0183 CommError on both tachometers and speedo on the fritz

[sysinu]

Somewhat of a [USERGROUP=9]@HELP[/USERGROUP] here... Launched my boat to test something new today and my speedometer net on th fritz and I see an error on both tachometers. The other site has a post about this but it was some dude that had a lightning strike. I did not have a lightning strike on my boat.

It flashes 0183 CommError on both tachometers. Anyone with advise? I am going to start looking to trace the cables between the gps and my speedometer to see if anything obvious is going on but I doubt it that there would be.

 

[Gym]

Somewhat of a [USERGROUP=9][USERGROUP=9]@HELP[/USERGROUP][/USERGROUP] here... Launched my boat to test something new today and my speedometer net on th fritz and I see an error on both tachometers. The other site has a post about this but it was some dude that had a lightning strike. I did not have a lightning strike on my boat.

It flashes 0183 CommError on both tachometers. Anyone with advise? I am going to start looking to trace the cables between the gps and my speedometer to see if anything obvious is going on but I doubt it that there would be.

I'll check the other site for that info. Stand by @sysinu

 

[jcyamaharider]

You didn't have the batteries unhooked did you? Reversed the connection maybe?

 

[Gym]

Still on the other site checking @sysinu. So far what I've gathered is a power surge, believed caused by lightning fried the ECU and damaged GPS and other gauge functions but does not hamper the operation of the boat. I'll keep checking for the solution.

 

[Gym]

Ok @sysinu. Here was the final disposition of Knot Stranded, a Canadian member of the other site. I'll quote it.

" Well, that's it.
Verdict came in.......believe it or not lightning was the culprit. Both tachometers were zapped, 2 tower led courtesy lights,and 1 port side courtesy light. Tach's on order(backordered of course) could be a month or more. Led lights also from Yamaha seem to be in short supply as well. So, yes, thank someone up there for insurance. Yes our boat insurance will cover the repairs. Special note: note on your policies of an endorsement for jet boats, it's not the same as for regular I/O's. deductibles seem to be higher.
Back to tach's, cost is very expensive. Here it's 800 per tach,plus labour. Lights, still out on the cost for them.
So far, for that nasty spanking from Mother Nature, it's cost $3500. and only boated for 1 week so far this year. Well anyways they
say we can use the boat as normal, just without tachometer information, which is fine. It'll remind me of my time in my Dad's old aluminum fishing boat with a 9 hp merc. Just have to remember to keep my fuel full,and always say to myself, it could've been worst.
LOL......
Happy boating.....Cheers. KS"

FYI @sysinu. Lightning does not have to strike directly to do damage. Just the EMP (electromagnetic pulse) from a nearby strike can cause damage to solid state devices. Looks like it wasn't his ECU but just the solid state tachs and some lights. Let us hear how you make out.

 

[Murf'n'surf]

Not sure how your dash is wired but I would try to unplug as many components as possible and see if the issue goes away. Hook one plug up at a time and see what causes the error.

 

[sysinu]

Awesome! . I think I'm just going to drop her off at the dealer after I get back from lake powell this month. There's been lightning, but nothing so close as to EMP my boat.

 

[Bruce]

I assume you are under warranty. If so dropping off at the dealer seems like the best option.

 

[Gym]

Awesome! . I think I'm just going to drop her off at the dealer after I get back from lake powell this month. There's been lightning, but nothing so close as to EMP my boat.

An EMP surge from lightning can also travel through the electric, phone and cable lines to your house so if you had your boat plugged into a charger that could cause a surge into your boat's electrical system. Surges have cost me a TV and the digital display on my microwave. I hope your YES warranty and boat insurance cover all the problems.

 

[Murf'n'surf]

Whatever you do, DONT mention lightning!!!

 

[tdonoughue]

I would not read too much into the lightning doing this to your boat. The error is a general error that indicates that the speedometers are not able to read properly on the NMEA 0183 bus that connects each to the motor electronics and each other and the GPS. I would look under the helm compartment to ensure nothing snagged the wire coming from the GPS (in the roof of the compartment). Also, there are connectors at each speedo and terminators at the end of each run.

If all of those are good, I would disconnect the battery, wait 30 seconds, and reconnect.

If that doesn't do it, then you are off to the dealer...

But it could still be something simple like that stowing something pulled some electrical line off of something.

 

[tdonoughue]

Clarifying: not saying the lightning didn't do in the bus on the other boat. Yes, it can happen. But that was pretty freak.

This is a general error saying something is wrong with the communications bus that our boats use. So it could be plumb near anything that interrupts the bus.

 

[davel501]

Might not hurt to check the connectors behind the starboard access panel where the YDIS hooks up to see if they are loose.

 

[steined]

I'm still betting most of these errors are a bus termination issue. If I understand correctly it's like the old 10base2 ethernet where if the end of line termination or a device on the chain goes out, the bus is dead. I'm betting gps unit and/or terminator on port tach.

 

[sysinu]

I would not read too much into the lightning doing this to your boat. The error is a general error that indicates that the speedometers are not able to read properly on the NMEA 0183 bus that connects each to the motor electronics and each other and the GPS. I would look under the helm compartment to ensure nothing snagged the wire coming from the GPS (in the roof of the compartment). Also, there are connectors at each speedo and terminators at the end of each run.

If all of those are good, I would disconnect the battery, wait 30 seconds, and reconnect.

If that doesn't do it, then you are off to the dealer...

But it could still be something simple like that stowing something pulled some electrical line off of something.

Thanks! Tried both of those options - actually to be specific what I tried was turning the batteries off and waiting. Maybe I will disconnect them and try that. I squeezed myself into the helm access and stared at the cables - everything is happy there from what I can tell. My dealer can deal with it in late October when I drop her off for a service and shrink wrap.

 

[sysinu]

Sooo... wanted to update on this. I've had this happen twice now and I think it has to do with GPS signal when it happens to me. Usually only happens when the boat has been w/ the batteries disconnected (or switched off) for an extended period of time.

Today I got out on the lake (YAY!!!) and turned on the boat... BOOM 0183 CommError. Dorked around for a while on the water, turned the boat off for a couple minutes. Turned it back on... error is gone.

So, in case someone is getting their boat ready and puts it on a hose for a brief period of time and gets this error... Maybe try leaving it on the hose a little longer running, turn it off, wait and then try again. I was really worried that I was going to have to replace something major (based on other 0183 comm error posts) and that is totally not the case!