Whether you left the drain plugs out or flipped over your jet ski, it can be concerning when your jet ski floods with water. A flooded jet ski must be dealt with immediately, and the longer you wait, the more likely your jet ski will be totaled. In today’s article, we will explain the best and fastest way to fix a flooded jet ski.
How to fix a flooded jet ski?
The key to fixing a flooded jet ski is to get the jet ski on dry land, clean and dry the spark plugs, and change the oil.
Get jet ski on land
The first and most important step to fix a jet ski is to get it on land. If you are stranded in the water, try your best to have someone tow you back to land. If no one is there to tow you, you should use a mini oar to paddle back. You should never try to start a jet ski that is flooded, as this can leak oil into the water, and cause detrimental harm to your jet ski.
Once on dry land, you should lift up the seat and inspect the engine hull. If there is still water inside, use a cup or bucket to remove any sitting water. You can also use a towel to dry the area. Once the excess water is removed, you can move onto step two.
Clean and dry spark plugs
A flooded jet ski usually means that the spark plugs are wet, which must be addressed asap. To access the spark plugs, lift up the wire covers has shown in the picture below.
The caps should easily come off by wiggling them around a little bit. After you lift up the cover, you should have access to the spark plug hole (as displayed below).
Once you have access to the hole, use a spark plug socket to stick in the hole and remove the spark plug. You can also use a spark plug wrench, just make sure you have the right size. If you don’t have a spark plug removal tool, you can try to dig it out with a magnet or other tool.
After you have removed the spark plugs, you should turn on the jet ski and press on the ignition button. This should start spraying out water from the spark plug holes, so it’s best to stand a couple feet away from them.
After the water has been shot out of the battery cylinder, you can start cleaning the spark plugs. The most important thing is that you ensure that you dry them off completely, which you can do with a rag or towel. It can also help if you clean the spark plug with battery cleaner.
If you don’t clean and dry the sparks, it can cause your jet ski battery to keep dying.
Once the spark plugs are clean, put them back in the cylinder. Then, put the cap and cords back on. At this point, you should see if your jet ski can start. If it is able to start and the engine can continuously run, your jet ski might be ready to get back in the water.
If your jet ski still won’t start, you should repeat the process of removing the spark plugs and cleaning and drying them. You can also try replacing your spark plugs with new ones. If this still doesn’t work, you should turn your attention to the oil.
Change the oil
One of the main reasons a flooded jet ski won’t run is because there is water in the oil. If you suspect this is the cause, it is important to do a complete oil change as soon as possible. This is important to do quickly, as water left in the oil can cause a wide range of problems, including stuck rings, washed out bearings, and corrosion. If you need some tips, you should check out my sea doo oil change guide.
If you are unable to perform an oil change by yourself, you should take it to a repair shop as soon as possible and have them do it.
Honestly, I would recommend doing an oil change even if your jet ski is running after you clean and dry the spark plugs. All it takes is a little bit of water in the oil to cause mayhem in your jet ski’s engine. You can help manage the damage by using a fuel stabilizer.
Other tips to prevent your jet ski from flooding
There are many ways to help prevent your jet ski from flooding. For example, it is important that you have adequate drain plugs. If a drain plug starts to deteriorate, it can cause water to leak into the battery and engine.
You can also help minimize the damage of a flooded jet ski by regularly changing spark plugs and changing the oil.
You can also spray your battery cylinder with WD 40 or fog oil. This will help prevent your cylinder from getting oxidized and corroded. You can also help prevent this by using a jet ski anti-corrosion spray.
Lastly, you should always practice safe driving techniques when you are operating a jet ski. It doesn’t take much for a jet ski to flip upside down, especially if you are being reckless. If you are operating a jet ski at high speeds, I recommend that you wear a jet ski helmet.
Conclusion
I hope this article helped walk you through how to fix a flooded jet ski. The most important piece of advice that I can give is to act immediately. The longer your jet ski sits with water in it, the smaller the chance it will every operate again. If these steps don’t do the job, you should take your jet ski to a maintenance shop.
