As we head into summer, it’s as much the time to be out on your Sea-Doo as it is prepping for the next season. A big part of that is every-use maintenance, and professional servicing. Here’s everything you need to know about both to keep your Sea-Doo in tip top shape.
How to maintain your Sea-Doo Jet Ski over summer
Flushing
When your Sea-Doo is in use, it’s being exposed to all kinds of elements that can damage or corrode it if not flushed out. Elements such as salt, sand, shells, algae and seaweed can cause havoc on your PWC if you don’t flush it out after every single use.
To flush, ensure your Sea-Doo is levelled and you’re using an appropriate and specialised cleaning agent diluted in clean fresh water (from your hose is fine). You need to find the flush port (this should be indicated on your user manual) and attach your hose to the fitting before beginning the water flow. Start the engine and idle before turning on the hose. Let the flush go for around four minutes, but be careful not to run too long and risk damaging the carbon seals (that stop water getting into places it shouldn’t). Once over, turn water off, shut down the engine and disconnect the hose, in this order.
To flush, you can use either fresh water from your hose, or an appropriate and specialised cleaning agent such as Salt Away, which is recommended when you have been in salt-water. With the motor turned off and the tap turned off, attach your hose to the flush port, then start the motor. Turn the tap on, and rev the motor, on and off the throttle for approximately 30s-1min. You can then turn the tap off, and remove the hose from the flush port. Rev the motor again until there is no more water shooting out of the back of the PWC (usually no more than 30 secs), and shut down the engine. It is important to do these steps in this order – the entire process should take approximately 1-2 minutes, and it is vitally important that you do not run your PWC on the hose for longer than this as you risk damaging your carbon seal, and therefore taking water on into the hull.
Oil change
Your Sea-Doo maintenance should include oil changes, and these occur every 50-100 hours (after the 10-15hrs first service), or after one year of use (whichever comes first) . Sea-Doo SPARK can continue for 100 hours, while all other models need an oil change after 50. It’s important to use high-quality marine-grade oil for your PWC to ensure you get longevity. Low quality oil will either be chewed up too quickly, or could even damage your Sea-Doo. We use XPS semi-synthetic 5w40 oil, available in 1 litre or 4 litre bottles.
Before you change the oil yourself, be sure to check with the user manual for your specific model. The Sutto’s Workshop can also assist with this during services if you need.
Keep it clean
To avoid damage from corrosive salt, dirt and other debris, it’s important to keep your Sea-Doo clean after every use. You don’t need any fancy formulas to do this, just clean soapy water with a soft sponge will do the trick. If you have run your PWC in salt water then you can also give it a hose down using salt-away. Hand wash the Sea-Doo by using small circular motions with the sponge with medium pressure. A sponge shouldn’t scratch or damage the surface, but just keep your eye on it in case a bit of debris has embedded itself and is making marks. Once you’ve gone over the visible surface, do a visual inspection of any missed nooks before rinsing off with a low-pressure hose setting or a soap-free sponge. Pat dry or let dry in the shade. We also recommend giving it a final polish with XPS Spray & Polish, best combined with a microfibre cloth.
When to service your Sea-Doo
Your Sea-Doo will typically require three types of servicing:
- Daily pre-use inspections: This is for you to take responsibility for before you take your Sea-Doo out. Check the oil, run the engine briefly and check there is nothing that seems off or out of the ordinary for your PWC.
- 1st Service: It is highly recommended that your Sea-Doo undertake the 10-15hour Inspection Where our Workshop checks for any early arising issues, completes your first oil change and removes and checks your jet pump to check the wear ring, and function of this vital component. This offers you a chance to ask any questions about your new PWC and to ensure everything is working as it should be.
- Pre-season servicing: This is the big one that will set you up for winter! Our Workshop ensures that your PWC runs like new at the beginning of each season. We check electrical connections, change oil and the oil filter, check and change spark plugs and check battery, plus so much more. It really depends on your Sea-Doo’s specific requirements. Replace with:
- Major Services: a major service can be done either at the end of the season or the start of the ride season. It includes checking electrical connections, changing the oil and oil filter, changing spark plugs, checking the battery function, removing and checking the jet pump and wear ring, ensuring the carbon seal is sealing properly, checking the supercharger function (if your PWC has one), ensuring your intercooler is functioning properly (if your PWC has one), checking the engine mounts and ensuring the ECU is updated correctly. If we do this service at the end of the ride season (highly recommended!) we call this a winterisation service and this also includes fogging your motor for your storage period, so that your PWC is ready to go the moment the weather heats up.
Need a pre-season service or interested in buying a new Sea-Doo jet ski? Talk to us today!
