000, but the engine screens are not that customizable, but they are there. If they are not available then there is no N2K engine data present. That series does not show what it can not detect.
Click to expand...
Since there is good likely good I would update electronics hopefully whatever I get will show the engine instruments I want to see, but otherwise if I can get my hands on a smartcraft display I’d be ok with that too.
 
boaterholic said:
Since there is good likely good I would update electronics hopefully whatever I get will show the engine instruments I want to see, but otherwise if I can get my hands on a smartcraft display I’d be ok with that too.
Click to expand...

The newer Garmin screens are highly configurable and would work great. @ttmott might be able to post his screens if you ask nicely. :)
 
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