new to jet skies and forums, don't know how to move this from here

[oldsubsailor]

My grandson was just gifted with a 1997 GSI. This thing has not been operated for about 3 years. I put a new battery in it and I sucked all the old gas out of it and put in new. The oil tank shows it is full so I left that alone. We took it to the lake and while it was still on the trailer tried to figure out how this thing works. I read the manuals that I could find online, but nothing tells me about what I should see when you put the lanyard on the safety switch, what indicators that I need to be seeing on instrument cluster. Right now it tells me "fuel low", has a red light flashing down below that in a yellow triangle looking thing. when you plug the lanyard on, sometime you see all sysmbols and lights on the instrument panel light up and then everything goes off after about a second. unplug the lanyard and plug it back up and it does it again until finally it will indicate and you can read things on the panel. The starter may or may not work at this stage. We have got it to run for just a couple of seconds and then it dies out. I am sure I need to change the fuel filter(If I can find it), maybe try to clean the carb. My most frustrating thing is not knowing how this thing is supposed to work. Is there any books or manuals that tell you how and what you should be seeing when you turn these things on. The operators manual that I find on line don't do a very good job. And what is the story on the program lanyards? Are all of these things programmed? Or are some yes and some no, how do you know? I saw pictures of some 97 models that stated that the safety switch was programmed with a decal beside the switch, this one does not have that. Any info would be appreciated. I think I have a project cut out for me and the boy.

 

[oldsubsailor]

Thank you, I have the manual downloaded and scoping it out.

 

[Seadoosam]

As far as the key and programming goes, your ski very likely does have a programmed key which is programmed to work with the computer (MPEM) module in your jet ski. The post where you put the key, does it have a metal ring around it and a metal dot in the middle? If so, you have a programmed key. 1996 and under are the ones with simply a kill switch-type key to the best of my knowledge. All the lights coming on initially and then going away is not necessarily a problem. My functioning 1997 GTX does light up the yellow triangle light upon startup then goes away like a test mode.