Extracting engine data onto your boat N2K network using Low

[Gulfcoastjohn]

Extracting engine data onto your boat N2K network using Lowrance adapter.
Pics are at the last 5 photos on page 10 of Cat O’ Mine album.
Well, it’s sunny and only 74 degrees (78 tomorrow) so no one around here is crazy enough to be out on the water in 3K breezes under blue skies, so may as well pull the boat for work.
Most outboards of 2006 vintage and later have a plug under the cowling to allow extracting engine data from the engine computer (ECM) and relaying it onto your boat N2K network backbone so it can be displayed on your MFD/Chartplotter. However, many (like my 2010/2011 Yamaha F150’s) were rigged without using that plug. (Dealers seem to prefer selling a couple of $1100 Command Link gages over a $150 MFD display and adapters. I can’t imagine why). The Lowrance 120-37 adapter extracts 3 full screens of engine date from the Yamaha F150 with just 2 tiny blue and white wires.
http://www.lowrance.com/Global/Lowrance/Documents/NMEA/Yamaha_Engine_NMEA2000_Connection.pdf
Once an engine has been rigged with all the stuff that goes into those flexible rigging tubes, there is absolutely no way and no room to pass the adapter plugs through there. And taking it all out and re-rigging with the adapters is simply cost prohibitive after the fact (I got the quote from Paradise Marine, every other 5-star Yamaha service rep said, ‘we’ve never done that on new boats and don’t know what you’re talking about. But, we have plenty of Command Link gauges for only $1000 each special deal).
Here’s my successful work-around using 2 Lowrance 120-37 adapters (for many Yamahas, $98 each with Prime shipping on Amazon).
Yamaha insists only it’s Gateway (one-way engine output) and adapters and cables should be used and that you shouldn’t cut any wires to snake it, so you’re back to square one.
After removing the cowling, you’ll see a white plug with cover in the forward section roughly under the secondary gas filter. (Not the yellow plug, those are not the droids we’re looking for). It’s a tight fit for a single skinny hand with long fingers but would be easier if you removed the gas filter… but that’s a bit tricky too.
There is a very tight split gasket where the rigging tube enters the engine in a rigid metal tube beneath the gasket for the cowling. Remove the SS clamp and 2-piece connector piece so the rigging tube (from inside the transom to the now-disconnected gasket attachment) and the split gasket can be snaked as separate challenges. (Believe me, both will be challenges).
My Yamaha engine plug has only a blue and a white wire, so obviously the additional red and black wires on the Lowrance adapter aren’t needed. I cut off the Lowrance plug (allowing plenty of wire to work with). I snaked a flexible, plastic covered SS wire snake into the rigging tube engine side starting beyond that friggin tight gasket and through the transom. It helps to move the rigging tube around manually and use the tilt to maybe open a path between all those monster hoses. You do NOT want to puncture the gas line inside the rigging tube. You do NOT want to cut or short those monster 12v cables. Cut engine power at the battery switch except when adjusting the tilt for safety. This took 5-10 tries on each engine, without forcing anything. I then taped the cut Lowrance wire to the snake from inside the transom connection and pulled it out at the gasket connection. Getting the cut cord then through the tight split gasket is a delicate push/pull/swearwords affair. Then just connect the white and blue wires in the cut cable to the white and blue wires on the Lowrance plug and plug that into the Yamaha plug (using 2 fingers on one hand and a LOT of both patience and luck). Plug the N2K end into your boat network backbone at the transom, turn on both House and Engines at the battery switch and you’ll see 3 different pages of multiple engine data/ parameters on your MFD/compatible chartplotter (but only when engine is on, of course). You even get a Boost Pressure gauge, which a F150 does not ever develop any of, but it sure is nice to know it hasn’t suddenly got any turbo-diesel attributes while you were at dinner!
The Trim/Tilt gauge will show at full up until you disconnect a pink wire under the cowling; I haven’t done this yet as it shows correctly on the engine old tach/trim gauge. That is driven by a simple primitive saltwater –exposed rheostat in the middle unit, nothing precise or digital about it.
Don’t try any of this if you’re not comfortable with any of it. Yamaha claims that some larger engines grew bad attitudes that resolved when such non-Yamaha add-ons were disconnected. I can disconnect either engine network read-outs at the N2K plugs and/or under the cowling at any time.
This is the first I’ve seen posted about after-market rigging a Lowrance adapter by cutting and snaking the wires. Perhaps smaller engines don’t have their rigging tubes crammed with so much so tightly.
I bet Tom on C-Otter will have this done and working prior to the Hontoon Hoot.
Happy After-market Hot Wiring Your Ride!
John and Eileen

[ssobol]

The Honda BF90D's do not put out any NMEA 2000 data. Only proprietary data for the Honda gauges. Other Honda engines lines did do NMEA.

In the 90 size class, the Honda BF100 was the first to due NMEA 2000.

[colbysmith]

I'd love to find an inexpensive gateway to work with the Merc!

[Pedromo]

My 2017 Honda 90 puts out all sorts of engine info to the Raymarine display.
I have it configured to display: water temp, alternator voltage, fuel average flow, fuel actual flow, oil pressure and RPM. It uses the Raymarine compatible NMEA 2000 interface.