"BIG" Problem DTS SmartCraft Loss Comm

[JustRight_GA]

This is the first time I have ever posted anything so you can understand how big this problem is...
Profile of problem
2008 95' Sumerset Houseboat with twin Mercruiser 5.0l with Dual helm DTS control stations. Went to do weekly startup and Tach displays "LOSS ENGIN COMM". I went and checked all connections to see they were still plugged in, the recall on modules was completed by Mercruiser in March 09. I disconnected battery to reset system, I finally called in a crack squad of Dealer technicians and after 15 hours of arguing with each other and going back and forth from the stern to the bow several times from the fly bridge to main station several times they finally found something. When they isolated the main station port engine and put a different Tach in they could get the engine to COMM. Therefore it is their opinion, 3 Tachs are bad the starboard wiring harness is bad and the boat must have been hit by lightning! There is no other damage to my boat or any systems from this lighting stike.

I know of several boats that are configured like mine have had problems with DTS SmartCraft system. Any I deas?

 

[daydreamer1252]

Re: "BIG" Problem DTS SmartCraft Loss Comm

While I don't know anything specific about DTS SmartCraft I do know that several times in my life I have had nearby lightening strikes (one a tree in the yard others simple ground strikes) disable or destroy electronic equipment. My point is that something that uses electronics can be damaged by just being in the vicinity of the "strike" without actual physical contact with the actual "spark"...

Then again the Merc techs could be full of it.....I'm just sayin'

 

[Fun Times]

Re: "BIG" Problem DTS SmartCraft Loss Comm

This is the first time I have ever posted anything so you can understand how big this problem is...
Profile of problem
2008 95' Sumerset Houseboat with twin Mercruiser 5.0l with Dual helm DTS control stations. Went to do weekly startup and Tach displays "LOSS ENGIN COMM". I went and checked all connections to see they were still plugged in, the recall on modules was completed by Mercruiser in March 09. I disconnected battery to reset system, I finally called in a crack squad of Dealer technicians and after 15 hours of arguing with each other and going back and forth from the stern to the bow several times from the fly bridge to main station several times they finally found something. When they isolated the main station port engine and put a different Tach in they could get the engine to COMM. Therefore it is their opinion, 3 Tachs are bad the starboard wiring harness is bad and the boat must have been hit by lightning! There is no other damage to my boat or any systems from this lighting stike.

I know of several boats that are configured like mine have had problems with DTS SmartCraft system. Any I deas?

Hi there, Sorry to hear of your situation, 15 hours, Sounds expensive, And from the sounds of it, the testing may have only begun.

Since it seems like they may have made the system work by bypassing either the old CAN wire harnesses And / or the Command Module/s, I would suggest before they start throwing guessing parts at it, I would hope that they would have tested the wire harness itself thoroughly, For example, Did they check for good positive and negative power in the wire harness?, Did they ohm's check all the wires inside the CAN line?, Did they inspect the wire harness plug ends for backed out wire pins?, Did they thoroughly inspected all the terminator resistors at the command module?, Also there may be some termination resistors at the engine side as well to inspect.

Keep in mind, It could be a backed out wire pin at the command module after they did the recalls, Because they did need to unplug the wire harness at the command module to do the recall, And maybe they pulled on the wires instead of the plug? and maybe with the boat vibration, The wires backed out somemore over time?

Also if the boat did get hit with lightning, Then there is a really good chance it damaged the command module, (Normally found behind the helm area), Also a lightning strike could have damage the wiring harness, Relays, And fuses going to the command module and everything in between.

The command module is a computer. The only good way to test the command module is by hooking up the CDS computer to see if it will communicate with each command module, one at a time.

With all that time in the boat testing, You will need to ensure that the batteries are fully charged up, + check that the cranking amps are still good, The minimum CCA for your set up needs to be at 750 + CCA .

Also there is a 15 amp fuse for the DTS wiring harness hooked directly to the batteries, Make sure the fuse is new.

Testing the above items would be the right thing to do before buying new parts as suggested by your test team. Good luck with it.

Do the engines start and run?

 

[zbnutcase]

Re: "BIG" Problem DTS SmartCraft Loss Comm

Sell it!