2014 YAMAHA FX HO warning

Operation
76
32 for information on operating the shift le-
ver.)
EJU33255Turning the watercraft
WARNING
EWJ00772
Do not release the throttle lever when
trying to steer away from objects—you
need throttle to steer. A collision could
result in severe injury or death.
When operating at higher speeds, make
gradual turns or slow down before turn-
ing. Sharp high-speed turns may cause
the watercraft to slide sideways or spin,
throwing the operator and passenger(s)
overboard, which could cause an injury.
Steering control depends on the combination
of handlebar position and the amount of
throttle.Water sucked in through the intake grate is
pressurized by the impeller in the jet pump.
As the pressurized water is expelled from the
pump through the jet thrust nozzle, it creates
thrust to move and steer the watercraft. The
higher the engine speed, the more thrust pro-
duced.
The amount of jet thrust, in addition to the po-
sition of the handlebars, determines how
sharply you turn.
A. More throttle produces higher thrust, so
the watercraft will turn more sharply.
B. Less throttle produces lower thrust, so the watercraft will turn more gradually.
C. Releasing the throttle lever completely produces only minimum thrust. If you are
traveling at speeds above trolling, you
will have rapidly decreasing ability to
steer without throttle. You may still have
some turning ability immediately after re-
leasing the throttle lever, but once the
1Shift lever
2 Forward position
1
2
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Operation
77
engine slows down, the watercraft will no
longer respond to handlebar input until
you apply throttle again or you reach
trolling speed.
At trolling speed, the watercraft can be
turned gradually by handlebar position
alone using just the amount of thrust
available at idle.
D. If the engine is stopped while riding, there is no thrust. The watercraft will go
straight even though the handlebars are
turned.
You need throttle to steer.
This model is equipped with the Yamaha En-
gine Management System (YEMS) that in-
cludes an off-throttle steering (OTS) system.
It will activate at planing speeds should you
attempt to steer the watercraft after releasing
the throttle lever (see condition C above).
The OTS system assists in turning by con-
tinuing to supply some thrust while the water- craft is decelerating, but you can turn more
sharply if you apply throttle while turning the
handlebars. The OTS system does not func-
tion below planing speeds or when the en-
gine is off. Once the engine slows down, the
watercraft will no longer turn in response to
handlebar input until you apply throttle again
or you reach trolling speed.
EJU42581Stopping the watercraft
The watercraft is not equipped with a sepa-
rate braking system. It is stopped by water
resistance when the throttle lever is released.
From full speed, the watercraft comes to a
complete stop in approximately 110 m (360
ft) after the throttle lever is released or the en-
gine is stopped, although this distance will
vary depending on many factors, including
gross weight, water surface conditions, and
wind direction. The watercraft slows down as
soon as the throttle lever is released, but will
coast for a distance before fully stopping. If
you are not sure you can stop in time before
hitting an obstacle, apply throttle and turn in
another direction.
WARNING
EWJ00745
Allow adequate stopping distance.
Take early action to avoid collisions. Re-
member, watercraft and other boats do
not have brakes.
110 m (360 ft)
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Operation
79
movement may occur. (See page 32 for infor-
mation on operating the shift lever.)
TIP:
This model is equipped with a function which
limits the engine speed in neutral.
EJU42451Boarding the watercraft
WARNING
EWJ01112
Be sure the operator and any passengers
have practiced boarding from the water
while still close to shore before riding. A
person who has made many unsuccessful
attempts to get back on the watercraft
may become fatigued and suffer from ex-
posure, increasing the risk of injury and
drowning.
Board the watercraft in water free from
weeds and debris and at least 60 cm (2 ft)deep from the bottom of the watercraft.
NOTICE: Never run the engine in water
that is less than 60 cm (2 ft) deep from the
bottom of the watercraft, otherwise peb-
bles or sand could be sucked into the jet
intake, causing impeller damage and en-
gine overheating.
[ECJ00473]
EJU42461
Boarding alone
(1) From the rear of the watercraft, lower the reboarding step with one hand and hold
it in place.
1Shift lever
2 Neutral position
12
60 cm (2 ft)
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Operation
80
(2) Put one foot on the step, and then graspthe reboarding grip with your other hand.
