Craftsman 944.362200 Owner's Manual page 16

TO CLEAN AIR FILTER
1. Remove cover.
2. Carefully remove cartridge.
3. Clean by gently tapping on a fl at sur-
face. If very dirty, replace cartridge.
CAUTION: Petroleum solvents, such as
ker o sene, are not to be used to clean car-
tridge. They may cause de te ri o ra tion of the
cartridge. Do not oil car tridge. Do not use
pres sur ized air to clean or dry car tridge.
4. Install cartridge, then replace cover.
Slot
Tab
Cartridge
Filter cover
MUFFLER
Inspect and replace corroded muffl er as it
could create a fi re hazard and/or dam age.
SPARK PLUG
Replace spark plug at the beginning of
each mowing season or after every 100
hours of operation, whichever occurs fi rst.
Spark plug type and gap setting are shown
in the "PROD UCT SPEC I FI CA TIONS"
section of this manual.
CLEANING
IMPORTANT: For best performance, keep
mower housing free of built-grass and
trash. Clean the underside of your mower
after each use.
CAUTION: Disconnect spark plug wire
from spark plug and place wire where it
cannot come in contact with plug.
• Clean the underside of your lawn mower
by scraping to remove build-up of grass
and trash.
• Clean engine often to keep trash from
accumulating. A clogged engine runs
hotter and shortens engine life.
• Keep fi nished surfaces and wheels free
of all gasoline, oil, etc.
• We do not recommend using a garden
hose to clean lawn mower unless the
elec tri cal system, muffl er, air fi lter and
carburetor are covered to keep water
out. Water in engine can result in short-
ened engine life.
WATER WASHOUT FEATURE
Your lawn mower is equipped with a fi tting
that allows quick and easy cleaning of
the underside of the housing. To use this
feature, proceed as follows:
1. Move lawn mower to an area of cut
grass or another hard surface.
NOTE: Water, grass and other debris will
drain from beneath the mower housing
during the washout process.
2. Remove grass catcher and discharge
chute assembly from lawn mower.
3. Close mulcher door (if equipped).
4. Connect a garden hose to the fi tting
where shown.
IMPORTANT: Be sure the garden hose is
not routed under the lawn mower housing
or entangled in the wheels.
5. Turn on water supply and check for
leaks at the fi tting.
If no leaks are present, start engine (as
described in the Operation section of
this manual) and let engine run until the
underside of the lawn mower is clean.
WARNING: Do not engage the drive
system during the washout process.
6. Shut off the engine.
7. Shut off water supply and remove
hose from fi tting.
CAUTION: Do not remove hose from
fi tting while engine is running. Water in
engine can result in shortened engine life.
8. Start engine (as described in the Op-
eration section of this manual) and let
engine run for a full minute to remove
excess water from mower.
Hose
Fitting
CLEAN UNDER DRIVE COVER
Clean under drive cover at least twice a
season. Scrape underside of cover with
putty knife or similar tool to remove any
build-up of trash or grass on underside of
drive cover.
16
SERVICE AND ADJUSTMENTS
WARNING: To avoid serious injury, before performing any service and adjustments:
1. Release control bar and stop engine.
2. Make sure the blade and all moving parts have completely stopped.
3. Disconnect spark plug wire from spark plug and place wire where it cannot come in
contact with plug.
LAWN MOWER
TO ADJUST CUTTING HEIGHT
See "TO ADJUST CUTTING HEIGHT" in
the Operation sec tion of this manual.
REAR DEFLECTOR
The rear defl ector, attached between the
rear wheels of your mower, is provided to
minimize the possibility that objects will
be thrown out of the rear of the mower
into the operator mowing position. If the
defl ector becomes dam aged, it should be
replaced.
DRIVE BELT
If your mower does not operate properly
due to suspected drive belt problems, take
your mower to a Sears or other qualifi ed
service center for repair and/or ad just-
ment.
TO ADJUST HANDLE
Your handle has three (3) height positions
- adjust to a height that suits you.
1. Remove knob and carriage bolt on one
side of the lower handle.
2. While holding handle assembly,
remove knob and car riage bolt from
opposite side, align hole in handle with
desired hole in handle bracket and
reassemble bolt and knob and tighten
securely.
3. Align opposite side of handle with
same positioning hole and secure with
bolt and knob.
Handle Knob Bolt
bracket
Medium
Low
ENGINE
Maintenance, re pair, or re place ment of
the emission con trol de vic es and sys tems,
which are be ing done at the cus tom ers ex-
pense, may be performed by any non-road
engine repair es tab lish ment or individual.
Warranty repairs must be performed by an
authorized engine man u fac tur er's service
outlet.
ENGINE SPEED
Your engine speed has been factory set.
Do not attempt to increase engine speed
or it may result in personal injury. If you
believe that the engine is running too fast
or too slow, take your lawn mower to a
Sears or other qualifi ed service center for
repair and ad just ment.
CARBURETOR
Your carburetor is not adjustable. If your
engine does not operate properly due
to suspected carburetor problems, take
your lawn mower to a Sears or other
qualifi ed service center for repair and/or
ad just ment.
IMPORTANT: Never tamper with the
engine governor, which is factory set for
proper engine speed. Over speed ing
the engine above the factory high speed
setting can be dangerous. If you think
the engine-governed high speed needs
adjusting, contact a Sears or other
qualifi ed service center, which has proper
equip ment and ex pe ri ence to make any
nec es sary adjustments.
High
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