If you own a jet ski or PWC, especially in a region that experiences colder seasons, de-winterization is a necessary process each year to get ready for your first trips of the season on the water. Here, we discuss what de-winterization is and the steps you should take before the first time you take your craft out on the water in the Spring.
What Is Dewinterizing, And Why Do You Need To Do It?
Dewinterizing is where you get your jet ski out of storage, or wherever you had it for the winter months, and get it ready for the summer. You need to do a complete inspection of the jet ski to ensure that it’s in the best possible condition, and therefore safe to ride.
As you’re not using your jet ski through the winter, you may find that a few things happen that you’re going to need to sort before you can get back out on the water. Having said that, it might be absolutely fine - but you still need to check to be sure.
For a quick summary, you’re going to need to check the battery, the fluids, the electrics, the hull, the trailer and all of the safety equipment. But, if you’ve never done this before you might not know how to do it, so we’re going to be going through this with you step by step.
Start With The Battery
First, we recommend that you start with the battery. As your jet ski has been in storage, it’s possible that it has lost charge and power, so you need to get your battery tester, set it to 15 or 20 volts, and then see how it does. Keep in mind here that most jet ski’s use 12 volts, so if your reading is less than 12 volts, you’re going to need to charge it. If you have a smart charger, charge it asap being aware that this might take a few hours. Once you think it’s charged, test it again.
If you need a new battery, you’re going to need to buy a new one and install it. It’s best to look up a proper instruction guide for doing this to ensure it’s done correctly.
Check Fluids And Replace When Necessary
It’s entirely possible that over the winter months your fluids have leaked out partially, or degraded on a molecular level which means that they need changing.
But, which fluids need checking? All of them. You need to check the oil level and the filter, and if you’ve not changed it in the last year, this needs to be done. Once a year is a reasonable amount of time for these changes, and if you were checking the oil during winter, you still need to check it again now.
When your engine is cold, that’s when you’re going to need to check the coolant level. Ensure you’re using the right coolant to top up your jet ski, and remember that coolant expands when it’s hot, so this is something that should always be tested cold.
We recommend draining any fuel that’s been left in the jet ski and replacing it with new fuel just to be safe, also!
Double Check The Electrics
Spark plugs and other electrics in the jet ski can become worn or corroded after time, which is why you should be checking them after the winter. If this does happen, it can cause issues with your engine, or impact the overall functionality of your jet ski, which we all know is not something that you want.
As such, you should be checking all of the spark plugs, and all of the electrical connections to ensure that they are in good condition. If they aren’t, then they’re going to need replacing before you can get back out on the water. Don’t panic though, because they don’t tend to be too expensive, and you can replace them fairly quickly.
Inspection Of The Hull
Wear and tear can be a pain in the behind, so you want to get ahead of it as best you can. Check the hull and all other parts of the jet ski to ensure that it’s in good condition. You want to be looking for cracks, leaks, dents and so on. Don’t forget to check your drain plugs at this point also, as they may need replacing.
If it seems as though there is no damage, that’s great. From there, you can move on to applying anti-corrosive to the engine compartment. Alternatively, you can use grease if you would prefer. The goal is to protect, and make it last.
The final part of the inspection are the sacrificial anodes. They help to prevent the metal from water corrosion, which means that it needs to be checked once a month or so when you are out on the water. As soon as it’s 50% depleted, you need to check the anode to ensure safety and longevity.
Check The Trailer If You Have One
Last but by no means least, you need to check the trailer of your jet ski. Make sure that you’re looking at the tire pressure, testing your brake lights, and going through your registration carefully to ensure that it’s all in order. If it isn’t, make sure you get that sorted before you get back out there.
We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now have a more solid understanding of how to winterize a jet ski or PWC. It takes time, but it’s absolutely worth it.