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Was wondering if anyone knows anything about them. My brother is looking at a waverunner that needs a keyswitch. I'm a pretty fair outboard mechanic, but I was wondering what I should check for on a jet ski. What needs to be done as far as winterizing? I would hate to see him get taken on this deal, even though I hate jetskis when I'm fishing LOL!!!!
The first thing I would check is the VIN # to see if it is stolen. A friend of mine just bought a 4 wheeker with the ignition broken and checked the VIN# with police and it was stolen.
I've had jet skis for the last 18 years. Of all the jet skis on the market, Yamaha has been the most reliable. The first one I had was an '89 Waverunner III, the first of three-seaters. We sold it in 1994, in order to buy a brand new 1995 Sea-doo GTX, which was a mistake. The Sea-doo was junk, lacking the peformance and reliability of the Yamaha. It burned a piston at the end of the year, so in the spring of 1996 we bought another Yamaha, the WaveVenture with the 1100cc motor - we liked it so much that we bought a second one in 1997, and still have them to this very day.
As far as things to look for, just take it out and run it. See if it is hard to start, or if it idles hard, the usual kind of stuff. Ask the guy how it's been winterized each year. Find out if the guy is the original owner, and if so, did he break it in like he's supposed to? The break-in period can make or break a jet-ski. It requires a lot of mid-range riding, and minimal wide open throttle. The people I've known who didn't take the time to break-in their machine according to Yamaha's owner's manual and specifications ended up with problems a few years down the road.
Winterizing a jet-ski can't get any easier. On your last ride of the season, add Sta-bil to the fuel before going out. Take it out and then run the fuel out as much as you can, so in the spring you can fill it up with fresh fuel. When you go to load up the jet-ski, put it on the trailer as usual, then shut the fuel off while motor is still running. Let the jet-ski idle until the fuel in the fuel line runs out (maybe 30 or 40 seconds). Once the motor dies, turn the choke on and crank a few more times to make sure all the fuel is out. Pull the jet-ski out of the water, leaving the fuel off, and crank it a few times to release the water that's in the cooling system. Take it home, and add fogging oil to the cylinders as per the instructions on the can. The fogging oil keeps the cylinders and pistons lubed throughout the winter, and helps with starting it up in the spring when you're ready to start riding again. It's a very simple and easy process, and I've always winterized this way, and have never had any problems.
The cool thing about jet-skis, there's not much to really look for. They're either running good or dead in the water. If something is wrong mechanically, you're going to know immediately when you take it for a ride.
What brand/model is he looking at?
As far as winterizing a Jet Ski / Wave Runner or Sea-Doo, it's best now to add Sta-bil to the gas and top the tank off for the winter. This will keep most of the moisture out of the tank, since there is very little room in the tank to attract the moisture. An empty or almost empty tank is more susceptible to getting moisture in it, cause it's not full letting the gas take up the room in the tank. This new change was told to me by a very reliable source, who I trust very much on keeping my toys mechanically sound for my use.
thanks guys. He is looking at a waverunner. not sure what year or model but he said it is 120hp. He said everything seems fine but he wants me to check it out for him. I just wasn't sure what to look for on a jet ski. The winterizing issue is what had me worried because he said it hadn't been ran since sept when the keyswitch broke. He's bringing it by this afternoon so I'll jump it and see if it runs or what. Thanks for the info and any other tips you might have for me.