Used jet ski

[Dchally]

What are some things to look for and questions to ask when looking for a used 4 stroke? Assume a 4 or 5 yr old model.

 

[jnylund]

Hi Dchally, Im not an expert yet, but im on my second pwc, here is what I would look for:

- inspect the hull, make sure there are no scrapes or cracks, make sure the gel coat is in good condition, get under it with a flash light and look real closely

- drive it, make sure it runs well wide open and starting up, drive it for a good 15 minutes (dont buy it unless you can drive it)

- check the maintenance records, make sure they winterized every year and did all the other good stuff they should have, ask to look at receipts, if they did themselves, ask them to go over exactly what they did and how.

- look the engine over after you ride it, see if there is water inside the engine box, see if any leaks or strong smells of anything, check that hoses are in good shape. check the oil.

Joel

 

[bigJake]

also definitely not an expert but i would think a compression test?

 

[Michael211_2000]

Assuming you like the hull design (colors, length, etc.) and condition of the hull (not many scratches or dings, seat not torn or mouldy), you'd want to know how many hours are on it and what's been done to the engine mechanically. Supercharger rebuilt at 100 hrs? What washers are in the SC (ceramic or steel)? Has it been properly winterized each and every Fall before 1st freezes begin? Oil changed at least once a year? Crawl under the stern and with a flashlight look up into the pump at the condition of the impeller (look for blade damage) and wear ring (look for bad gouges in the plastic of the usually white or grey wear ring). Listen to the engine run (on trailer you will hear some mechanical noises from the jet pump and this is normal, in water you should hear NO strange noises!). Finally ask to take it for a test drive with the owner, does it accellerate smoothly and quickly and what does it top out at (mph and rpm's).

Good luck!

- Michael