Just bought a brand new leftover 2004 R12. Seems like a really cool ski. Much nicer than my old 1990 waverunner 500. <br /><br />I've got a couple questions about it.<br /><br />I bought it from Track and Trail in State College, PA. When I picked it up, I asked if it was winterized, and the salesman said no. Although I keep it in my heated garage, I thought it would be a good idea to run some anti-freeze through it. <br /><br />Yesterday I started it for the first time. Everything by the book, I had my wife ready to turn on the hose once it stated. It surprised me how hard it was to start. I figured with fuel injection, it would light right off. Instead, it started and immediately stalled, a couple times, after the second attempt, I held the throttle at around 2000 RPMs, and it seemd to idle fine after 5 sec or so. I didn't turn on the water until it was running right, so there wasn't any chance of it injesting water. Once it started, it seemed to run fine. I ran it for 20 min or so on the hose, varing the RPMs from idle (2 bars) to about 3000 RPM's. <br /><br />Are they all this cranky when cold? Should it idle higher when its warming up? Granted, it was 44 degrees out, a much cooler temp than it was designed for. It seems to restart just fine when it is warmed up. My wife and I can't get over how quiet it is.<br /><br />After I ran it for 20 min on the hose, I shut it down, set up my submersible pump and my 5 gallon bucket of antifreeze. I restarted the ski, then plugged in the pump, and pumped 5 gallons of pink anti-freeze through it with a submersible pump while it was running. After the anti-freeze got pumped through, I shut off the pump, and reved the ski up to about 3000 RPM for about 5 sec and shut it off. <br /><br />Thats the way I always did my old ski, any it made more sence than what the book says. Any problems with that method? Logically, it seems better to me, it just like following the flushing procedure in the book, except its being flushed with anti-freeze rather than water. <br /><br />I fired it up in my garage this morning for a couple sec, it was 55 degrees in the garage. Again, it didn't want to run unless I gave it a little gas(2000 rpm)<br />I only ran it for 10 sec or so, since I wasn't going to hook up water. <br /><br />Should I be taking this thing back to the dealer, over its cranky cold starting, or is that just the way they are? Maybe I should I just wait until spring and see how it does?<br /><br />I'm also considering taking it to Marathon, FL on vacation with me next week. I'm just a little afraid of towing it all the way there (1200 miles), only to have it not work right. I guess I'm being paranoid, it is brand new.<br /><br />Thanks in advance.