(3) Pull yourself up onto the boarding plat- form and grasp the handgrip, and then
move to the seat and sit astride.
(4) Attach the engine shut-off cord (lanyard) to your left wrist, and then attach the clip
to the engine shut-off switch.
(5) Grip the handlebars with both hands and place both feet on the floor of the foot-
well. (6) Look in all directions, start the engine,
and then start off slowly.
EJU3316ABoarding with passenger(s)
WARNING
EWJ00661
Severe internal injuries can occur if water
is forced into body cavities as a result of
being near the jet thrust nozzle. Do not ap-
ply throttle until the passengers are seat-
ed with their feet on the floor of the
footwell and are securely holding on to the
person in front of them or to the handgrip
provided.
The heavier the total weight of the operator
and passenger(s), the more difficult it will be
to balance the watercraft. Do not operate the
watercraft when the total weight exceeds 240
kg (530 lb) including any cargo.
To board at a standstill:
(1) Board as noted in the previous section“Boarding alone”.
(2) Attach the engine shut-off cord (lanyard) to your left wrist, and then attach the clip
to the engine shut-off switch.
(3) Grip the handlebars with both hands and place both feet on the floor of the foot-
well.
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Operation
82
(4) Attach the engine shut-off cord (lanyard)to your left wrist, and then attach the clip
to the engine shut-off switch.
(5) Look in all directions, and then start the engine and operate at trolling speed.
(6) Have the second passenger pull them- selves up onto the boarding platform into
a kneeling position and balance there.
Look in all directions, and then gradually
accelerate. Then, have the second pas-
senger crawl onto the seat while main-
taining their balance.
(7) Have the second passenger sit astride the seat, place their feet on the floor of
the footwell, securely hold on to the per-
son in front of them or to the handgrip
provided, and balance there.
(8) Make sure that the passenger(s) have their feet on the floor of the footwell and
are securely holding on to the person in
front of them or to the handgrip provided, and then gradually increase the speed to
balance the watercraft.
EJU33083Starting off
WARNING
EWJ00712
To avoid collisions:
Scan constantly for people, objects, and
other watercraft. Be alert for conditions
that limit your visibility or block your vi-
sion of others.
Operate defensively at safe speeds and
keep a safe distance away from people,
objects, and other watercraft.
Do not follow directly behind watercraft
or other boats. Do not go near others to
spray or splash them with water. Avoid
sharp turns or other maneuvers that
make it hard for others to avoid you or
understand where you are going. Avoid
areas with submerged objects or shal-
low water.
Take early action to avoid collisions. Re-
member, watercraft and other boats do
not have brakes. Do not release the
throttle lever when trying to steer away
from objects—you need throttle to
steer.
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Operation
83
NOTICE
ECJ01341
Never run the engine in water that is less
than 60 cm (2 ft) deep from the bottom of
the watercraft, otherwise pebbles or sand
could be sucked into the jet intake, caus-
ing impeller damage and engine overheat-
ing.
EJU40233Starting off from a trailer
(1) Launch the watercraft and move the shiftlever to the reverse position. (See page
32 for information on the reverse sys-
tem.)
(2) Attach the engine shut-off cord (lanyard) to your left wrist, and then attach the clip
to the engine shut-off switch.
(3) Look in all directions, start the engine, and then start off slowly.
EJU33114Boarding and starting off from a dock
(1) Board the watercraft from the side.
(2) Attach the engine shut-off cord (lanyard)to your left wrist, and then attach the clip
to the engine shut-off switch.
(3) Push the watercraft away from the dock, grip the handlebars with both hands, and place both feet on the floor of the foot-
well.
(4) Look in all directions, start the engine, and then start off slowly.
EJU33236Capsized watercraft
WARNING
EWJ00672
Improper uprighting can cause injury.
Be sure to shut the engine off by pulling
on the engine shut-off cord (lanyard) to
remove the clip from the engine shut-off
switch.
Do not put your hands in the intake
grate.
If the watercraft capsizes, turn it over imme-
diately.
To upright the watercraft:
(1) Remove the clip from the engine shut-offswitch.
(2) Swim to the rear of the watercraft. Turn the watercraft over clockwise by pulling
on the ride plate with your left hand while
pushing down on the gunwale with your
right hand or foot.
