Thread: Pre Summer Checks

Hello fellow 4-tecers

Summer is approaching in a few weeks.
Get out in your shed and get rid of those cob webs, get your ski prepped for the summer season. You don’t want a big shock when summer is here and your ski won’t kick over and it’s in a work shop all summer. Get prepared now.
Run through your ski and trailer and do your checks.

- Perform a battery check, and see that it has a full charge. All electrical wires should be properly connected; tight and not frayed
- Test the steering controls, stop button, lanyard cut-off and throttle for any problems
- Check trims and make sure its operating correctly.
- Do a thorough check of all nuts, bolts, clamps and hoses and make sure they are secured and tight. Look closely for any rust spots or corroded parts.
- Run the ski up out of the water and flush it, last thing you want is getting to the ramp and it’s a no go.
- Check your riding gear is still in good condition life vest, gloves, shoes etc.
- Check in and around the engine for any nasties that would have called it home during winter. Clean out and webs and insects and give it a good clean.
- Make sure all moving parts are lubricated and moving freely, spray a bit of Lanox/lube in all the moving joing to free things up

If you havent ridden it for a while it would be a good idea to get it down to you mechanic and get a quick service, plugs etc.

Have a thorough look over your trailer its one of the most important accessories to your PWC.
- Check wheel bearings are smooth, grease up and are easy to turn.
- Grease up your tow hitch on trailer and car and make sure is locking it.
- Check rollers or skids and ensure they are in good condition.
- Ensure all your tie down straps are not frayed and still hold firmly, they can become rusted over time.
- Do a thorough search over your trailer for any rust spots or cracks, this can lead to the trailer becoming week and snapping whilst in transit.

Feel free to add any other pre-summer checks. A lot can happen to your ski whilst it sits around during the colder months.

See you all out on the water.
Hope everyone has a good season.

- - Sam

Hey all
Just a bit of a follow up of my previous post.
Hope you find this informaiton helpful.

With the weather heating up and thoughts turning to summer holidays, many people will be getting their personal watercraft / jet skis out of storage and preparing it for another summer of fun. However, with your jet ski being stored for such a long time, it might not be run exactly as it should and you may have to put in a little work before you can take it out. This quick guide will run you through a few checks to go through before you set off.

Hopefully, when you stored your jet ski away for the winter, you winterised it (i.e. filled the tank with a stabilizer/fuel mixture). If you did this, you shouldn't have too many problems getting it running again. However, if you didn't (and who can say they've always done what they knew they were supposed to do?) you might have a few problems.

Task 1: Checking the Lines Run the tips of your fingers up and down the fuel line. Be very sure that there are no cracks in it. Also check there are no areas where cracks may develop (areas that have been worn thin over the winter). Once you have done that, perform the same checks on the cooling lines to check they are holding up well.

Task 2: General Cleaning Leaving you jet ski to sit over the winter will most likely mean that it will have some cobwebs, dust and other detritus on it. Give the outside of the jet ski a good once over. In particular, check the exhaust is entirely clear.

Task 3: Check the Spark Plugs The spark plugs of your jet ski are very vulnerable to moisture. After being left over winter, there's a fair chance that rust may have developed in this area. Have a good look over the bores to check that this is not the case.

Task 4: Carburettor Check Dust is the main enemy over the winter when it comes to the carburettor. Be sure to remove any dust to ensure that your engine is not damaged.

Task 5: The Fuel Tank How much of a problem you face with this stage depends on how thoroughly winterised your jet ski was. Empty the fuel in the tank and run some fresh fuel through the engine. You might find that some areas are clogged. Hopefully, running the new fuel through will dislodge these. If the clogged areas need an extra bit of work, try adding some STA-BIL to give it an extra going over.

This process of summerising your jet ski should set you up for an enjoyable summer. Be sure to follow a maintenance regime after every trip and you should have plain sailing all summer.