Tire Pressure; Cleaning The Mower; Controls - Craftsman Professional 247.88998 Operator's Manual

BATTERY
Batteryposts,terminals,and relatedaccessoriescontainlead and
leadcompounds,chemicalsknownto the State of Californiato cause
cancer and reproductiveharm.Washhandsafter handling.
1. Positionthe moweron a level,clear spoton yourlawn,near
enoughfor yourgardenhoseto reach.
Makecertain the mower'sdischargechuteis directedAWAYfrom
yourhouse,garage,parkedcars,etc.
Thebatteryis sealedand is maintenance-free. Acid levelscannotbe
checkedand fluidcan not be added.
• Alwayskeepthe batterycables and terminalscleanand freeof
corrosivebuild-up.
After cleaningthe batteryand terminals,apply a light coat of
petroleum jelly or greaseto bothterminals.
If removing the batteryforcleaning,disconnect t he NEGATIVE (Black)
wire fromit's terminal f irst, followed by thePOSITIVE (Red)wire.When
re-installing the battery, a lwaysconnectthe POSITIVE (Red)wireits
terminalfirst,followedby theNEGATIVE (Black)wire.Be certainthat
the wiresareconnectedto thecorrectterminals;reversing themcould
resultin seriousdamageto yourengine'salternating system.
TIRE PRESSURE
Maximumtire pressureunderany circumstances is 30 psi. Equaltire
pressureshouldbe maintainedat all times.
Periodically checkthe pressureon bothyour mower'sreartires.
Uneventire pressurewill causethe cuttingdeck to mow unevenly
and may resultin mowertoveeringto eitherthe left or rightduring
operation.Recommended operatingtire pressureis approximately 20
p.s.i.Checkthe sidewallof tire for maximump.s.i.
CLEANING THE MOWER
Anyfuel or oil spilledon the machineshouldbe wipedoff promptly.Do
NOTallowdebristo accumulatearoundthecoolingfins of the engine,
the transmission's coolingfanor on any otherpartof themachine,
especiallythebelts and pulleys.
Smart Jet
Yourmower'sdeck is equippedwith a waterport on its surfaceas part
of its deckwash system.
Use the SmartJet to rinsegrassclippingsfromthe deck'sunderside
and preventthe buildupof corrosivechemicals.Completethe following
stepsAFTEREACHMOWING:
Beforeusingthe deck washsystem,alwaysdisengagethe Blade
Control,stop engineand removekeyto preventunintendedstarting.
2. Threadthe hosecoupler(packagedwith your mower'sOperator's
Manual)onto the end of yourgardenhose.
3. Attachthe hosecouplerto thewater porton thedeck surface.
See Figure17.
f
Figure17
4. Turnthewater on.
5. Startthe engineand placethe throttleleverin the FAST,_
position.
6. Whilein the operator'spositionbehindthe mower,movethe
BladeControlintothe ON position.
7. Remainin theoperator'spositionwith the cuttingdeck engaged
for a minimumof two minutes,allowingthe undersideof the
cuttingdeck to thoroughlyrinse.
8. Movethe BladeControlintothe OFF position.
9. Turnthe ignitionkeyto the STOP(_ positionto turnthe mower's
engineoff.
10. Turnthewater off and detach the hosecouplerfrom the water
porton your deck'ssurface.
After cleaningyourdeck with the SmartJet system,start the mower's
engine,returnto the operator'spositionand engagethe blades.Keep
the cuttingdeck runningfor a minimumof two minutes,allowingthe
undersideof the cuttingdeck to thoroughlydry.
LUBRICATION
Beforelubricating,repairing,or inspecting,alwaysdisengagePTO,
set parkingbrake,stop engineand removekeyto preventunintended
starting.
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