If the port (left) side of the capsized wa-
tercraft is tilting up, push down on the
gunwale so that the port (left) side is
down before turning the watercraft
clockwise. NOTICE: Do not turn the
watercraft over counterclockwise,
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Operation
84
otherwise water can enter the engine,
which can result in severe damage.
[ECJ00542]
(3) Start the engine and operate the water-craft at planing speed to drain the bilge
water from the engine compartment.
(See page 58 for information on draining
the bilge water. If the engine does not
start, see “Towing the watercraft” on
page 104 or “Submerged watercraft” on
page 105.) NOTICE: Do not run the en-
gine at full throttle for at least 1 minute
after the engine has been restarted.
Bilge water in the engine compart-
ment can splash into the engine,
which can result in severe damage.
[ECJ00554]
EJU42591
Beaching and docking the watercraft
To beach the watercraft:
(1) Make sure that there are no boats, swim- mers, or obstacles near the beach. (2) Release the throttle lever to reduce
speed about 110 m (360 ft) before you
reach the intended beaching area.
(3) Slowly approach the beach and stop the engine just before reaching land.
WARNING! You need throttle to steer. Shutting the engine off can cause you
to hit an obstacle you are attempting
to avoid. A collision could result in se-
vere injury or death.
[EWJ00602] NOTICE:
Never run the engine in water that is
less than 60 cm (2 ft) deep from the
bottom of the watercraft, otherwise
pebbles or sand could be sucked into
the jet intake, causing impeller dam-
age and engine overheating.
[ECJ00473]
( 4 ) G e t o f f t h e w a t e r c r a f t a n d p u l l i t u p o n t h e beach.
To dock the watercraft:
(1) Make sure that there are no boats, swim- mers, or obstacles near the dock.
(2) Release the throttle lever to reduce speed about 110 m (360 ft) away from
the dock.
(3) Slowly approach the dock and stop the engine just before coming alongside it.
WARNING! You need throttle to steer. Shutting the engine off can cause you
to hit an obstacle you are attempting
to avoid. A collision could result in se-
vere injury or death.
[EWJ00602]
(4) Come alongside the dock and get off the watercraft.
EJU37194Operating in weeded areas
Always avoid using your watercraft in areas
where weed growth is thick. If operating in
weeded areas is unavoidable, alternately
squeeze the throttle lever and relax your grip
on the throttle lever to vary the engine speed.
Weeds tend to become clogged more when
operating at a steady speed and at trolling
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Care and storage
86
EJU37146
Post-operation care
WARNING
EWJ00331
Always place the watercraft upright in a
horizontal position when storing it, other-
wise fuel could leak out into the engine or
engine compartment, which could create
a fire hazard.
After using the watercraft, always take it out
of the water, clean it, and store it. Leaving the
watercraft in the water for extended periods
will accelerate the rate of normal deteriora-
tion of the jet pump and hull. Marine organ-
isms and corrosion are some of the
conditions that can shorten the life of many
watercraft components.
EJU42221Flushing the cooling water passages
NOTICE
ECJ01311
Do not run the engine over 4000 r/min on
land. Also, do not run the engine for more
than 15 seconds without supplying water,
otherwise the engine could overheat.
Flush the cooling water passages to prevent
them from clogging with salt, sand, or dirt.
(1) Place the watercraft in a horizontal posi-tion.
(2) Remove the seats and removable water- tight storage compartment. (See page 46
for seat removal and installation proce-
dures and page 52 for information on the
removable watertight storage compart-
ment.)
(3) Open the stern storage compartment. (See page 51 for information on the stern
storage compartment.) (4) Connect the garden hose adapter to a
garden hose.
(5) Loosen the flushing hose connector cap and remove it. Insert the garden hose
adapter into the flushing hose connector
and turn it until it is securely connected.
(6) Connect the garden hose to a water tap.
(7) Make sure that the area around the wa- tercraft is clear, and then start the en-
gine. Immediately after the engine starts,
fully turn the water supply on so that wa-
1Garden hose adapter
1 Flushing hose connector
2 Flushing hose connector cap
3 Garden hose adapter
1
3
2
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