Garmin COMPACT REACTOR 40 User Manual

COMPACT REACTOR
™
40 HYDRAULIC
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
Important Safety Information
WARNING
See the Important Safety and Product Information guide in the product box for product warnings and other
important information.
To avoid possible personal injury and damage to your boat, the autopilot system should be installed by a
qualified marine installer. Specific knowledge of marine steering and electrical systems is required for proper
installation.
You are responsible for the safe and prudent operation of your vessel. The autopilot is a tool that enhances your
capability to operate your boat. It does not relieve you of the responsibility of safely operating your boat. Avoid
navigational hazards and never leave the helm unattended.
Always be prepared to promptly regain manual control of your boat.
Learn to operate the autopilot on calm and hazard-free open water.
Use caution when operating the autopilot near hazards in the water, such as docks, pilings, and other boats.
CAUTION
Failure to install and maintain this equipment in accordance with these instructions could result in damage or
injury.
When in use, beware of hot surfaces on the heat-sink, motor, and solenoid components.
When in use, beware the risk of entrapment or pinching from moving parts.
Installation Preparation
The autopilot system consists of multiple components. You should familiarize yourself with all of the
component mounting and connection considerations before beginning installation. You must know how the
components operate together in order to correctly plan the installation on your boat.
You can consult the layout diagrams to help understand the mounting and connection considerations.
You should lay out all of the components on the boat as you plan the installation to make sure your cables will
reach each component. If needed, extension cables (sold separately) for various components are available from
your Garmin
®
dealer or from garmin.com.
You should record the serial number of each component for registration and warranty purposes.
GUID-E60BF24E-0510-46B3-8BEC-D55273E88F18 v3May 2022

Garmin COMPACT REACTOR 40 Specifications

General

WEIGHT	1.2 lbs (0.54 kg)
WATER RATING	IPX7
Compass	Yes
Wi-Fi	No
NMEA 2000 Support	Yes
OPERATING TEMPERATURE	-15° C to 55° C (5° F to 131° F)
POWER INPUT	10 to 32 Vdc
Power Supply	10 to 32 Vdc
Dimensions	4.5" x 4.5" x 2.4" (11.4 x 11.4 x 6.1 cm)

Summary

Important Safety Information

Installation Preparation

Outlines necessary steps and considerations before starting the autopilot installation process.

Tools and Supplies Needed

Power and Data Layout

CCU Mounting and Connection Considerations

Finding the Best Mounting Location

Steps to identify suitable mounting locations for the CCU, considering various factors.

Testing a Location for Magnetic Interference

Procedure to test potential CCU mounting locations for magnetic interference using a compass.

ECU Mounting and Connection Considerations

Pump Mounting Considerations

Guidelines for mounting the pump, including orientation and hose connections.

Shadow Drive Sensor Mounting Considerations

Instructions for mounting the Shadow Drive sensor in the hydraulic steering system.

Alarm Mounting and Connection Considerations

Recommendations for mounting and connecting the alarm unit.

NMEA 2000 Connection Considerations

Information on connecting the autopilot to an NMEA 2000 network.

Hydraulic Layouts

Single-Helm Layout

Schematic showing hydraulic connections for a single-helm autopilot system.

Dual-Helm Layout Guidelines

Installation Procedures

Helm Control Installation

Guidance on installing the helm control, or connecting to a chartplotter.

Mounting the CCU

Detailed steps for physically mounting the CCU unit onto a surface.

ECU Installation

Mounting the ECU

Steps to mount the ECU unit onto a suitable surface.

Connecting the ECU to Power

Instructions for wiring the ECU to the boat's power source, including fuse requirements.

Pump Installation

Mounting the Pump

Steps to mount the pump unit securely onto a surface.

Connecting the Hydraulic Hoses to the Pump

Detailed guide for connecting hydraulic hoses to the pump and steering system.

Connecting the CCU

Instructions for routing and connecting the CCU cable to the ECU.

Installing the Shadow Drive Sensor

Connecting the Shadow Drive Sensor to the Hydraulic System

Steps to connect the Shadow Drive sensor into the boat's hydraulic steering lines.

Connecting the Shadow Drive Sensor to the CCU

Procedure for connecting the Shadow Drive sensor wiring to the CCU.

Installing the Alarm

Instructions for mounting and wiring the autopilot alarm unit.

NMEA 2000 and the Autopilot Components

Information about integrating the autopilot with an NMEA 2000 network.

Building a Basic NMEA 2000 Network for the Autopilot System

Connecting the Autopilot Components to an Existing NMEA 2000 Network

Connecting Optional NMEA 2000 Devices to the Autopilot System

Bleeding the Hydraulics

Configuration

Information on configuring and tuning the autopilot system for boat dynamics.

Maintenance

Corrosion Blocker

Instructions for applying corrosion blocker to the pump for longevity.

Specifications

Detailed specifications for the Compact Pump and CCU components.

ECU Specifications

Alarm Specifications

NMEA 2000 PGN Information

CCU PGN Details

List of PGNs transmitted and received by the CCU for NMEA 2000 communication.

Helm Control PGN Information

Information regarding PGNs for the helm control, directing to owner's manual.

Error and Warning Messages

Autopilot ECU Voltage Low

Details about low ECU voltage errors, cause, and autopilot actions.

Navigation Data Loss

Information on lost navigation data, its impact, and autopilot response.

Autopilot Connection Lost

Description of issues when the helm control loses connection with the CCU.

Autopilot Lost Wind Data

Specific warning for loss of wind data for sailboat installations.

Autopilot ECU High Voltage

Details about high ECU voltage errors, cause, and autopilot actions.

ECU Voltage Dropped Rapidly

Information on rapid ECU voltage drops, cause, and system response.

ECU High Temperature

Details about high ECU temperature warnings and system shutdown.

ECU-CCU Communication Error

Description of communication loss between ECU and CCU, and resulting actions.

Contacting Garmin Support

Contact information and resources for obtaining support from Garmin.