Before Starting The Engine; To Start Engine - Craftsman 917.289243 Operator's Manual

BEFORE
STARTING THE ENGINE
CHECK ENGINE OIL LEVEL
The engine in your tractor has been shipped,
from the factory, already filled with summer
weight oil.
1. Check engine oil with tractor on level
ground.
2. Remove oil fill cap/dipstick and wipe
clean, reinsert the dipstick and screw cap
tight, wait for a few seconds, remove and
read oil level. If necessary, add oil until
"FULL' mark on dipstick is reached. Do
not overfill.
• For cold weather operation you should
change oil for easier starting (See the oil
viscosity chart in the Maintenance section
of this manual).
• To change engine oil, seethe Maintenance
section in this manual.
ADD GASOLINE
• Fill fuel tank to bottom of filler neck. Do not
overfill. Usefresh, clean, regular unleaded
gasoline with a minimum of 87 octane.
(Use of leaded gasoline will increase
carbon and lead oxide deposits and reduce
valve life). Do not mix oil with gasoline.
Purchase fuel in quantities that can be used
within 30 days to ensure fuel freshness.
A_ILOAUTION: Wipe off any spilled oil or fuel.
Do not store, spill or use gasoline near an
open flame.
IMPORTANT: When operating in tempera-
tures below32°F(0°C), use fresh, clean winter
grade gasoline to help insure good cold
weather starting.
CAUTION: 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 gas
tank, start the engine and let it run until the
fuel lines and carburetor are empty. Usefresh
fuel next season. See Storage Instructions
for additional information. Never use engine
or carburetor cleaner products in the fuel tank
or permanent damage may occur.
TO START ENGINE
When starting the engine for the first time or
if the engine has run out of fuel, it will take
extra cranking time to move fuel from the
tank to the engine.
1. Be sure freewheel control is in the trans-
mission engaged position.
2. Sit on seat in operating position, depress
clutch/brake pedal and set parking brake.
3. Place motion control lever in neutral
position.
4. Move attachment clutch to disengaged
position.
5. Move throttle control to choke position.
NOTE: Before starting, read the warm and
cold starting procedures below.
6. Insert key into ignition and turn key
clockwise to start position and release
key as soon as engine starts. Do not run
starter continuously for more than fifteen
seconds per minute. If the engine does
not start after several attempts, move
throttle control to fast position, wait a
few minutes and try again. If engine still
does not start, move the throttle control
back to the choke position and retry.
WARM WEATHER STARTING (50°F/10°C
and above)
7. When engine starts, move the throttle
control to the fast position.
• The attachments and ground drive can
now be used. Ifthe engine does not accept
the load, restart the engine and allow it to
warm up for one minute using the choke
as described above.
COLD WEATHER STARTING (50°F/10°C
and below)
7. When engine starts, leave throttle control
in choke position until engine warms up
and begins to run roughly. Once rough
running begins, immediately move the
throttle control to the fast position. Engine
warm-up may take from several seconds
to several minutes (the colder the tem-
perature, the longer the warm-up).
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WARM UP
Before driving the unit in cold weather, the
transmission should be warmed up as fol-
lows:
1. Be sure the tractor is on level ground.
2. Placethe motion control leverin
neutral. Release the parking brake
and let the clutch/brake slowly return
to operating position.
3. Allow one minute fortransmission to
warm up. This can be done during
the engine warm up period.
• The attachments can also be used dur-
ing the engine warm-up period after the
transmission has been warmed up.
NOTE: If at a high altitude (above 3000
feet) or in cold temperatures (below 32 ° F)
the carburetor fuel mixture may need to be
adjusted for best engine performance (see
"TO ADJUST CARBURETOR" in the Service
and Adjustments section of this manual).
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