PWC Maintenance

Personal watercraft (or PWC) are meant for enjoyment, particularly during these warm summer months. Nothing feels better than being out on the water, kicking up jets of cool spray as you coast over sparkling waves in the sun. Your personal watercraft provides you with a lot of pleasure, and to keep it in good working order, you should give it some care in exchange. Consulting your owner’s manual is a good start, as it will tell you some of the basics for this.

At RideNow Austin, we know a thing or two about personal watercraft maintenance, so we’ve provided you with this guide of our best tips and tricks to keep your PWC running smoothly all season and for many years to come. Most are basic tasks that you can perform on your own, but if you discover any major issues with your PWC, call up our service department to make a maintenance appointment and let our professional mechanics fix your watercraft for you.

Break The Engine In

You can’t just take your PWC out on the water and hit full throttle right away unless you want to permanently damage the engine. You’ll have to break in your engine in a few stages. First, ride at about a fourth of full speed for fifteen to twenty minutes, then move up around half speed and ride for another half an hour there. Finally, ride at about three-quarters speed for another hour, then open up the throttle and hit full speed. Your patience will be rewarded with a well-functioning engine that lasts for a long time.

Flush The Engine After You Ride

Salt water can be corrosive to engines, so you want to make sure that you’re not leaving any in your PWC to sit when you’re done riding. Even fresh water can harbor particles that you don’t want clouding up your engine, so no matter what water you ride in, you should flush out your PWC’s engine when you’re done. To do this, start up the engine, hook it up to a clean water source, turn on the water and then turn the throttle to push the water out as it runs through your engine. If you do this after every ocean ride or every few trips to a freshwater lake, you won’t have to deal with rust and salt corrosion.

Freshen Up Fuel

Before storing your PWC for a while, make sure to top the fuel tank up completely to prevent condensation. You should never use fuel with ethanol in your PWC as the alcohol can damage your engine. Use a fuel stabilizer to help prevent damage. Your local mechanic can help you figure out how much to put in, or you can consult your owner’s manual.

Wax Your Watercraft

Waxing your watercraft will protect the hull from damage, particularly from harmful UV rays. That’s right -- just like the sun damages your skin, it also damages the finish on your PWC. A regular cleaning and waxing will provide a protective coating that keeps your PWC from cracking or fading.

Check Your Battery

When storing your PWC, it’s best to take out the battery and put it on a tender so that it doesn’t have its charge drained completely in your personal watercraft or suffer from corrosion. Taking the battery out will increase its lifespan. When you put it back in your PWC, you want to test it to make sure that it works well so you don’t suffer a breakdown on the water.

When you’re in the market for a great PWC, come down to the RideNow Austin showroom to see the vast array of new and used personal watercraft we carry for sale, including the latest models by top brands. We serve the cities of Austin, Round Rock, San Marcos and New Braunfels, Texas.