Smartcraft gauges restarting

[Russ Ch]

I’ve got an 08 champion with an 08 pro xs 175 with Smartcraft gauges that have started intermittently powering off then right back on when running the boat. It hasn’t done it when the boat is setting still. The tach has had some condensation and the lcd lights but the words were real dim and now I can’t see any words at all. It seem like a bad connection somewhere but I don’t know where to start. I have checked the voltage across the power and gnd leads going into the tach and I had 12.8v with ign off and 12.7 with ign on. Also checked across ign and ground leads and had 12.6v with ign on. Not sure if the condensation has caused the lcd issue and the powering off issue or not, or if I have a bad connection somewhere.

[Savage]

Are you using a lithium start battery? If so the BMS could be shutting power off.

[Russ Ch]

No, lead acid battery.

[EuropeanAM]

Try unplugging all connections at the J-Box and make sure they're clean, no corrosion on j-box pins, no moisture there, then reconnect everything.

If you have a BLUE cable at the J-box, make sure all the pins are fully seated at BOTH ends of that cable (other end would be at the engine). Not all setups will have this cable.

[Russ Ch]

So I’m unable to find a j-box. I followed the green wires from the connectors on the back of the tach to 2 connectors behind the key switch/control panel on the side of the boat. I took apart all connectors on the gauges and on a small gauge looking device under the dash that says Smartcraft network on the face of it, also the 2 connectors behind the key switch/control panel and checked them. I didn’t see any corrosion. I worked the connector back and forward several times in hopes that’s would clean anything I couldn’t see. I won’t know if that fixed my repowering issue til next weekend when I can take the boat out again. The lcd screen on the tach still does not show any words but does light up. Not sure if that could be another issue cause by the condensation I’ve seen inside that gauge. Thanks for the help. I’ll report back once I can take the boat out

[EuropeanAM]

Sorry- what you have is probably a secondary-licensed instrument set that has a
SmartCraft MODULE.

[Russ Ch]

Ok. Hopefully working the connector will help. Thank you

[Russ Ch]

So I do have a gauge that is bad, and it was made for Champion and is discontinued. What is my best option? I’ve looked at getting a vesselview link to connect to my Lowrance unit but I don’t know much about it. Any help is greatly appreciated

[EuropeanAM]

Drop Rhonda an email at the info in her pinned post (at the top of the Forum).

Vesselview Link is a good choice- but you might also consider the Smartcraft Connect (HELM) as it will be the "platform of the future".

[Russ Ch]

Will do. Thanks for the info