Riding a jet ski on the open sea is almost like flying above the water. It’s fast and exhilarating, and you can see everything in sight and feel the ocean spray on your face as you zip across the surface at high speeds, so how does water get into a jet ski engine?
Because jet skis are designed mainly for riding in saltwater, it’s important to understand how they work and how water gets into the engine to maintain your craft and keep it running smoothly and properly.
The Engine Has to Pull Water in to Start the Jet Ski
When you start a jet ski, the engine has to pull water in to start it. A jet ski engine is unlike a car engine, and cars don’t have an impeller that has to be submerged in water to run without overheating and damaging its parts.
Since the impeller is inside your PWC’s hull, some form of suction must pull water into the engine through an intake grate.
A skimmer pump does this job. The skimmer pump creates a vacuum that pulls water out of the lake or ocean and into the hull, reaching your impeller and keeping your craft running at ideal temperatures.
There are three ways water gets into your jet ski engine. An important thing to understand about jet skis is that the engine takes in water.
This is because it’s a cooling system, and the only way for something to get rid of heat is to contact something colder than itself. But sometimes too much water gets into the engine, which can cause damage.
There are three ways this can happen:
You ride your jet ski in shallow water, where there isn’t enough depth for you to stay completely clear of debris like rocks and sticks that could get sucked up by the jet pump intake.
You don’t drain all the water from your engine before storing it away for winter or a long time between rides.
You Hit Something Big
Let’s start with the most obvious cause of water getting into your engine: you hit something big.
If you’re in a river, an ocean, or out on a lake, and you’re just cruising along on your jet ski when all of a sudden you find yourself slammed into another boat or some other massive object, there’s a possibility that water could get into your engine.
As boat accident lawyer Mitch Roberts explains, “When two boats collide, it’s usually due to negligence of one or both of the boaters.”
Boat operators are responsible for looking out for objects around them that could cause damage if they crash into them.
The best way to avoid hitting something big is by being careful and looking out for others while operating your boat.
You Ride It in Shallow Water
The second answer to how water gets into a jet ski engine is that you may happen to ride in shallow water.
If you ride your jet ski in shallow water, the engine will likely suck water up through the intake grate. This can happen even if you’re not going very fast or just idling along.
The intake grate is a metal plate that sits just above the water and in front of the jet ski. When the engine intakes air, it also sucks up any nearby water.
The intake grate gets rid of some of this water before getting into the engine by separating it and removing debris so only clean air enters the engine.
You Don’t Drain the Engine Before Storing
Your Jet Ski might be spending the winter in your garage, but that’s no reason to leave standing water in its engine.
You don’t want to suddenly discover a bunch of rust and corrosion when you go out for a ride again next summer.
There are drain plugs on both sides of the engine. Removing them should let out any leftover water, but if your jet ski has been sitting for some time, it may require gentle persuasion with a large screwdriver or wrench.
Always replace the plugs after draining and cleaning out debris from trapped water; if they’re not sealed correctly, more moisture can build up inside during storage.
Finally, make sure you store your jet ski away from any source of moisture like damp ground or snow, so it doesn’t get wet over the off-season.
Whether you are a seasoned jet skier or new to the sport, it is important to understand the risks of getting water into your engine.
This can happen if you go through high waves, suddenly hit a submerged object, or try to ride while the engine is off—and in any case, it can be drastic and dangerous.
If this happens to you on your next adventure, stop the engine immediately to avoid damage and call for assistance.
If you’re already in danger, either because of being caught in a riptide or having fallen off your jet ski due to injury, you’ll need to contact the coastguard.
If it’s just your vehicle that has been damaged by water entering its engine, then leaving it alone is usually best so as not to disturb any other parts and make repairs more difficult.
It would help if you then took it back to the shop (or wherever else you rent jet skis from) so that they can have their staff assess and repair any damage.
If you’re one of those people who would rather try and fix the problem yourself than take your jet ski out of commission to go to a mechanic, there are some things that you can check on your own.
