Winterization SERVICES - LAKE LANIER
PREPARE YOUR BOAT FOR WINTER
Georgia weather is notoriously unpredictable and a boat not winterized when freezing weather sweeps through can be extremely costly. To winterize is to prepare the boat not only from freeze damage but successful off-season storage for a seamless start in the spring.
Level 1
ENGINE MAINTENANCE
- Draining the water from the engine block & exhaust
- Back-filling the cooling system with anti-freeze
- Stabilizing the fuel tank system
- Ask about: Be prepared for next boating year – Ask about post-season maintenance
- Premium fluids
- Customer Preference – At your request we will fog the engine. Additionally we can remove your battery terminal if that is how you choose to store your battery.
Level 2
OIL CHANGE FOR WINTER
- Draining the water from the engine block & exhaust
- Back-filling the cooling system with anti-freeze
- Stabilizing the fuel system
- Oil Change – Drain & replace engine oil & filter with OEM recommended fluids
- Ask about: Premium fluids
- Customer Preference – At your request we will fog the engine. Additionally we can remove your battery terminal if that is how you choose to store your battery.
Level 3
FLUIDS & FILTERS
- Draining the water from the engine block & exhaust
- Back-filling the cooling system with anti-freeze
- Stabilizing the fuel tank system
- Oil Change – Drain & replace oil with OEM recommended fluids
- Lower Unit fluid & vent seals/gaskets replacement
- Customer Preference – At your request we will fog the engine. Additionally we can remove your battery terminal if that is how you choose to store your battery.
Please Read: Additional Services on Request
Please ask your service advisor about the following services. We naturally assume these are not issues, and will only perform these winterization services when necessary at the request of the customer.
- *Additional services on request include: removing battery leads and fogging the intake
- **More than 3 gallons anti-freeze will be charged extra.
- ***Ask about Premium fluids and filters & lower unit filter replacement
- All services are a basic estimate. To receive an accurate quote, please call us with details about your boat. Pricing is based on a variety of factors including type of fluids, services received, and type of winterization
Battery Lead Removal
Battery lead removal is a service to prevent discharge if no battery tender is going to be left attached.
Fog the Intake Manifold
Upon request our technician will fog the intake manifold. Some people choose to do this while others do not. The primary candidate for this is someone who plans to really let their boat sit for an extended period. A large amount of our customers opt out of this as it can often cause premature spark plug failure. Our service advisor can help with this decision.
Winterize Additional Systems - Plumbing, Ballast Bags, Etc.
Upon request our technicians can winterize your additional systems. An additional system is something in addition to a boat motor that needs to be winterized. A sink or toilet for instance. A ballast bag that holds water or maybe your ski boat has a heater for cold weather boating. These are susceptible to damage from freezing and need to be winterized. We charge per system since every single boat is unique and a lot of people choose to never utilize their toilets or sinks, etc therefore do not need to be winterized. We do not assume someone wants us to and instead leave it up to the customer what they want done.
Fluids & Filters - Lower Unit Servicing
Commonly referred to as “fluids and filters” on a boat. This would include draining and refilling the lower unit fluid with the proper gear oil. In every drive service we replace both the drain and vent seals/gaskets. This is included in the listed price.
Transmission/v-Drive Drain & Fill - Filter Replacement
If you have an inboard boat (without lower unit) this same price would apply for a transmission/v-drive drain and fill. The filter can be replaced by request only for the additional cost of the filter and time. See your service advisor for details.
Premium Fluids
Lakeside Marine and Motorsports offers *OEM fluids and filters in every single oil change. If you have a MerCruiser – you get the manufacturer recommended oil and weight from MerCruiser for that specific engine. Got a Volvo Penta? You guessed it – factory Volvo Penta parts and fluids to protect your engine.
*OEM – Original Equipment Manufacturer
SERVICE AREA: Located in Gainesville, GA and serving all of the surrounding Lake Lanier Communities including Hall County, Forsyth County, Fulton County, Gwinnett County, and Dawson County.
