SmartCraft Frequently Asked Questions

The SmartCraft line of products are applicable to all Mercury/Mariner OptiMax outboard engines starting with Model 2000, and all MerCruiser 8.1 liter engines for Model Year 2001. The SmartCraft line of products will not retrofit to any previous Mercury/Mariner or MerCruiser engines.

The monitor takes the place of the 3 or 4 function warning gauge previously supplied with your OptiMax engine. In order to give you a visual warning of potential problems that could damage your engine, it is suggested that the SC1000 Monitor be installed.

You can still use regular analog gauges with the Mercury System monitor installed as well. However, the SC 1000 monitor has been designed to also be used with the new SC100 System Link gauges. These gauges are digitally driven and take their information directly from the System Monitor, eliminating the need for the many wires and pressure hoses common with analog gauges. System Link gauges come in either a white or grey dial faces.

You can use either digital or analog instrumentation with the 200l OptiMax engines. Each type of gauge system requires its own wiring. Regardless of the instrumentation, however, we strongly recommend the use of a SmartCraft display product to inform you of engine trouble and help you avoid serious damage in the future.

The multiple features offered on the SC1000 System Tachometer and Speedometer are truly advantageous to the boater. However, if you want to use just the Tachometer and connect it to the System Link gauges to give you a full set of instruments, that is a great option.

Analog gauges are meters that are displaying a value that is driven from a sensor mounted to the engine or is in the water. Each gauge is built to be wired directly to its sensor, creating a large mass of wires and pressure hoses (for boat speed and water pressure). In a digital system, the sensors are wired to the engine's computer, which then sends the information to the digital instruments on a single wire. Digital instruments are not connected to a sensor, but rather to a data transmission line, like a telephone cable, and each one is programmed to "pull" information from this data cable. This allows instruments and the engine to share information with each other, and then create new information as a result of the sharing.

The only difference is that the SC1000 System Tachometer/Speedometer has an updated software package. In addition, the dial face has a very subtle change to it. At the very bottom of the SC1000 System Tachometer/Speedometer is a set of small white half circles with arrows on each end. This signifies to push both buttons to control brightness/dimness of the light. System Tachometer and Speedometer are compatible with link gauges.

The SmartCraft speed gauge will accept a GPS input from any GPS unit that is compatible with the National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) 0183 data standard. SmartCraft gauges are provided with both a positive and a negative wire to make this connection.

Due to the updated software on the SC1000 System Tachometer/Speedometer, it is only applicable to the Model Year 2002 and above OptiMax Engine and the 8.1 liter MerCruiser engines, both sterndrive and inboard. You can, however, use your Model Year 2000 SmartTach/Speedometer on your Model Year 2001 OptiMax Engine or the 8.1 liter MerCruiser engines.

You do not need to use a paddle wheel speed transducer with the SmartCraft system. Boat speed is also available from the on-engine Pitot (pressure) speed sensor, and is available if a GPS is connected to the system. However, the troll control function of the SmartCraft speed instrument requires the input of the paddle wheel transducer for very low speed accuracy.


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