Save Money With Proper Jet Ski Maintenance

Nothing is more fun than spending a day on the water, cutting through rough chop, powering through wakes and waves on your personal watercraft. And nothing gets in the way of this like a dead battery, running out of fuel, or other maintenance issues. Beach BLVD Motorsports wants your next on-water adventure to be safe and fun, which is why we’ve put together a list of routine PWC maintenance tasks that will keep your Jet Ski in peak performing condition for years to come. Visit our dealership serving Jacksonville, Orange Park, and St. Augustine, FL, and let our amazing staff help get your PWC ready for your next ride!

Check your owner’s manual

This seems like it’s almost too obvious, but don’t throw your owner’s manual in the trash. Your owner’s manual will outline your recommended service schedule, as well as important pieces of information like the optimal break in period for your PWC. These things are laid out plain and simple, so if you don’t want to spend a fortune repairing your watercraft down the road, make sure you consult your owner’s manual often.

Breaking in your new Jet Ski

Jet Skis need to be eased into operation. It may be more fun to drop it in the water and hit the throttle, but you can wind up doing long term damage to your engine in the first few hours, which is wasteful. Exert your willpower and keep things smooth and easy to start. For the first few minutes on the water don’t take your jet ski above ¼ throttle, and for the next half hour vary the speed without exceeding half throttle. For the hour after that you can probably open it up to ¾ throttle, then you should be ok to really hit the gas. This is a rule of thumb for many PWCs, but some performance and sport models may require a much longer break in period.

Fresh Water Flush

If you ride your jet ski in the ocean, it’s important to flush your jet ski’s engine with fresh water to keep components in good shape. Salt water is pretty corrosive, and while jet skis are made to handle some rough conditions, they’re not built for long term exposure to salt and grime. Hook up a freshwater source to your flush fitting and run the engine, then turn on the water. Let the engine run at idle for about five minutes or so, occasionally gently bumping the throttle. When you’re done shut off the water and slightly engage the throttle to push any excess water out, then shut off the engine and cap the flush. Even if you’re riding in fresh water it can be a good idea to flush your engine so you can get any aquatic critters or gunk out of the way.

Gas

Always use the right kind of gas for your jet ski. Modern ethanol enriched gas isn’t known for being kind to marine engines, so make sure that if you’re leaving your jet ski to sit for a period of time, that you top off the tank and add the proper amount of fuel stabilizer to ensure your engine stays in good shape while you’re away. Never use E85 gas in your jet ski, it will do more harm than good because the marine engines aren’t built to run with the 15% ethanol mix.

Battery

Batteries drain, even when not in use, so when you’re putting your jet ski away for awhile, make sure you disconnect the battery and store it hooked to a battery tender. This will ensure you’ve got a full charge when it’s time to ride, and it will prolong the life of your battery overall.

Remember, check the charge of your battery before and after every ride and be sure to perform regular fresh water flushes, to prevent corrosion or other saltwater build up. And make sure you keep your owner’s manual on hand, as it will guide you through other routine maintenance you can perform yourself. For everything else, visit Beach BLVD Motorsports, serving Orange Park, St. Johns, and St. Augustine, Florida, and let our service team help keep your PWC in great condition for your next on-water adventure!