Craftsman 3One 917.252531 Owner's Manual page 19

CUSTOMER
BATTERY
Your tractor has a battery charging system which is suffF
cient for normal use,, However, periodic charging of the ,_.
battery with an automotive charger will extend its life.
• Keep battery and terminals cteano
° Keep battery bolts tight.
o Keep small vent holes open (See "CONNECT BAT-
TERY" in the Assembly section of this manual).
o Recharge at 6 amperes for I hour,,
TO CLEAN BATTERY AND TERMINALS
Corrosion and dirt on the battery and terminals can cause
the battery to "leak" power.
. Open battery box door.
° Disconnect BLACK battery cable first then RED bat-
ten/cable and remove batter/from tractor,
= Wash battery with solution of four tablespoons of
bakingsodatoonegallon ofwater. Becareful nottoget
the soda solution into the cells.
° Rinse the battery with plain water and dry,,
• Clean terminals and battery cable ends with wire brush
until bright°
: Coat terminals with grease or petroleum jelly,
Reinstall battery (See "CONNECT BATTERY" in the
Assembly section of this manual)_
V-BELTS
Check V-belts for deterioration and wear after 100 hours of
operation and replace if necessarjo The belts are not
adjustable° Replace belts if they begin to slip from wear.,
TRANSAXLE COOLING
The fan and cooling fins of transmission should be kept
clean to assure proper cooling.
Do not attempt to clean fan or transmission while engine is
running or while the transmission is hot.
° Inspect cooling fan to be sure fan blades are intact and
clean.
° Inspect cooling fins for dirt, grass clippings and other
materials,, To prevent damage to seals, do not use
compressed air or high pressure sprayer to clean
cooling fins.
TRANSAXLE PUMP FLUID
The transaxle was sealed at the factory and fluid mainte-
nanceis not required for the life of the transaxle. Should the
transaxle ever leak or require servicing, contact your near-
est authorized service center!department.
ENGINE
IL IES
LUBRICATION
Only use high quality detergent oil rated with API service
classification SF or SG, Select the oil's SAE viscosity grade
according to your expected operating temperature.,
SAE VISCOSITY GRADES
........... b
<
oF -20 °........... 0_ ......... 30° 3'2" 40 ° 60" .............. 80 ° ..... 100_
_C -3o°
_20 °
-t0 ° 0' t'0° 20= 30" 40"
"TEMPERATURE RANGE ANTICIPATED BEFORE NEXT OIL CHANGE
FIG. 16
NOTE: Although multi-viscosity oils (5W30, 10W30 etc)
improve starting in cold weather, these multi-viscosity oils
will result in increased oil consumption when used above
32°F. Check your engine oil level more frequently to avoid
possibte engine damage from running low on oil
Change the oil after the first two hours of operation and
every 25 hours thereafter or at least once a year if the
tractor is not used for 25 hours in one year.
Check the crankcase oil level before starting the engine
and after each eight (8) hours of operation,, Tighten oil fill
cap!dipstick securely each time you check the oil level
TO CHANGE ENGINE OIL (See Figs,, 16 and 17)
Determine temperature range expected before oil change.
All oil must meet AP1 service classification SFor SG,,
• Be sure tractor is on level surface.
• Oil will drain more freely when warm,,
° Catch oiI in a suitable container,.
• Remove oil fill cap/dipstick,, Be careful not to allow dirt
to enter the engine when changing oil
• Remove drain plug.
• After oil has drained completely, replace oil drain plug
and tighten securelyo
• Refill engine with oil through oil fill dipstick tube. Pour
slowly. Do not overfill. For approximate capacity see
"PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS" on page 3 of this
manual
• Use gauge on oil fill cap/dipstick for checking level Be
sure dipstick cap is tightened securely for accurate
reading° Keep oil at "FULL" line on dipstick.
CAP/DIPSTICK
OIL DRAIN
PLUG
19
FIG. 17