Suzuki SMIS Blank

[Bblack67]

Hello, I have 3 SMIS Displays connected to two 2007 Suzuki DF300s and I am using a BEP VSR on my batteries. I had both of my engines running and turned both starting batteries off on the BEP VSR. This caused two of my SMIS displays to have a blank screen (kind of bluish). The gauges are the center and the Starboard engine. Is there some way I can check these out or do a soft reset to "reboot" them? The "S" doesn't even come up when I turn the key on.

Thanks for your help!

[Moonlighter]

Mist likely your network is connected to the engine wiring harness to get its power, it is a common practice. The SMIS gauges are powered by the network, so no network power = gauges dont work. Strange though that one is working and the others, not. Doesnt sound good. Is engine data showing on the good gauge when they are turned on?

You could try a reset, if it works you will most likely have to set the gauges up again to suit your preferences and to select which engine’s data they show, as this resets them back to factory:

1. Turn unit off (network power 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)

If the reset doesnt work, check the network power fuses, may have blown one.

I wouldnt turn battery master switches off ever again when engines are running.

This could have caused a very bad power spike, and who knows what damage could be caused.

[Bblack67]

Thanks Moonlight, I️ hope to go down this week and check on the things you’ve mentioned. The starboard gauge is still giving engine information. Do you think the other two gauges could be powered by one fuse off of the port engine? sure hope it’s easily fixable. Where is the fuse that you mentioned located? Thanks again

[Moonlighter]

No, all of the gauges are powered from their connection to the network, therefore, on reflection, if one has power, all must have power. So it cant be a fuse issue.

Try the reset procedure. If that doesnt work .......

[Bblack67]

Moonlight, I️ switched out the two bad displays onto the good T of the other display and neither came up like they are supposed to. I️ also put the good display on the other two Ts and it worked fine? Guess I️m hosed?? Can I️ still buy this displays? Thanks for your help down the bayou. Sux, cause I️m going out tomorrow on an overnight tuna trip!

[Moonlighter]

As you have found out, it doesnt matter which T piece the display is plugged into. If the gauge is working, it will work on any T piece on the network. If the gauge is bad, it wont work no matter where you plug it in.

If you tried the reset procedure that I stated and it did not work, then it seems likley that the gauges were fried when the battery switch incident happened.

You can still get the gauges from several suppliers, including from this forums sponsors:

http://www.boats.net/parts/detail/su...0C0-88101.html

[Bblack67]

Thanks Moonlight. I guess I’m going to buy a couple. I have 2007 DF300s. Do I need a specific software version for the Amos displays? Thanks

[Moonlighter]

You eill probbaly want to run SMIS software V 2.5.

You can download it from the sticky thread on Suzuki networks on thid forum.

[Bblack67]

I found 2 used Suzuki displays for a very good price. Question, can I use SMIS displays that have a different software than the original?

Thanks

[Moonlighter]

You can.

There is a potential risk that they may not play nicely with the software version on your engine interface. If that happens, the SMIS software ca be changed to a suitable version. Requires a Lowrance or Simrad display to be temporarily attached to the network to upload the software change.

[Bblack67]

Hi Moonlight, I promise this is my last question (I hope). I picked up the two displays (1 black and 1 silver) but one of them has the black male connector and I need the blue female. Can I cut off the black connector and splice in one of the connectors off of my bad displays? Or do I need to find a NMEA connector convertor? Thanks for your help. Also, the place a went has a new Suzuki 350 and it looks awesome. Price including installing is $25,500! Yikes, I'll keep putting bandaids on my old DF300s.

[2014DF25ARS]

BBlack, I'll certainly defer to Moonlighter when he answers. But I'll chime in that I had a similar situation with a 4" display a year or two ago. I wanted to surface-mount the display to the dash of my vintage boat without cutting a hole for it. So I bought a "dead" display real cheap and started hacking away.

You can readily find blue-black adapter cables. I see a couple on Ebay now for $20, and IMHO that's probably your best option. Here's one:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lowrance-NA...IAAOSwQr5ZqjS6

Honestly, I don't know the difference between red and black, but red & black fit together... I may have a blue/black adapter at home I'd be happy to sell you; I'll check tonight.

I attach a few photos of my disassembled display, so you can see what's going on inside. Rather than splice the cable, you may want to consider opening the display and swapping good guts for bad guts. There is an interior connector inside the display that should be the same for both blue & black cables. To open the display, you remove the bezel. What you'll find is there is an adhesive gasket holding the face of the display to the can. I dug out that adhesive with a small screwdriver, and I must admit that I bought a sheet of similar 3M double-stick foam to fashion a new gasket, buy my foam was too thick for the bezel to fit back on correctly, so I wasn't able to use it. If you do the same, buy the foam thinner than you think you need. You can live with too thin, but not too thick!

[Moonlighter]

BBlack, I'll certainly defer to Moonlighter when he answers. But I'll chime in that I had a similar situation with a 4" display a year or two ago. I wanted to surface-mount the display to the dash of my vintage boat without cutting a hole for it. So I bought a "dead" display real cheap and started hacking away.

You can readily find blue-black adapter cables. I see a couple on Ebay now for $20, and IMHO that's probably your best option. Here's one:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lowrance-NA...IAAOSwQr5ZqjS6

Honestly, I don't know the difference between red and black, but red & black fit together... I may have a blue/black adapter at home I'd be happy to sell you; I'll check tonight.

I attach a few photos of my disassembled display, so you can see what's going on inside. Rather than splice the cable, you may want to consider opening the display and swapping good guts for bad guts. There is an interior connector inside the display that should be the same for both blue & black cables. To open the display, you remove the bezel. What you'll find is there is an adhesive gasket holding the face of the display to the can. I dug out that adhesive with a small screwdriver, and I must admit that I bought a sheet of similar 3M double-stick foam to fashion a new gasket, buy my foam was too thick for the bezel to fit back on correctly, so I wasn't able to use it. If you do the same, buy the foam thinner than you think you need. You can live with too thin, but not too thick!

The above sounds like good info to me.

The simplest solution is to get a black to blue adapter cable. Get one that will connect black device to a blue network.

The difference between them is simply the connector. When NMEA2000 started, all manufacturers were intended to use the same physical connectors, but for some reason in the early days, Lowrance just HAD to be different and designed those old blue connectors.

So you would be able to cut off and splice, although I do not have wiring diagrams that would help.

[2014DF25ARS]

BBlack, I have a black/blue adapter cable I will gladly sell to you. It's about 24" long, and it is black female on one end, and blue female on the other end. When I say "female", I mean that both ends have holes to receive male pins. Based on what you said, I think this may be just what you need. This cable will fit onto a display that has a black male connector, and will give you a blue female connector instead. PM me if interested. I'm located in North Alabama, USA.

Jeff

[Bblack67]

Thanks Jeff for that information, very helpful. I wish I had waited before I ordered a cable or I would have bought it from you. You guys are super helpful.