How to Winterize Yamaha WaveRunners

by Chris Gilliland

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Designed for fun under the sun, Yamaha's WaveRunner line of personal watercraft have provided countless hours of high-speed thrills to the water-friendly. But eventually the summer season ends and the need to prepare your Waverunner for the winter. Winterization is a term used for the process that places personal watercraft in a state of hibernation to protect its vital components from damage. It is easy enough to do in the privacy of your driveway, but be sure that your WaveRunner's warranty doesn't require the work to be done by the dealership first.

Step 1

Remove the drain plugs to empty the hull of any water that may have been trapped then wash the entire WaveRunner, including the engine compartment, thoroughly. Be sure that all of the water has drained from the hull before replacing the drain plugs.

Step 2

Add a similar fuel stabilizer to the fuel tank and top off with fresh gasoline.

Step 3

Start your WaveRunner's motor. Spray a 10- to 15-second stream of fogging oil into the carburetors, then stop the motor.

Step 4

Remove all spark plugs and spray fogging oil into each cylinder, pressing the starter button after each cylinder to circulate the oil. Replace the spark plugs into the cylinders when done.

Step 5

Lubricate the control cables and steering system with silicon lubricant spray, then pray a thin coat of silicone lubricant onto the engine to protect it from corrosion.

Step 6

Add antifreeze into the WaveRunner's cooling system to prevent fluid freeze in lower temperatures.

Step 7

Remove the battery, disconnecting the negative (-) terminal first, followed by the positive (+) terminal. Place the battery on an automatic maintenance charger for storage.

Step 8

Apply a coating of wax to protect the finish of your WaveRunner's exterior then spray all of the craft's metal components with a rust inhibitor. Wipe away any excess with a clean rag or towel.