CALL (678) 322-7877 TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT. TRAVEL FEES APPLY.
LAKESIDE MARINE TWO-STEP WINTERIZE METHOD
Lakeside Marine and Motorsports utilizes a two-step winterize method which starts with adding fuel stabilizer to the fuel tank first. We do this because while most service facilities do this right before they leave. Our method allows the stabilizer to spread throughout the entire tank as well as get drawn into the fuel line – stabilizing not only the tank itself but the fuel lines, filters, injector rails, injectors, carburetor bowls – the ENTIRE fuel system. After stabilizing the fuel we start and run the engine(s) bringing them up to operating temperature. This ensures the full cooling system is “open” when the antifreeze is added.
We have discovered over the thousands of engines we have winterized that this method also significantly reduces impeller failure upon spring start up. When the system is drained and the rubber impellers sit dry for months without moving, the sudden cranking of them in the spring often shears blades off instantly causing overheats on the first moments of the first boat ride – not a way we want to start our boating year! We are proud to stand behind our quality work and ensure our winterizations safely protect your boating investment – improving both your equipment and your family’s time on the water!
We offer a few different packages here but remember – all our winterizations are done the same. The packages are just some different service packages to some of the most common things performed at the end of the boating season with some savings built in versus getting these done ala carte. If you need further services we would price them as usual and then apply a discount according to the level of service offered.
After the motor reaches operating temperature, our technicians remove all brass plugs, quick drain / blue plugs, quick drains, etc., (whatever style of drain your engine has) and drains the exhaust, block, manifold, etc. of all the “sea water” – meaning as much as possible that could freeze. Every single engine configuration has a “low” spot that will hold at least some water (another reason we only offer one method of winterization) so we re-install all the plugs and flush from the drive / lower unit intake up with antifreeze until the exhaust discharges the tell-tale pink, meaning the antifreeze has backfilled the entire cooling system and is now overflowing out, meaning the entire system is now protected.
LAKESIDE MARINE AND MOTORSPORTS WINTERIZATION GUARANTEE
Our winterization should be considered a full, true, or complete winterization. We do not offer any winterizations that offer more or less protection than another. At Lakeside Marine and Motorsports we want everyone to be 100% comfortable with the work performed and rest assured they made the right choice. For starters, our winterizations do not require a technician returning back to your boat to summarize it for you (incurring additional costs). We leave the boat ready to go back into the water unless the customer requests us to disconnect the battery lead(s). We have seen many instances where a lesser service was provided, resulting in a cooling passage with blockage – creating internal cracking, intake manifolds not being properly drained; “quick drains” getting missed in hard to reach locations causing unnecessary and costly repairs – and worse, more down time!
STORAGE & SHRINK-WRAPPING
Shrink-wrapping protects your boat very well. The colder the temperature gets, the harder the shrink-wrap becomes—creating a tough, reliable protectant. The shrink-wrap will keep your boat out of the elements while keeping the interior clean.
Storage Options
Lakeside Marine and Motorsports offers secure storage both covered and uncovered. Our winter covered storage is an excellent choice for boats, pontoons, and personal watercraft. We can transport boats up to roughly 40 feet anywhere in the lower 48 to and from our buildings. Here are some of the perks your toy will receive when you store it with us!
✔ Gated and video recorded security
✔ Professional shrink wrap offered
✔ Transport from your dock to our facility in the fall by our delivery captain
✔ Transport from the storage building back to your dock in the spring by our delivery captain
✔ Discounted trailer storage for the summer while your boat is in the water
✔ Stored on the property of a 5 star service center for Mercury, MerCruiser, Yamaha, and Suzuki
If you are interested in storing with us, or need more information about our services, please give us a call at (678) 322-7877.
We would be happy to provide a storage quote for free with absolutely no obligation.
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