Craftsman EZ3 917.387280 Owner's Manual page 8

BEFORE STARTING ENGINE
OIL
"four lawn mower is shipped without oil in the
engine,
,' Be sure mower is level and area around oit
fill is clean.
,, Remove engine oil cap w/dipstick and fill to
the full line on the dipstick.
o Use 20 ozs, of oil. For type and grade of oil
to use, see "ENGINE" in Customer
Responsibilitiessection of this manual.
Pour oil slowly. Do not overfill.
. Check oi!!eve!before each use. Add oil if
needed. Fillto full lineon dipstick,
,, To read proper tevel, tighten engine oil cap
each time,
o ReinstalIengine oil cap and tighten.
• Change the oil after every 25 hours of
operationor each season, You may need
to change the oil more often under dusty,
dirty conditions.
GAS
. Fillfuel tank. Use fresh, clean, regular
unleaded gasoline with a minimum of 87
octane.Do not mix oil with gasoline.
Purchase fuel in quantitiesthat can be used
within 30 days to assure fuel freshness.
WARNING: Experience indicates that
alcohol blended fuels (cailed gasohof or
using ethanol or methanol) can attract
moisture which leads to separation and
formation of acids during storage. Acidic
gas can damage_the fue! 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 carbure-
tor cleaner products in fuel tank or
permanent damage may occur.
TO START ENGINE
. To start a cold engine, push primer five (5)
times before trying to start. Use a finn push,
This step is not usually necessary when
startingan engine which has already run for
a few minutes.
° Holdoperator presence control bar down to
the handle and pult starter handle quickly,
Do not aliow starter rope to snap back.
. To stop.engine; reiease operator presence
control bar.
NOTE: In cooler weather it may be necessary
to repeat priming steps, tn 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,
MOWING TIPS
* Under certain conditions, such as very tail
grass, it may be necessary to raise the
height of cut to reduce pushing effortand to
keep from overloading the engine and
leaving clumps of grass clippings.
, For extremely heavy cutting, reduce the
width of cut and raise the rear of the lawn
mower housing one (1) wheel adjuster
setting higher than the front for better
discharge of grass.
,, When using a rear discharge lawn mower in
moist, iteavy grass, clumps of cut grass
may not enter the grass catcher. Reduce
ground speed (pushing speed) and/or nan
the lawn mower over the area a second
time.
o If a trail of grass clippings is left on the right
side of a rear discharge lawn mower, mow
in a clockwise direction with a small overlap
to collect the clippings on the next pass.
, Keep top of engine around starterclear and
clean of grass clippings and chaff. This will
help engine air flow and extend engine life.
, Pores incloth grass catchers can become
filled with dirt and dust with use and
catchers will collect less grass. To prevent
this, regularly hose catchers off with water
and let dry before using.