The biggest hurdle in used jet ski purchases….”It ran great the day I bought it, but the second time I ran it, it quit. Now it won’t start. I think the guy sold me a bad jet ski.”
Actually, the truth usually is that the seller sold a perfectly good ski and the new owner broke it by not checking the carbs and oil lines prior to putting it in the water.
A used ski for sale might not have been run for months or years, and any vehicle is going to have an issue if it has been sitting for extended periods of time.
Most 2 stroke engines come from the factory with a mechanical oil pump on the front of the motor which mixes the gas and oil for you. These pumps don’t fail often, but the lines connecting them to the motor can fail. This causes an almost instant catastrophic failure with parts often flying out of the engine destroying it.
So, inspect the lines and the clamps, and make sure the oil reservoir has oil in it. If you are running without an oil pump, be sure you have good pre-mixed gas.
Next, inspect the plugs –
- Start it
- Warm it up for 1 or 2 minutes
- Run it wide open for 1 minute
- Pull the lanyard, instantly killing the engine
Now inspect the plugs. If one (or both) are clean, there is a clog and it is done for the day. They should be brown or black or just used. Clean, especially on one side, is an obvious sign of running lean and hot which will destroy the motor in minutes or at most hours.
THE HOSE (FLUSH KIT) IS FOR FLUSHING SALT WATER AND DEBRIS OUT OF THE EXHAUST SYSTEM ONLY!!! This means it is NOT for testing and tuning on the trailer. The flush kit does not cool the motor!
To flush salt water and/or debris from your ski:
- Start the engine
- Turn on the water (not all the way)
- Flush for 1 minute
- Turn off the water
- Rev the engine once or twice
- Turn off the engine LAST
DO NOT RUN WATER WHEN THE ENGINE IS OFF! You will pull water into your motor and break it.
