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NMEA 2000 question

Discussion in 'Engines' started by Bahma, Aug 8, 2016.

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  1. Bahma, Aug 8, 2016
    #1
    Bahma

    Bahma Member

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    My Bertram has Yanmar diesels controlled by Yanmars fly by wire system, which uses NMEA 2000 wiring. I installed a Garmin GPS MAPS chart plotter, which uses Garmin NMEA 2000 wiring and connectors.

    The Yanmar T connectors are defective....a recall was issued MSA 0521, which stated that certain of these connectorsites could come adrift. Indeed two of mine did.

    The question is are the Garmin and Yanmar Tee Connectors electrically compatible?

    They physically fit together, and I do believe NMEA arranged for these systems to be compatible......

    The Garmin Tees are $17 at West Marine, they are physically stronger and $36 for the 8Yanmars..... I need 8 to change them all, so there is a big price difference

    But I'd like to be be sure I won't blow the computers and what have you on the engines.

    Does anyone have a clue about this? I shall be very grateful for a heads up, for a mistake would be very costly, indeed.

    Many thanks,

    Norm
  2. RoryG, Aug 11, 2016
    #2
    RoryG

    RoryG New Member

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    NMEA 2k is a standardized coding protocol and equipment. As long as the terminals fit together everything will communicate over the network. Have no fear of frying any of your components.
  3. Bahma, Aug 11, 2016
    #3
    Bahma

    Bahma Member

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    Thank you, I sure appreciate your reply.

    Could you now, advice on the following.

    When bought the boat, it had been repowered with Yanmars, which were controlled using NMEA 2000 connections.

    I installed a Garmin GPS MAPS Chartplotter, with sonar and radar.

    Is it possible, or wise to connect the two Systems?

    I would like to read my engines data on the Garmin monitor, for the Yanmar displays are rather small for my old eyes.
  4. RoryG, Aug 11, 2016
    #4
    RoryG

    RoryG New Member

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    Not familiar with Yanmars, but it is possible to connect an engine to a NMEA 2k network, provided you have the proper gateway to do so. I assume that you do, and you can connect your electronics to your engines. It is perfectly safe to do so. The chartplotter is only reading the engine data from the ECM, and displaying it for you. That was the point of NMEA 2k, to interconnect data sources, and make it easier for the customer to use them.
  5. HaveADay, Aug 12, 2016
    #5
    HaveADay

    HaveADay Member

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    It is likely that what you have for the engines is a canbus protocol running on devicenet connectors. NMEA 2000 also uses devicenet cabling (unless you use raymarine or another manufacturer that has decided to change the physical connectors) but is using an altered version of the protocol. Most automotive/over the road (and marine diesel engine management systems are usually modified over the road systems) engine management systems are using J1939 for their communications.

    By simply connecting your Yanmar control network to your NMEA 2000 network you would be merging two separate canbus networks onto one physical network. The results would be unpredictable and with one of those networks being the engine control network I don't think wise. As is mentioned you can likely get a gateway of some sort once you figure out what protocol is being used on the engine control side.

    I did find mention that Yanmar has NMEA2000 certified some of their equipment (http://www.nmea.org/Assets/nmea8.pdf) making it possible that your engines are indeed NMEA2000 compliant. If that's the case I personally would pursue a NMEA2000-NMEA2000 bridge to avoid a single network composed of navigational electronics, stereos, and any other NMEA2000 devices joined to your engine control network. I have observed enough instability from the MFDs and the like to make me not want to endanger my control of my engines from an issue with a plotter.

    Ben
  6. Bahma, Aug 12, 2016
    #6
    Bahma

    Bahma Member

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    RoryG and Ben,

    I thank you for your expertise, to be quite frank this all came about as a result of my removing redundant wiring and o/d electronics from my newly acquired 1982 42ft Bertram.

    During the removal of wires etc I broke a couple of Tee Connectors.
    I discovered, on the net, that Yanmar have a recall on all their T connectors, which can pull apart because of improper assembly.

    The Yanmar engine controls are NMEA 2K. However, their Ts cost $35 as opposed to the Garmin's $14, the engine system requires 8 in total. My Yanmar dealer says the hassle trying claim the free replacements is just too much to handle.

    I believe, I should assemblem everything back the way it was, just to cover my tail and sure all systems are go.

    I had a major generator failure during a trip to Exuma last year, and very nearly lost the entire fly by wire system due to flat batteries..I do not ever wish to be in that situation again.

    I thank once again for your help and will let you know how things progress

    Norm
  7. Capt J, Aug 13, 2016
    #7
    Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    I would find another Yanmar dealer. A recall is a recall and they should honor it.

    Secondly, why are your alternators not charging your batteries?
  8. Bahma, Sep 12, 2016
    #8
    Bahma

    Bahma Member

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    Circumstances beyond my control prevented my earlier teply.

    I cannot yet understand the low voltage readings I had last year in Exuma.... however, during a recent trip to Green Turtle Cay from Man o War....the Yanmar read outs showed an alarm which indicated the voltage had fallen to 11.5 VDC, where as the voltmeter on the DC panel registeted, 13.5 VDC on all three battery banks.....comprising, house, port and stb engine.

    Can't get my head around this one?
  9. Capt J, Sep 12, 2016
    #9
    Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Sounds to me like you have a ground problem. Voltage is fine, so that's why you see proper voltage at the panel. But. the engine grounds are not good and that is why the engine computers are seeing low voltage. This is my theory.
  10. Bahma, Sep 12, 2016
    #10
    Bahma

    Bahma Member

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    CaptJ, I thank you for your comments, I did check the wiring and connections, but found nothing a miss.

    When I had the problem during my Exuma trip, the head seas were very rough and to be frank, I was literally traveling at a tick over pace, likewise during my last trip, once again, i was travelling quite slowly, perhaps the generators were going too slow to produce power, but by the same token, why does the energy management system not read the overall battery condition?
    I shall experiment with this next time I'm at sea.