E-TEC 90 Muti-function Display

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Skip Berry
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E-TEC 90 Muti-function Display

Postby Skip Berry » Sun Jun 14, 2020 8:51 am

I’m looking for advice on instrumentation for an Evinrude E-TEC 90 on a restored 1970 Sakonnet. The engine dealer is recommending a NAUTILUS 3.5 that has lots of information on a small display.

If an Evinrude NAUTILUS 3.5 Color Display were mounted on the vertical plane of the console, the display would be hard to read when standing. It would be awkward to mount on the top of the console and useless when seated.

A multifunction display on a bracket could be seen from both sitting and standing positions and could display charts as well.

What is a mutli-function display that:

  • can be mounted on a bracket
  • is compatible with an E-TEC 90
  • can display engine parameters?
Thanks for your help.

jimh
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Re: E-TEC 90 Muti-function Display

Postby jimh » Sun Jun 14, 2020 9:20 am

All small multi-function displays can usually be mounted on a bracket and tilted to any particular orientation needed.

Today most all multi-function displays can show engine parameters sent via NMEA-2000. The E-TEC 90 engine sends engine data in NMEA-2000. So any multi-function display that can display engine data sent in NMEA-2000 will be compatible with an E-TEC 90 engine data sent via NMEA-2000.

The real distinction to make among multi-function displays and Evinrude E-TEC engines is not in regard to engine parameters. Displays that are not specifically designed for use with an E-TEC engine will not be able to display non-standard or proprietary data being send by an E-TEC engine or be able to send data proprietary data messages to an E-TEC engine.

The proprietary data sent from an E-TEC engine consists of various warning messages or diagnostic messages or alarm messages intended to alert the operator to an engine condition that could cause damage to the engine.

The proprietary data that an multi-function display might send to an E-TEC engine consists of instructions to the engine to begin its self-winterization process, to calibrate the TRIM parameter, and possibly others. The ability to start the self-winterization via a display is quite handy, but self-winterization and still be initiated with other methods.

With regard to calibration of TRIM parameters, this is not important on an E-TEC 90 engine because the E-TEC 90 does not send any TRIM data in its NMEA-2000 data stream

With regard to warning or alarm or advisory messages, proper installation of an E-TEC engine requires having some sort of gauge or indicator that can alert the operator about these problems. Your boat may already have such a device. The least expensive device is a System Check annunciator gauge or a System Check tachometer gauge.

Among multi-function displays, there are some manufacturers who have partnered with Evinrude and offer the additional feature of being able to display proprietary Evinrude engine messages. Using a multi-function display of this type would be preferred over using one that lacks that feature.

NAVICO has partnered with Evinrude and makes multi-function displays with the ability to show proprietary NMEA-2000 data. For advice on brands that have partnered with Evinrude so their display devices can show Evinrude NMEA-2000 proprietary data, see the article on that topic at

Evinrude Partners for Display of E-TEC Engine Data
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=5319

An important distinction to consider: the E-TEC 90-HP engine is a legacy engine, not an E-TEC G2 engine. The non-Evinrude multi-function displays are designed for the G2 engines. Whether or not a multi-function display will be completely compatible with a legacy (or non-G2 engine) is unknown to me.

The NAUTILUS 3.5 Color Display has very recently been revised so it is compatible for both legacy and G2 E-TEC engines.

Overcoming deficiencies in the design of the wooden console in a 50-year-old boat with regard to where any standard 3.5-inch round gauge could be mounted to give best visibility to the operator while both standing and sitting may require some modification or customization. Perhaps a sloping dashboard panel could be fabricated and a 3.5-inch round gauge installed on the sloping face. I fabricated a small panel like that for my own boat.

Image
Fig. 1. A sloping panel fabricated to hold a 3.5-inch round gauge to improve visibility of the gauge to the operator.

My best advice:
  • if your engine wiring harness is the older MWS wiring harness use an Evinrude System Check annunciator gauge or System Check tachometer gauge to show alarms, and use a generic NMEA-2000 mutli-function display that can show engine data to monitor the standard engine data send from the E-TEC 90
  • or use the NAUTILUS3.5 Color Display and fabricate some improved mounting

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Phil T
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Re: E-TEC 90 Muti-function Display

Postby Phil T » Sun Jun 14, 2020 11:04 am

With a E-TEC 90 re-power pending, I have some insight.

Question: Will you be installing a GPS/Chartplotter/Sounder on the console? Consider it.

If you do, you have the ability to forgo gauges and display all the engine data on the GPS/Chartplotter/Sounder. Lowrance has very good features and compatibility. A good 5-7" display will make the Nautilus display redundant. Reading anything on a 3" display at speed is very challenging.

Looking at Jim's attached photo, imagine a slightly larger display on the right of the wheel. Tap to display engine display page and it is all there, tap back to the map/sounder page.

A 3.5" round multifunction gauge mounted on the flat face will be a good backup. The ancillary bracket/housing shown in the photo will be a shin buster. Worse case, built a rectangular box and mount on the flat of the console.
1992 Outrage 17
2019 E-TEC 90
2018 LoadRite 18280096VT
Member since 2003

jimh
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Re: E-TEC 90 Muti-function Display

Postby jimh » Sun Jun 14, 2020 6:04 pm

With my own E-TEC engine I have used a Lowrance HDS-8 to show engine data. I have configured three pages of engine data to be shown. All the engine data available on a generic display like the HDS-8 is data sent in standard NMEA-2000 parameter groups. I use the display of engine data on the HDS-8 as a supplement to data displayed on Evinrude-brand instruments that I also use.

If you share one screen for display of electronic charts, navigation data, SONAR echograms, and engine data, a very large display will be needed to present all that data simultaneously. If a small display is used, each category of data will have to be shown on a dedicated page that is one of several configured pages available. If you need to have continual display of engine data such as engine speed, engine temperature, cooling water pressure, engine battery voltage, the best method is to have a display dedicated for engine functions.