You see them on nearly every marine watercraft – Mercury engines have power, exude luxury, and provide freedom for every watersport lover. Yet, like most engines, things can and will go wrong. In some cases, this looks like an active alarm coming from the display of the Mercury system. However, nothing appears to be wrong when diagnostics are run with your Jaltest Marine kit from Triad Diagnostic Solutions. Thankfully, Jaltest software and hardware allows you to perform dealer-level diagnostics, which means you can go a level deeper than what’s visible with your initial scan. In this step-by-step instructional guide, we’ll walk you through how to perform an Autotest system check to force those hidden fault codes.

Step 1

Your first step in this process is to access the initial scan point through the onboard brand menu. In this example, we’re looking at the appropriate system for a 350 MAG MPI. From this menu screen, you can see that Jaltest Marine is an all-systems diagnostics tool that allows you to communicate to the Smartcraft Technology onboard the Mercury system.

Step 2

Once you select into the ECM/PCM, you can then select the Connector Help Symbol, where you’ll find easy-to-follow instructions on how to complete the connection process. Here, you’ll see which marine cable connector you need for your brand, as well as any pin outs and part numbers related to this step in the process.

Steps 3-4

Once you’re connected correctly, you’ll select the system checks menu and, finally, Autotest.

Steps 5-7

In this next phase, you’ll follow three steps: navigation through the initial information, initial conditions, and, lastly, diagnostics functionality. During this process, the system checks will automatically activate every engine actuator for approximately four minutes. This includes the ignition, coil, injector, warning alarm, idle air control valve, and fuel pump relay.

Steps 8-9

In this screen, you will also see that the software forces the appearance of those hidden fault codes that were causing the alarm to trigger. As you can see, we obtained two new fault codes that didn’t appear before our Autotest.

Steps 10-12

As usual, Jaltest provides you with guided diagnostics using freeze frame data. You’ll also find the last occurrence information, and by clicking into the help and components of the fault code, you can see detailed data from the specific component. In this case, our navigation takes us through images, locations, operational values, and wiring diagrams concerning these new hidden fault codes. From here, you can make the necessary repairs or adjustments, clearing the fault codes and stopping the alarm.

Clear Hidden Marine Fault Codes

The fault codes on a marine vessel or engine are sometimes not always readily available, especially if you’re using aftermarket diagnostic tools. But with the Jaltest Marine kits from Triad Diagnostic Solutions, you can take a deeper look at the systems and get answers. This allows you to make all your repairs without relying on dealerships or outside repair shops. To learn more about our software and hardware, contact us today at (317) 939-3690.

Photo by Alina Kacharho on Unsplash