Craftsman 917.377352 Owner's Manual page 8

DRIVE CONTROL
• Self-propelling iscontrolled byholding the
operator presence control bar d own t othe
handle and pushing the drive c ontrol lever
forward until itclicks; then release the lever.
• Forward motion will s top when t he operator
presence control bar i sreleased. Tostop
forward motion without stopping engine,
release the operator presence control bar
slightly until the drive c ontrol disengages.
Hold operator presence control bar d own t o
handle tocontinue mowing without self-
propelling.
• Tokeep drive c ontrol engaged when t urning
comers, push d own o nhandle and liftfront
wheels off g round while t urning lawn
mower.
Operator presence
control bar
\,
To engage drive control Drive control
disengaged
BEFORE STARTING ENGINE
OIL
Your lawn mower is shipped without oil in the
engine.
• Be sure mower is level and area around
oil fill is clean.
• Remove engine oil cap w/dipstick and fill
to the full line on the dipstick.
• Use 20 ozs. of oil. For type and grade
of oil to use, see "ENGINE" in Customer
Responsibilities section of this manual.
• Pour oil slowly. Do not overfill.
• Check oil level before each use. Add oil
if needed. Fill to full line on dipstick.
• To read proper level, tighten engine oil
cap each time.
• Reinstall engine oil cap and tighten.
• After the first two (2) hours of mowing,
change the oil, and every 25 hours
thereafter. You may need to change the
oil more often under dusty, dirty condi-
tions.
Engine oil cap
w/dipstick
GAS
• Fill fuel tank. Use fresh, clean, regular
unleaded gasoline with a minimum of 87
octane, Do not mix oil with gasoline,
Purchase fuel in quantities that can be
used within 30 days to assure fuel
freshness.
WARNING: Experience indicates that
alcohol blended fuels (called gasohol or
using ethanol or methanol) can attract
moisture which leads to separation and
formation of acids during storage. Acidic
gas can damage the fuel system of an
engine while in storage. To avoid engine
problems, the fuel system should be
emptied before storage of 30 days or
longer. Drain the fuel tank, start the
engine and let it run until fuel lines and
carburetor are empty. Use fresh fuel next
season. See Storage Instructions for
additional information. Never use engine
or carburetor cleaner products in fuel tank
or permanent
TO START ENGINE
• To start a cold engine, push primer five
(5) times before trying to start. Use a
firm push, This step is not usually
necessary when starting an engine
which has already run for a few minutes.
• Move engine speed control lever to fast
(_) position.
• Hold operator presence control bar
down to the handle.
• Turn electric start key clockwise to crank
engine.
IMPORTANT: Do not crank engine more
than five continous seconds between each
time you try to start, Wait 5 to10 secants
between each attempt.
• To start engine using the auxiliary
starter handle, follow the steps above.
Exchange the use of the start key for
starter handle, Pull starter handle
quickly. Do not allow starter rope to
snap back,
• To stop engine, release operator
presence control bar,
NOTE: In cooler weather it may be
necessary to repeat priming steps. In
warmer weather over priming may cause
flooding and engine will not start. If you do
flood engine wait a few minutes before
attempting to start and do not repeat
priming steps.
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