Smartcraft to new seaboard instruments

[worldcatlemon]

I have QSB’s 2005 and want to do away with the old smartcraft screens, and upgrade to the SMX panels on this site.
I also have the mechanical gauges that are smartcraft.

My question is, do I use the original wiring harness/loom on the engine or does the engine wiring also get changed when I upgrade the control panel, and do I eliminate all the mechanical gauges?

Topic

[pmerklinger59]

electronic controls

Just wondering what happens to the digital throttle , does the SMX option one deal with that too. Thanks, Peter

[Corey Schmidt]

marks737 wrote:

Just wondering if it would be strange to have my Sea Ray analog round gauges just sitting there dead though.

Like Tony was saying, you can choose to either switch to analog gauges with sending units added to the engine(s) as a redundant system OR you can choose to use J1939 round gauges that are driven by the SMX system via J1939…

Or you can also choose to remove the gauges altogether and re-work the dash…

[Tony Athens]

Why not post a some good pictures of your helm station?

Tony

[marks737]

Just wondering if it would be strange to have my Sea Ray analog round gauges just sitting there dead though.

[worldcatlemon]

And of course the Smartcraft panels

[worldcatlemon]

Thanks for the clarification.

So apparently I have two complete harnesses and gauges to sell…Lol

[Tony Athens]

With option #1–everything “off-engine” goes to Craig’s List.. One 3/4″ diameter 10-wire harness from the engine to the instruments..

1 user thanked author for this post.

Bill Desmarais

[worldcatlemon]

The original harnesses and gauges came out of a twin screw application.
If I install engines as single screw in 2 separate boats would i need the junction box with the SMX upgrade?

[Tony Athens]

SmartCraft 1.0

Option #1——–Yes, you loose the “SmartCraft” analog “looking gauges” as to are dumping “SmartCraft all together.

But you could add real VDO analog gauges if you really wanted that. Do you need that? IMO no, as once you have a simple and easy to use digital system, I see no value for more “wires”.. Right now, use have approx 35 wires and 15 connecting plugs between your engine and the dash.. Going SMX gets to down to one plug and 10 (or less) wires for all..

Look at the picture below–That is your vintage QSB5.9 –Do you really think you can realistically troubleshoot that maze of wires and connections when something goes wrong? And that does not even include your gauges that separate wiring maze……………………………….. I still ask myself–What were they thinking? Even Cummins does not support this Mercury Outboard “crap” anymore

Tony

[marks737]

So with option 1, do you still lose the analog gauges?

[28Cuttyhunk]

Harness

On engine harness remains, Just replaces the harness from the 40 pin to the helm. I have purchased several of these from SeaBoard and they are simple and best of all come with “Cory” who is terrific when it come to customer support.

[worldcatlemon]

Corey, just so I am understanding you clearly,
does the engine harnesses on the engine get replaced ( ie, the wire loom to the injectors, cam and crank sensors, oil pressure sensor, temp sensor etc…)….is this wire loom part of the upgrade?

Or does the new system begin at the 40 pin connector that goes to the new SMX panel?

[Corey Schmidt]

You have two options here:

Option # 1: Get rid of everything and install all new SMX from the engines to the dash. The system then becomes super simple and reliable.

Option #2: Just ditch the old digital screens and install new SMX screens (SmartCraft to SMX Upgrade Kit) straight to the junction boxes behind the dash. You will lose the analog gauges because they are actually driven by the SmartCraft digital screens.

Knowing what I know about the old SmartCraft systems, I am biased to option #1… probably because I spend a lot of time on the phone troubleshooting them… ‘Hope that helps…

Happy New Year

[Author]

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