Garmin and Suzuki NMEA 2000

piranha580 · 22 August 2010, 16:46

Hi all, new to the site here and this is the first thread ive put on..so hi to all first!!
Picking up the new RIB in a few weeks and was wondering had anyone any knowledge on hooking a new Suzuki DF90 up to the new Garmin 750s via a NMEA2000 cable...i believe they are both NMEA2000 compatible! Also,would anyone know the prices of the 'extras' i need to hook the 2 up!?
cheers in advance for the replies and i look forward to the future times on the site here! :-)
Mark

Erin · 22 August 2010, 19:10

You'll need the Suzuki interface made by Lowrance, which I think is about £70, but don't hold me to that. Sadly, like a few Lowrance items, they're not very reliable. I'm on my second one. You also need to make sure it has the correct plug on the engine end, with the wires correctly positioned. My adaptor lead came with the wrong connector, so clearly Lowrance and Suzuki gave up talking to each other after the basic design and took a guess at what plug/socket arrangement to use. If you need a photo or diagram, give us a shout, or do a search as I'm pretty sure I've posted the wiring diag before.

piranha580 · 23 August 2010, 11:29

Great stuff thanks Erin, there seem to be a breakdown in communication between garmin and Suzuki too for sure, so much for a universal system!! Thanks for the help again.. I'll trawl through here and see what I can come up with, otherwise I'll get back to you!

Erin · 23 August 2010, 12:29

Any nmea 2k plotter should connect absolutely fine to the Lowrance interface. What is a pity, is that Suzuki chose Lowrance as their electronics aftermarket supplier so they're the onlyones who make the interface. I think its an EP20 or EP30 or some such.

piranha580 · 23 August 2010, 14:33

Great stuff, I'll get onto the company again so! Thanks again..

peterlewis321 · 18 September 2010, 16:06

Hi, I eventually got my Garmin 4012 connected to my Suzuki DF250 after a LOT of investigation......you need an engine interface cable from Suzuki in the US (check with Suzuki UK as they may have woken up by now !!), I got it via Brownspoint Marine in New Jersey. You will also need what they call a Suzuki SMIS gauge (either a 2" or a 4") to programme the engine interface cable so it knows what engine model and year you have - once you have done this you don't necessarily need the gauge again as most of the data will display via the Garmin unit.
The latest Engine Interface Cable has a standard NMEA (black) socket on it and so it will connect straight to a Garmin unit (atleast it did on my 2009 unit) but you need a basic NMEA2000 backbone installed on your boat already (again, to install a 4012 you would have that in place anyhow). The only tricky bit is connecting the engine interface cable to the engine - it connects via what they call the SDS connector (the diagnostic port a uzuki rep will plug into to check your engine when it gets serviced) on the engine under the cover - pre 2007/8 engines have a round connector, newer engines have a square one. Mine is a 2004 engine and so the new Engine Interface Cable (with the black NMEA 200 connectors) had the wrong SDS connector on it......I ended up ordering the right connector from a company called Eastern Beaver (!!) in Japan and then rewiring it (it is v straightforward - I can give you the detail if you need it). If you speak with George Jansen at Bownspoint Marine he is very helpful and may well rig up a special cable for you if he is not too busy. I have some spare round and square connectors and some cables if anyone is stuck - I figured I would pretty much order 1 of everything as the shipping cost from the US was fairly high and quantity did not affect it much.
The engine interface able is about $100, 2" gauge about $150 - but check with Suzuki UK as I heard a rumour they are starting to do this system now - probably be the same in GBP though, perhaps more.....
It all works very well and fuel management is within 1-2 litres in terms of accuracy on a 200 litre tank.

piranha580 · 13 October 2010, 18:21

Hey there Peter, apologies about only relying to you now.. Thanks so much for the info on the interface and nmea cables..I've been onto the Suzuki guys since and I met up with them at the Southampton show and they assure me now it's simple and they're going to fit it when they're installing the engine( takes a bit of the workload and worry off me so!!) ... If I do get into difficulty though I'll get back onto you, maybe for some of those contacts you have abroad!! Thanks again! Mark