Depth Sounder

Well I'm annoyed now. It turns out you need an additional kit to install the depth sounder. It's not as plug and play as it initially leads you to believe. It needs the electrical accessory kit p/n 295100599. I called ahead since my dealer is 2 hours away and asked if they had the sounder kit. When they told me they had the kit they said it's all you need "plug and play". Well not only does it say right on the front page of the instructions this other kit is required the wires have no where to plug into without it. I installed the sounder bracket, installed the sounder, and ran the wires to the front. The confusing part is the instructions go on to show you how to install the sounder as if that accessory kit is already installed. The confusing part is that the fuse panel that gets added with the kit is identical to the stock engine management fuse panel. So it took some head scratching before I realized the fuse panel I was trying to install the wires into was not the same one. So now another 4 hour round trip back to the dealer to get the second kit that is required for installation.




Other than that the sounder installed easy. The holes are pre-drilled in the hull for the sounder bracket and once that bracket is installed the sounder just clips in to the tin bracket. They say just to run the wires under the engine mounts to the front. Here are some pictures of the bracket bolted to the hull. It bolts to the hull in the back left corner, right beside the IBR actuator.

I got my sounder finished. I would have posted this earlier but my internet has been down. Turns out that second electrical kit is not required. If you wanted to save some money you could easily splice in the sounder wires to the data link connector. All this kit does it make it easier and cleaner connection. Here are some more pictures from the install.


Here is a pic with the top off...



Here is a pic of the electrical accessory kit, it adds this fuse box and you connect the wires into the back of it...



Here is a pic of whats actually in the fuse box, as you can see it is just four bus bars that connect the sounder to the data link connectors wires, and it adds a fuse for protection...



Here is a picture of the sounder clipped into the bracket that screws into the hull...



So all in all it is a very simple kit to install. You wouldn't need much mechanical aptitude to install it. Plus it is all plug and play, no programing. Once I made the connections the option automatically comes up in the menu next to RPM, HOUR, and SPEED.