Whether you opt for a Kawasaki* Jet Ski,* Yamaha* WaveRunner,* or BRP* Sea-Doo,* personal watercraft (PWC) are exciting powersports vehicles that require routine maintenance to keep them running optimally. These important maintenance tips will help you maintain your personal watercraft so you can stay safe and continue reaping the rewards of reliability and performance for many years.
Getting Started
Your owner’s manual will identify every feature, function and requirement of your PWC, including engine flushing and storage routines and all specifications for routine maintenance. If you purchased a new PWC, follow the instructions for engine break-in, which is critical to extending the life of the engine. Be sure to change the oil to AMSOIL Synthetic Marine Engine Oil immediately afterward, as the break-in oil will be full of contaminants from the break-in process.
Inspection
With continued use, parts on your PWC will wear out and need to be replaced. To ensure that any potential problems are caught early, inspect your PWC for any signs of damage and leaking fluids before each use and make any settings adjustments as needed. Perform a thorough inspection and tune-up at least annually, including spark plugs, filters, belts, hoses and the impeller. If you find any loose, worn, damaged or missing parts or hull and deck cracks, be sure to repair them before use. It is important to replace worn parts as soon as possible for your own safety and to prevent additional damage to your PWC.
Lubrication
Proper lubrication is even more critical for the protection and performance of your PWC than it is for land-based powersports vehicles, due to direct water exposure. Check the oil level regularly and add AMSOIL Synthetic Marine Oil as needed. Refer to your owner’s manual for the manufacturer’s recommended lubrication intervals and be sure to check and lubricate all moving parts with AMSOIL Synthetic Water-Resistant Grease, including steering components, throttle cables, and any joints or pivot points.
Change the oil filter after every 100 hours of use and at the end of the season before putting your PWC into storage. For an extra measure of protection, add a thin coat of AMSOIL Synthetic Water-Resistant Grease to any hose and exhaust clamps and other metal parts to help prevent corrosion and rust.
Flushing
Many personal watercraft use an open loop cooling system that draws water in from the lake, river or ocean to cool the engine. Be sure to flush the engine with fresh water after each use to remove any salt, sand or other debris that may have entered the cooling system and clean the impeller and jet nozzle to prevent clogging, corrosion and overheating. After each use, wash the exterior of your PWC with fresh water and mild soap to remove any salt, sand or grime and dry it thoroughly to prevent moisture-related damage. It’s also a good idea to rinse the engine compartment and apply a thin mist of AMSOIL Silicone Spray to protect non-metal parts after the craft has been cleaned and dried.
Fueling
To keep your PWC fuel system in top shape, always use fresh, high-quality, ethanol-free fuel and add AMSOIL Gasoline Stabilizer when refueling, which fights ethanol-related problems and continues to protect engine components during extended storage periods. Inspect all fueling components, including lines, connections and filters for signs of wear or leaks and replace them if they are damaged or worn.
Ignition
Consistent battery maintenance ensures reliable starting and electrical system performance. Check the charge level regularly, clean the terminals and ensure connections are secure, and plug it into a battery charger when not in use. Don’t forget to check the spark plugs regularly and replace them as needed.
Storage
To protect your PWC from off-season damage, first drain any water from the cooling system and exhaust. Next, add AMSOIL Gasoline Stabilizer to the gas tank and run the engine for a few minutes to circulate it through the fuel system, then spray AMSOIL Engine Fogging Oil into each cylinder through the spark plug holes. Finally, remove the battery, cover the PWC with a breathable cover and store it in a cool, dry location to help prevent the growth of mold and mildew.
Following the manufacturer’s recommendations found in your owner’s manual and performing maintenance at the scheduled intervals with AMSOIL synthetic marine products will keep your PWC running smoothly for many years. If you are uncomfortable with performing your own inspections or repairs, take your PWC to an authorized dealer or service center at least annually. By following these maintenance tips, you can ensure that your PWC will provide you with minimal headaches and many hours of fun and enjoyment on the water.
To find out which AMSOIL synthetic marine products are right for your PWC, check out our Personal Watercraft Product Lookup Guide.
Video transcript: Company of Enthusiasts: We’re into Hydroplanes
I’m Casey Jones, AMSOIL dealer, and I’m into stock outboard racing. Hydroplanes get their speed from essentially being an air wing. So as air is going to cross the top and air is coming down the bottom, it wants to lift the boat. So just a very small portion of the boat is in the water.
And when you’re maintaining about a three or four degree angle, you’re going to achieve your fastest speed. That allows a 15 horsepower motor to have speeds over 50 miles an hour. My wife and I, Ava, are avid boaters. We were married on a house boat as a matter of fact.
But we also spent a lot of time at racetracks, so that kicked off the idea about getting into boat racing. We’ve been racing over three years. Started helping teams out and doing some one-on-one sponsorship, and then ended up getting our own race boat. Her name is Miss AMSOIL.
She’s a SCSC Sportsman A Limited Hydroplane. Miss AMSOIL is made out of wood. She’s made from Akumi plywood with spruce runners. It’s the same kind of plywood that you’d use for aircraft.
So it keeps it light and strong. All my propellers come from a shop on the East Coast. They’re custom made. They consider propellers to be snowflakes, because none of them are exactly alike.
So when I get a prop, I go out on the lake, and based upon my input, they’re able to customize and reshape the prop to get me the acceleration or speed that I need so I can win the race. So I race this about five, six times a year, and I’m the 2016 Sportsman A Limited Hydroplane Champion. Most racing starts with flags. So if you think about car racing, they have a flag.
Well, we start on a clock. With a clock start, you want to be crossing the start line at full speed when the clock hits zero. And that is nailing the start. The driver can use his weight to manipulate the boat.
So you actually can jockey the boat. That’s the closest thing I can call it. It’s like being on a horse and jockeying the horse. I’m tucked in there.
It’s like you become a part of the boat. So we’re doing over 50 miles an hour on a quarter inch piece of plywood, essentially, is what it comes down to. The only thing closer to being on the water would be if I just connected the outboard to my back and went out there. There are times where, you know, you may go back and forth with somebody, where somebody’s kind of getting in front of you, you get in front of them, and that’s actually the most exciting racing.
I mean, instead of just getting in front and doing laps, I’ll wait back for a driver, race next to them, also gives them mentoring because some of the drivers aren’t used to having a boat next to them, and then it’s more sporty for the fans. My future in the sport is gonna stay in outboard hydro planes. I intend within two years to go up to a faster class and a little bit bigger boat, and Miss Amzel will most likely be retired at that point. But she’s not gonna go nowhere.
So she’ll stay with us a lot of times with the boat. So I feel a little emotional there, but, you know, it brings family together, brings people together. Through Amzel and through racing, we have an opportunity to have that environment to where we can meet quality people and and make friends for life. I’m Casey Jones, Amzel dealer, and I’m into stock outboard racing.
This article is part of our Marine Engine Maintenance guide. See every article in the guide.
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David Hilgendorf is an AMSOIL Technical Writer who develops content for automotive, powersports and industrial audiences. His work includes technical data sheets, magazine articles, blog posts, white papers, product literature and application guidance. Hilgendorf works with engineers, laboratory personnel and technical specialists to communicate lubricant testing, product performance, maintenance practices, metalworking fluids, grease, motorcycles, marine equipment and industrial reliability.
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