- Check the water source: First, make sure that your jet ski gets enough cooling water from the lake or ocean. Most jet skis have an intake grate near where the water comes in, so check and make sure it’s clear of weeds or any other blockages. If you find any, remove them using a wooden dowel rod or something like it to avoid damaging the impeller (the part inside that pulls water into your engine).
- Check the engine compartment: Once you’ve made sure that nothing is blocking up your intake grate, open up the engine compartment and check for signs of corrosion or leaks around hoses and pipes. If anything looks suspect, replace it with brand-new parts purchased directly from the manufacturer—you don’t want to replace a part twice because of a cheap knockoff!
- Check the cooling system: Your engine needs air and water for proper operation; if there isn’t enough coolant in the system, it will overheat more quickly than usual when operating in warm temperatures outside of its normal range (such as during summer).
An easy way to tell if this might be happening is by looking at how much coolant there is left inside of coolant reservoir tank located under the hood next before opening the cap off valve assembly housing with care not to break the plastic cover on top, which could result in expensive damage components nearby like fuel pump relay switch these types are very delicate pieces equipment so take extra care when handling them otherwise risk causing irreparable problems such as short/open circuits preventing electrical current flow through wires leading battery terminals located just behind motor mounts near radiator hose connection points (this may require removing some other items order gain access such has changed since last time checking).
In answer to the question that was asked at the beginning of this article, how does water get into a jet ski engine, we have been able to see three ways this can happen.
Now, Where can you check for excess water in a jet ski? The next paragraph answers that.
You Can Check for Water in the Crankcase
You can check for water in the crankcase by removing the dipstick and looking at it. If you see a milky substance or an oil consistency that is not uniform, there is probably water in the system. You can check for bubbles/foam on top of the oil.
If you think your engine has water contamination, take your jet ski to a professional mechanic to drain and refill your fluids immediately.
It is recommended to change out all of your seals after draining them. Taking care of this problem quickly helps ensure that there won’t be any long-term damage to your engine.
A Leak in a Hose May Explain How Water is Getting Into the Jet Ski Engine.
There are a few different places where water can enter your jet ski’s engine. If you’re familiar with the craft, you’ll know that hoses connect the engine and other parts of the vehicle.
These hoses can come loose or become damaged, and if that happens, water will be able to enter the engine. To check for this problem, examine each hose for holes or tears.
If any such damage is present on a hose on top of the jet ski when it is in motion, water will likely get into the engine as long as it stays in motion.
However, if any such damage is present on a hose underneath the jet ski when it is at rest (or moving), gravity may cause water to flow in a while at rest (or moving).
In addition to checking for holes or tears, also make sure all hoses are tightly connected to their corresponding parts of the vehicle.
Seals on the Jet Pump May Be Leaking
You can also check for leaks on the impeller or jet pump, or replace seals and gaskets if needed. These are located in the hull of the jet ski and connected to the engine.
The impeller is a series of blades that spins as water moves through it, pushing that water into a nozzle, which shoots out of the back of the jet ski.
Seals on either side of this impeller may leak if they’re old, so you’ll want to inspect them periodically (or when you notice water in your engine), and replace them if any leaks are discovered.
To prevent leaks from happening in the future, you should store your jet ski with its drain plugs removed whenever possible—otherwise, it may accumulate too much moisture over time.
In the course of this article, we have been able to provide answers to the question:how does water get into a jet ski engine? We have been able to see that there are many ways that water can get into an engine, so it’s important to find the exact reason.
There are many ways water can get into your jet ski engine, so it’s important to be methodical in your search for the leak.
You may not find it until you’ve disassembled the engine, but if you do things in a logical order, you’re more likely to find the exact source of the problem and won’t waste time going down the wrong paths.
In order to be methodical, it’s important that you remember how you put everything together when taking apart your jet ski engine.
Be sure to keep careful track of all parts and where they go in the event that something needs reassembly.
