2011 DF300 DBW engine data to Lowrance MFD

[Andy135]

I have a 2011 DF300 drive by wire outboard that I'd like to connect to an older Lowrance HDS 8 Gen 1 to show engine and fuel data. I've heard that there are various different ways to connect a Lowrance unit to a Suzuki engine e.g. two different versions of the Engine Interface cable into digital gauges and also an Engine Connect Gateway cable. I already have an NMEA2k network up & running but the gauges I have are not NMEA2k gauges (they look like the one shown in the pic below) and I'd like to keep them operational.

Can anyone guide me towards which cable I'd need in order to show engine data on the Lowrance?

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[Moonlighter]

Those gauges you have are Faria gauges with Suzuki badges. Not many of those gauge systems still around on Suzukis, most have died by now!

Due to the way they connect to the engine, you cannot run them and the Suzuki interface cables at the same time. The hub that those gauges connect to has to be disconnected so that the interface cable can be connected to the engine harness.

I know this because I have just helped a guy here in Australia replace those gauges with the interfaces and digital gauges running on a new NMEA2000 network.

[Andy135]

Those gauges you have are Faria gauges with Suzuki badges. Not many of those gauge systems still around on Suzukis, most have died by now!

Due to the way they connect to the engine, you cannot run them and the Suzuki interface cables at the same time. The hub that those gauges connect to has to be disconnected so that the interface cable can be connected to the engine harness.

I know this because I have just helped a guy here in Australia replace those gauges with the interfaces and digital gauges running on a new NMEA2000 network.

So no way to use the Engine Connect Gateway to connect direct to the NMEA2k network and sidestep the gauges altogether?

[Moonlighter]

So no way to use the Engine Connect Gateway to connect direct to the NMEA2k network and sidestep the gauges altogether?

Connect gateway is simply the standard interface cable with special software so it physically connects the same way.

Suzuki states that the Connect gateway cable is compatible with 2016 and newer engines. Highly doubtful that it will work with a 2011 year.

You could remove the gauge hub and then get the standard Suzuki interface cable, version 2.9.04 is the correct version for a 2011 engine, set up a NMEA2000 network backbone, and then use the C-10 or round SMIS digital gauges. You will need a special adapter cable to connect from the harness to the interface cable. Pretty sure this is the one:

https://www.brownspoint.com/store/pc...r-38p63576.htm

[Moonlighter]

And before you ask, you will need the C-10 or SMIS gauge to get engine fault codes and service reminders to display.

They wont display on the Lowrance screen with the standard interface cable unfortunately (unless there is also a C-10 on the network), that is a feature limited to the Connect gateway.

[Andy135]

Thanks Moonlighter, some food for thought there.

[Andy135]

And before you ask, you will need the C-10 or SMIS gauge to get engine fault codes and service reminders to display.

They wont display on the Lowrance screen with the standard interface cable unfortunately (unless there is also a C-10 on the network), that is a feature limited to the Connect gateway.

So that I'm clear... I could use the standard interface cable to connect to the Lowrance without adding C10/SMIS gauges and also losing the analogue gauge, and the trade off would be lack of fault codes & service reminders?

Or put another way, if I'm ok with the lack of fault codes & service reminders and can live without any gauges at all, I could run engine data (including RPM's which is the only thing I'd lose from the analogue gauges), to the Lowrance. Correct?

I read somewhere that the C-10's were only for MY2015 onwards, which would mean if I later decided to get the service reminders & fault codes (other than having an engineer read them from the SDS port) I would need an SMIS gauge. I believe there are some new old stock ones still available in the UK (where I'm based) at an unsurprisingly astronomical cost, which is why I'm exploring the possibility of using the interface cable without them for now.

[Moonlighter]

Yes you could use the standard interface cable to send data to the network, and then with the Lowrance attached to the same network, yes it will display all available engine and fuel related data. And yes, correct, you lose fault codes and service reminders.

And yes you are correct, your current Faria based gauge wont work when the interface is connected up.

The C-10 has been tried by many people with engines back to at least 2005 and works fine despite what Suzuki officially says.

And SMIS will work with V2.9.4 and your engine too, and will give all codes. You will also need the special FBW adapter cable to plug the interface into the gauge harness (you have to completely remove the Faria hub, the special harness connects where it was connected)

How much are they talking about for a SMIS? I may be able to get one for you here in Aus and send it over, even with postage it might work out OK?

Let me know if you want me to follow that SMIS up. The big Q of course will be postage cost from Au to UK and how long it might take due to the present COVID19 circumstances....Unknown but I can probably find out approx times.

[Andy135]

Yes you could use the standard interface cable to send data to the network, and then with the Lowrance attached to the same network, yes it will display all available engine and fuel related data. And yes, correct, you lose fault codes and service reminders.

And yes you are correct, your current Faria based gauge wont work when the interface is connected up.

The C-10 has been tried by many people with engines back to at least 2005 and works fine despite what Suzuki officially says.

And SMIS will work with V2.9.4 and your engine too, and will give all codes. You will also need the special FBW adapter cable to plug the interface into the gauge harness (you have to completely remove the Faria hub, the special harness connects where it was connected)

How much are they talking about for a SMIS? I may be able to get one for you here in Aus and send it over, even with postage it might work out OK?

Let me know if you want me to follow that SMIS up. The big Q of course will be postage cost from Au to UK and how long it might take due to the present COVID19 circumstances....Unknown but I can probably find out approx times.

Thanks for the offer on the SMIS Moonlighter. If the C-10 is proven to work then that's probably the way to go for me I think. The C-10 gauge is circa £200 cheaper than the SMIS over here and looks a whole lot nicer. The adaptor harness is required for the C-10 too, correct?

[Moonlighter]

Yes C-10 is a far better choice than SMIS.

The adapter harness is required to enable the INTERFACE CABLE to be connected to the engine gauge harness, not the gauge. The other end of the interface cable plugs into the NMEA2000 network.

Its a change of mindset required with NMEA2000 networks. Gauges are NOT connected to engines, they are connected to the network.

1. The engine/s sends data TO THE NETWORK.

2. Any display (that has the capability to receive engine data pgn’s) that is then attached to the network can be set to receive data FROM ANY ENGINE ON THE NETWORK and to display it as required. You can have multiple displays all simultaneously accessing the same data that an engine has sent to the network.

The “display” can be a large MFD screen eg a Simrad NSS, Garmin etc etc etc. or it can be a small display designed to show mainly engine data eg the C-10, SMIS, Garmin GMI-20 and similar displays.

There are then some compatibility issues between the different software versions run on Suzuki INTERFACE CABLES and some gauges as we have discussed.

Whenever we set up Suzuki NMEA2000 networks, the starting point is always the ENGINE YEAR.

Engine year determines which software version needs to be on the INTERFACE CABLE. Then ....

The INTERFACE CABLE software version determines which gauge display models are compatible and in some cases, which gauge software that has to be run.

(and, because Lowrance makes the INTERFACE CABLES for Suzuki, Lowrance displays like HDS models can not only display Suzuki engine data, they can configure the interface cables, they can upload software changes such as different versions to the interface cables, and they can calibrate fuel flow equations in the interface software to improve their accuracy)