Garmin 541S

[jsmithcds]

Well I did the install the Garmin 541S over the last couple of days. Pulling the wires thru the underside of the boat proved to be less difficult that I thought. Just need someone skilled with a fish tape or 9 gauge wire to hit the right spot. I ended up using a small air powered sawzall to starts. It worked fine until the blade got really hot. Then it just wanted to melt the plastic. It turns out the plastic in the area is fairly thin. I finished with a sharp utility knife. Scored the lines a few times and a little wiggle and it snapped right off. I will warn you that when I say it just fits..... I mean it! I had to do a little reinforcing on the underside as it dies not take much pressure to weaken the plastic to the point it will crack.

I will need to pull to more wires from the motor to the front of the boat to hook up the command link to my Garmin. This will give me the ability to view engine data on the Garmin. I had to buy a MARETRON MARE-002 N2K TO YAMAHA COMMAND LINK ADAPTER for $123 in order to hook this up. The adapter is only 3 feet long so I will need to splice in about 10 foot of wire to make it work. Once that is complete I should be all set.

 

[cwag911]

Nice install and looks factory!

 

[mtudb24]

Great job. Looks like has always been there

 

[jsmithcds]

A little update on the install. After spending hours trying to figure out why I could not get engine data to appear on the 541 screen I conceded and waited on the phone for Garmin tech support for about 30 minutes. Within 3 minutes of discussion he had my answer. In order to get the engine data it has come to my attention that a back bone must be installed. This amounts to purchasing a NMEA 2000 starter kit for around $70. It is necessary to put power into the network hence the need for the back bone from what I understand. I originally thought it was a matter of directly linking the little white plug with the orange pin receptacle inside the Yamaha motor directly to the Garmin NMEA 2000 port. I will confirm when all the parts are installed.

Justin

 

[jsmithcds]

I wrapped up the install at lunch time today. The back bone is necessary. I still do not understand why but hey, it's working. I ended up leaving the wires I had spliced and the MARE-002 in place. I just hooked the Mare -002 into the backbone cable in the Garmin starter kit and put power into the back bone along with a drop cable from the Garmin. I used two t connections. If anyone needs the wiring diagram in the future shoot me a PM and I will hook you up.

I now can see my oil pressure, Water Pressure, engine temp, fuel on board, fuel economy, nautical miles remaining, Gallons per hour, voltage and? Now I just need to do some reading to get the read outs the way I want them.

I recommend the product and enjoyed the task of installing it. HMMMM.... what's next?

Justin