How to Winterize a Seadoo GTX 4-TEC
by Thomas Buchanan
A day out on the water with the 155 hp GTX 4-TEC from Seadoo might just well be the epitome of what a perfect summer day should be. But all good things must come to an end, and a harsh winter means it's time to put the GTX away for the season. To make sure that its ready to spring back to life as soon as those warm days start coming around again, a few hours spent winterizing your jet ski is an important step.
Step 1
Drain the water from your engine as soon as it is done for the season. Attach the GTX 4-TEC to your trailer as usual so that the stern is at the lowest position. Run the engine a few times for up to 30 seconds each time until water has ceased draining from the craft.
Step 2
Clean and thoroughly dry the exterior as well as interior of the craft. Be sure to remove any algae which may have accumulated, as it will only continue to harden and dry out over the winter and become much more difficult to manage in the spring. Once finished, this is a good opportunity to give it a light coat of wax and use a small amount of multi-purpose lube on any exposed metal surfaces such as the two adjustable mirrors.
Step 3
Add in a fresh tank of gas. Add a small amount of gas stabilizer to prevent the fuel from becoming gummy over its months of storage. Again, start the engine and allow it to run for up to 30 seconds so that the stabilizer has the opportunity to circulate throughout the entirety of the engine.
Step 4
Raise the GTX 4-TEC's seat to access its engine. Remove the air cleaners before starting the engine, allowing it to idle. Spray the can of fogging oil down into the carburetors until the engine stalls. Replace the air cleaners. Remove the spark plugs and spray more fogging oil into each of their sockets. With all the spark plugs still removed, place a rag over their holes and engage the engine. Though it will not start without the spark plugs, this will allow all of the fogging oil to evenly distribute itself internally. Clean up any errant oil and replace the spark plugs.
Step 5
Disconnect your battery's negative terminal, and then the positive terminal. Remove it from the craft and store it in a reasonably warm, dry, elevated location such as a wooden block.
Step 6
Cover the craft in its cover to further protect it from dust or weather and store it in a level position over the winter.
References
Things You'll Need
- Fogging oil
- Gasoline
- Jet ski cover
- Lube
- Rag
- Wax
Warnings
- Do not place your battery on concrete.
Writer Bio
Thomas Buchanan has been writing professionally since 2000, slumped over a keyboard and typing out everything from grant proposals for NGOs in Bulgaria to restaurant reviews for sleepy diners across Texas for the "South Texan." He holds a Bachelor of Science in criminology from Texas A&M University and will be pursuing his Master of Arts in international relations beginning Fall 2011.
