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Winterizing

90144 Views 42 Replies 20 Participants Last post by  Greenhornet2
Hi all. I'm new to the PWC world. I have two new 3-up Sparks and was wondering if anyone could give me step by step instructions on how to winterize them or would I be better off taking them to a dealership to get it done? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
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Im in the same boat as you. Cant decide if i want to learn and take it on myself or just have someone do it. Ill keep eyes out and if i get any info ill be sure to let you know.
they are so easy,.. new machine really doesn't need much...just follow the owners manual for an: oil/filter change, lubrication, adding stabilizer, flushing exhaust and charging/conncecting a battery tender and then throught he winter /detail/clean-up/inspect it well, don't forget the trailer bearings, tire pressure/rotation and cleaning/inspection too!...if you are storing inside, no need for too much else after year one!
I figure that as long as I keep it in a warm garage it should be fine. Just follow the owners manual and things should go smoothly.
I figure that as long as I keep it in a warm garage it should be fine. Just follow the owners manual and things should go smoothly.
yeah that's the best thing to do with just about any toy, a car, bike, skii, etc.
Step by step

1) Flush out, (Same fitting you ran H20 in the jetski to clean out the Salt water) using 55PSI air, until the H20 stops flowing out.

2) Add stabilizer and fill gas tank full.

3) Store in warm Garage (If you can).

Optional Steps (I will not be doing these, as the above worked for me with a TS-650 for the last 22 years)

1) Spray lube on the impeller.

2) Spray some lube into each cylinder head.

3) Disconnect the battery.
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Thanks so much for the step by step. I think I can do most of that on my own. I don't have the air fitting and I don't use my skis in salt water so I don't flush them out either. I guess I need to find out what fitting it is. Also, I have no way to store them in a warm garage. They have the sea-doo covers but that's gonna be it. There will be plenty of snow and temps might drop as low as -30. Hopefully they'll make it through.
Should the battery go on a trickle charger?
Should the battery go on a trickle charger?
This is highly debated. I pull all my batteries and keep them in the garage and trickle them about once a month. I know several people that has killed batteries with a tender(AGM included).
I would go with what suckmoto said on the trickle from dealing with my scooter batteries.

Page 96 of your manual tells how to prep it for storage. It depends on how mechanically inclined you are if you want to do it yourself. They suggest having the dealership do it. If you are due for your first 50 hr servicing it , you could always have them take care of it while you are there... or... better yet..

move to Miami :) your ski will never be put in storage :) heheheh
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My spark is a few hours away. When I get to it in a few weekends time I am going to winterise it. It will sit in an unheated garage and it can still get below freezing even indoors so the water flushing thing is important to me.

It has iBR fitted.

Can anyone point me to where the attach point is for the exhaust flush? I guess its under the iBR cover. And what is the fitting? I can get a high pressure hose from the gas station but what's the fitting ?

I only ever use it in fresh water so have never flushed it. Fitting the factory flush kit I am told requires removing the iBR housing and the venturi. So it must be a permanent hose thats fitted. Not really worth it for me given I only want to flush it (with air) once a year

Thanks
Yes. It's under the IBR cover ( which is down when the ski is off ) so you have to kinda get up under there. It on on the left under the cover if you have the IBR kit installed.

I had the IBR kit installed before I first had my ski delivered when I bought it.
It's a $30 kit that enables you to just hook a hose up to it it's basically the same type of inlet on your average garden sprinkler ( something any hose will screw into ) Yes it requires removing the IBRR and that's why I had the dealer install the IBR kit instead of doing it myself.

Obviously you don't want to be twisting a hose all the way around when trying to fasten it so you will want to get a quick release hose adapter from Home Depot or wherever so you can just turn that to fasten it instead of trying to turn the hose.

I believe the manual says not to use any high pressure attachments to flush it.

Take a look in the forums for topics about flushing and flush kit. Several of the guys on here made DIY flush kits so look in there for advice on going this route :)
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My spark is a few hours away. When I get to it in a few weekends time I am going to winterise it. It will sit in an unheated garage and it can still get below freezing even indoors so the water flushing thing is important to me.

It has iBR fitted.

Can anyone point me to where the attach point is for the exhaust flush? I guess its under the iBR cover. And what is the fitting? I can get a high pressure hose from the gas station but what's the fitting ?

I only ever use it in fresh water so have never flushed it. Fitting the factory flush kit I am told requires removing the iBR housing and the venturi. So it must be a permanent hose thats fitted. Not really worth it for me given I only want to flush it (with air) once a year

Thanks
I am fresh water only also and never did the pressurized hose thing on my 2 supercharged skies and they were fine. I do take the hose off the water box and extract any water from it and squirt some SD Lube in the water box before attaching hose back on?
Heh the only downside ( in my book ) to riding in the beautiful blue ocean... salt water. You have to always flush your ski, preferably with Salt Away, it coats your ski, skin, and I can't get it out of my favorite black riding visor. I'm trying to spot clean it so I don't ruin it in the washer but it has little white powdery crystals all over it from the salt. Bah! :)
Thanks so much for the step by step. I think I can do most of that on my own. I don't have the air fitting and I don't use my skis in salt water so I don't flush them out either. I guess I need to find out what fitting it is. Also, I have no way to store them in a warm garage. They have the sea-doo covers but that's gonna be it. There will be plenty of snow and temps might drop as low as -30. Hopefully they'll make it through.
I would be sure to plug up any holes like the exhaust port in the back so No critters find a home for the winter.
^ Good idea. I got my cover for about $50 on Amazon. Fits like a glove and way cheaper than the SeaDoo ones.

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[ame]http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BFU014E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1[/ame]
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^ Good idea. I got my cover for about $50 on Amazon. Fits like a glove and way cheaper than the SeaDoo ones.

Medium -


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BFU014E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
+1
I bought the same ones for my GTI's. They work great!

my Note2 sent this...
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When it comes to covers i would highly recommend Poppy Companys! Excellent quality and fits perfectly.
They're relatively cheep aswell!

http://www.poppycompany.com/Cover_2029.htm
(Note, my ski and cover in the photos...) ;-)
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SoCal Winters

Anyone in Southern California that winterizes? It will be my first time with 2 3-up Sparks. They will be in garage, it dont have heat but is sealed good and probably dosent get below 50 or so in there. Any advice would be helpful
If it does not get below 50 you don,t have to worry about winterization BUT you need to do the normal maintenance and flushing if you ride in salt water.
PS: Your very lucky as far as temperatures go!
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