Smartcract connect CAN H & CAN P not connecting.

[Dakotaly]

I have a <10hr 2019 115hp. I purchased a smartcarft connect under helm version. Connected it all up to use on my garmin 93sv. On the garmin is just shows MPH. On the mobile app the smartcraft connect connects on wifi and bluetooth and is updated. CAN H on the app is flickering on and off really fast and CAP P isn't connecting. When I try to configure engines it just errors out. I have tried using a different wire harness adapter and a different smart connect and both are still having the same issue. I have also tried connecting to the 10 pin under the cowling and it says can p disabled and can h is just off. Any ideas before I take it in to the dealership?

[EuropeanAM]

Who did you purchase your Smartcraft Connect HELM from?

Do you have a J-box? Terminating Resistor?

[Dakotaly]

I purchased 8M0173694 from Boats.net. I connected to my wire harness near my throttle where the female 10 pin comes out I have tried using both female to female adapters (images attached).J Box.pngAdapter.png

[EuropeanAM]

If you have a side-mount control, you may be missing a required terminating resistor.

Make sure it's a good J-box, too... those were discontinued a while back.

[Dakotaly]

8M4507538 Here are the controls that I have.
Here is the set up I just tried:
20250501_203637.jpg
I took the yellow terminating resistor from under the cowling and put in on the box. When I did that both CAN's stayed off. When I put the yellow terminating resistor back on the engine side under the cowling CAN H turns on and off really fast and CAN P remains off.

the part that confuses me as well is the manual doesn't mention a terminating resistor, only about the NMEA 120‑ohm termination resistor.
It also says this:
Connect the CAN 10‑pin harness connector to the helm harness SmartCraft 10‑pin connection using a male‑male
adapter harness.

Which I would assume would be this which I tried and gave me the same issue:

[lfb6]

NMEA2000 and Smartcraft are basically both CAN bus variants, they both need a terminating resistor on / close to both physical ends of the cable.

On the engine side the terminator is the yellow marked cap on the 10 pin connector of the engine harness, on the helm it's either
- a blue two-pin cap with a resistor (normally blue and white cable) on the mercury harness or
- a junction box with another yellow marked resistor cap put on one of the connectors.

Terminator on the helm side of engine harness:
Clipboard_05-02-2025_01.jpg

There's a note that single engine will default to CAN P only.

The Smartcraft Connect module doesn't seem to provide power for any device on the NMEA 2000 network, neither does your Garmin accordng to what I found. The NMEA 2000 network will require its own power source- either one of the other devices is capable of doing that or you'd need a separate (fused) source looking like
Clipboard_05-02-2025_02.jpg

[EuropeanAM]

Above info is correct- you must have that yellow-banded terminator at the engine.

There must also be one at the HELM (either a blue cap as shown above, OR a yellow-banded in the j-box, but NOT BOTH).

NMEA-2000 network MUST BE POWERED. See the link in the FAQ for "Basic NMEA-2000 Network" using a NMEA-2K starter kit. You MUST have 3 tees, a power node, two terminators, and a cable that runs from one tee to your intended graph.

SC Connect module MUST be a HELM version.

Make sure you are using the BLACK ICON "Mercury Lifestyles" App. You CANNOT use the VesselView Mobile app with Smartcraft Connect.

Just a suggestion in the future: You might consider doing business with one of our BBC Sponsors, that provides product support for the items you purchase. They make this forum possible, and are probably a bit more likely to make sure you have all the right stuff to make your system work. And if you need help afterwards, you'll probably get more help than calling "ifitfloats.net".

[Dakotaly]

When I use the black app it tries to connect and just errors out I have tried on two phones now,
Screenshot 2025-05-02 171233.png
The only one that will connect is the grey and red SmartCraft app.
If I use this adapter wouldn't it remove the need for a resistor because it is a direct connection. The system is powered by NMEA-2K in the way that you both mentioned. If I could go back in time I would 100% not have bought from them. Turns out there are no returns on "used" electrical parts even if they are defective. I was trying to get the SmartCraft connect on a time crunch and they had the fastest shipping, jokes on me now I'm over a week into this issue. :/

[lfb6]

Regarding the app- I suppose the correct app is the first one in this list (list might differ since I'm not in the US)

temp.jpg


The 'grey and red' Smartcraft app I can find here reads in the description that it's meant for a dealership to configure the device itself:

temp2.jpg

Configuring just the Smartcraft Connect device isn't depending on a properly configured connection (= Smartcraft bus) to the engine since the app just connects to the device itself - no need to 'see' the engine.

Your error message in the 'black' app reads "Engine services startup failed. Please key the motor off/on ..." meaning that the services needed to collect data from the engine couldn't be started. The reason for this can be a not correctly terminated Smartcraft bus.

If I use this adapter wouldn't it remove the need for a resistor because it is a direct connection.

"Direct connection" isn't relevant. The bus has to be properly terminated with one resistor on each end.


IF your engine harness has the blue Smartcraft terminator as shown in the image on its helm side you could use the male - male adapter helm side (and one yellow-banded cap on the engine side).

IF your engine harness does NOT have the blue Smartcraft terminator as shown in the image on its helm side you have to use the junction box with one yellow-banded cap in the junction-box (and another one yellow-banded cap on the engine side)


So the first step is to establish / check for proper termination of the Smartcraft bus. You'd have to check the helm side of your engine harness on your boat for the mentioned blue termination cap. If you don't find it get a second yellow-banded cap and put it together with the the Smartcraft Connect on the junction box.

[EuropeanAM]

For a HELM install you MUST have a terminator in the Can-P network AT the helm.