Garmin Set-up for FUEL MANAGER

Electrical and electronic topics for small boats
ferdinando
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Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2015 3:51 pm

Garmin Set-up for FUEL MANAGER

Postby ferdinando » Tue Sep 25, 2018 8:24 pm

I purchased a Garmin Echomap Series 90 GPS and installed it in August 2018.

I was finally able to use it on the water on September 22 and 23, 2018.

The Garmin EchoMap 90 is a great unit with all the bells and whistles. It can display RPM, fuel use, voltage, etc. I have it hooked up to my boat NMEA 2000 network that I installed when I purchased my I-Command display In September 2016.

I have a fuel sensor hooked up to the NMEA-2000 network which gives fuel flow and gallons
used on my I-Command gauge. This fuel sensor is not hooked up to any fuel line and I assume it obtains all its info directly from the computer on my E-TEC.

Now my problem is with my new Garmin. It reflects fuel used but I cannot get it to top off again when I try to bring it back up to 60 gallons. It will not give me the display that says "Tank Refill" I called Garmin and after some back and forth they told me I have to purchase a Garmin GFS-10 Sensor for the display to come up so I can top of my fuel display on my Garmin. After some reading the GFS-10 has an inline fuel connection which then hooks up to my backbone. Its cost is about a $150. I just wanted to run this by you folks to see If I really have to purchase this sensor. Thanks to all.

jimh
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Re: Garmin Set-up for FUEL MANAGER

Postby jimh » Sat Sep 29, 2018 8:41 am

My best inference into your boat instrumentation: the I-Command gauge uses an unusual method for handling its FUEL MANAGER function; it depends of a device called an EP-85R DATA STORAGE MODULE if Lowrance branded or if Evinrude branded a MEMORY MODULE. I believe this is the device you have referred to in your narrative as a "fuel sensor" that "is not hooked up to...fuel lines."

If my inference is correct, the EP-85R is not any kind of fuel sensor. It has no ability to sense any fuel parameters such as flow or tank level. It is just a read-write non-volatile memory storage device. In the I-Command system all the data about fuel is stored on this device. In this way, the data about fuel can be displayed on any of the I-Command gauges, according to how those gauges are configured. The protocol used for this data is a proprietary datagram that is useful only with Evinrude I-Command gauges or their close relatives, the Lowrance LMF series gauges. There should be no expectation that the data collected and stored on the EP-85R could be read by other instruments made by other manufacturers.

Accordingly, there is no surprise from me that a Garmin multi-function display cannot read data from an EP-85R. However, there is plenty of data about FUEL FLOW RATE available from the E-TEC engine and on the NMEA-2000 network. My expectation for any modern multi-function display is that the display should be able to read fuel flow data coming from a modern engine being sent in the standard NMEA-2000 datagram for engine data.

I have no idea of the GARMIN device you have has the ability to read FUEL FLOW DATA from a standard datagram on the NMEA-2000 network. I would expect that it should be able to do this, but I cannot confirm that it does.

Assuming the GARMIN can read FUEL FLOW RATE data from the engine in a standard NMEA-2000 datagram, and assuming you have an engine that is sending the FUEL FLOW RATE data to the network in a standard datagram, then the Garmin display should be able to implement all the fuel data functions it is able to perform.

Again, this depends on two elements:

--you have a NMEA-2000 engine sending standard data
--the GARMIN can perform this function.

You don't mention what engine you have. Just about any engine brand EXCEPT MERCURY will be sending fuel flow data to the network in a standard datagram. Since you mentioned I-Command I will assume you have an E-TEC. The E-TEC sends flow rate data to the network.

The advice you received from Garmin is likely to reflect their own methods for monitoring fuel flow rate using their sensor. Whether or not you need to buy this sensor will depend upon the capabilities of the Garmin to use, instead, the fuel flow data on the network.

ferdinando
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Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2015 3:51 pm

Re: Garmin Set-up for FUEL MANAGER

Postby ferdinando » Sat Sep 29, 2018 11:18 pm

As jimh assumed I do have a 2010 E-TEC 150. My Garmin device does read the fuel flow, however I can’t get the chart plotter to re-set the fuel quantity to a full tank 60 gals.

Here is where Garmin tells me that I need their fuel sensor GFS 10 so I can pull up the screen that says “Refill Tank.” As of now I cannot pull up that screen.

I purchased the GFS 10 and will let you know what happens after I install it.

Fred

jimh
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Re: Garmin Set-up for FUEL MANAGER

Postby jimh » Sun Sep 30, 2018 7:56 am

If Garmin’s advice to buy more Garmin accessories in order to use features of their multi-function display is true, then there won’t be an alternative. The inference is their product’s FUEL MANAGER function demands their accessory device in order to work.

ferdinando
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Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2015 3:51 pm

Re: Garmin Set-up for FUEL MANAGER

Postby ferdinando » Tue Oct 02, 2018 7:53 pm

I installed a Garmin Fuel Sensor [model GFS-10] today. Fuel gauge and fuel used worked perfectly. The lady from Garmin was right-- a Garmin GFS-10 Fuel Sensor was needed to get everything working on the Garmin display.

jimh
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Re: Garmin Set-up for FUEL MANAGER

Postby jimh » Wed Oct 03, 2018 12:41 am

Were you able to get to the "Refill Tank" screen that you initially mentioned was your goal?

ferdinando
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Re: Garmin Set-up for FUEL MANAGER

Postby ferdinando » Fri Oct 05, 2018 10:07 pm

Yes I did Jim, right off the bat.