Do I need to store my 2 1996 Seadoos for the Winter?

[Fish1]

First time PWC owner and I don't know too much about taking care of them. This will be my first offseason and I'm trying to decide to store or not to store them for Winter. I have two 1996 Seadoos (1996 GTX and 1996 GSX) and they are currently sitting at a dock just out of the water on two ride PWC SportPorts docks.

I'm in Northern CA. The weather only gets below freezing on rare occasions. I've attached a screen shot of the average temps by month in my area.

If I leave them on the SportDock, I can pick a day or two per month when it's not super cold to take them out on the water for a couple minutes (or at least fire the engines) just to keep them in running condition and make sure the battery stays charged.

Or if I store them in my garage, I assume I should buy a battery trickle (or two...one for each ski) to make sure the battery stays charged during the winter.

Either way, I'll add fuel stabilizer to the tanks.


It would be more conveneint for me to leave them at the Dock on the Sport Dock, but only if it won't harm the skis too much.

What do you think? Would you buy 2 battery trickles and strore them in your garage, or just leave them on the SportDock (with covers on them of course) and fire the engines once in a while?


Thanks!

 

[Dr Honda]

If you aren't going to ride them... you need to winterize them. All it takes is one night below freezing to crack the engine on a seadoo.

If you can put them in a garage... I would do it. If not... put them on the trailer, and winterize them properly.

 

[Minnetonka4me]

And throw a good silver tarp over everything.

 

[Bills86e]

The List:
Remove Battery, Handlebar covers, seats, store in garage, Blue Marine Sta-Bil in full gas tank, Heavily Fog engine, put run 50/50 Antifreeze in bucket bilge pump with hose, connect to running engine, put bucket under jet pump to catch and recirculate while you fog. Simple! Then Dielectrical grease ALL E-connections-fuses, marine grease zerk(s) carbs, impeller, stainless cables, latches, everything metal, gauges, and petroleum grease all gauge lens, VTS & drive Boots, plastics ect. Clean paint and wax it. Don't forget to grease TRAILOR!

Bills86e

 

[fordarmyof1]

when you say antifreeze you mean dump it in the engine bay and let the bilge pump it out?

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

Can't tell if trolling.... or just really....

as for the original post, winterize them. you can't go wrong spending a bit of time and a few $ to make sure they will be happy.

and KEEP THEM INSIDE. Jet ski's left outside get sad and lonely.

 

[Bills86e]

Circulate the anti-freeze thru the engine while it runs, Bip after cutting off the pump, as you normally would when "back-flushing". (duncecap):cheers:

 

[fordarmyof1]

i see what you saying and i should have clarified, i have 2 1999 gsx ltds. I had never heard of doing thats is all. i thought flushing clean, fogging, oil the cyls, running to blow out water, spraying wd40 on exposed engine parts, covering engine with towels, with outside cover and then with the silver space blankets, then under one of those 10x10 beach awnings at the lowest level so nothing blows on them or gets under them.

 

[Bills86e]

FREEZING temperatures cause water expansion = Any water in cyl can crack them, water in muffler can break the internal baffels.

 

[fordarmyof1]

roger Bills but where would i add the antifreeze in my bike?

 

[Bills86e]

The leftside pedal has a cap. Remove & fill up. Consult your OWNERS MANUAL!!! (Homer) - Duh!

Haveing Handlebars at each end would make driveing out of the garage easier.

Now I've gotta go.........find the Snorkel for my SeadooSub. Hope I didn't leave it at the harbor. I'll take a birdseye view to find it:
http://www.jetlev.com/