Before Starting The Engine - Craftsman 917.28001 Operator's Manual

BEFORE STARTING
THE ENGINE
CHECK ENGINE OIL LEVEL
The engine in your riding mower has been
shipped, from the factory, already filled with
summer weight oil.
1. Check engine oil with riding mower 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, see the Mainte-
nance section in this manual.
ADD GASOLINE
* Fill fuel tank to bottom of filler neck. Do
not overfill. Use fresh, clean, regular
unleaded gasoline with a minimum of
87 octane. (Use of leaded gasoline wilt
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 assure fuel
freshness.
_,CAUTION: Wipe off any spilled oil or
fuel. Do not store, spill or use gasoline near
an open flame.
,_lb 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. Use
fresh fuel next season. See Storage Instruc-
tions for additional information. Never use
engine or carburetor cleaner products in the
fuel tank or permanent damage may occur.
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Cap
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.
* Sit on seatin operating position, depress
clutch/brake pedal and set parking brake.
* Place motion control lever in neutral
position.
* Move deck clutch lever to "DISEN-
GAGED" position.
* Move throttle control to choke position.
NOTE: Before starting, read the warm and
cold starting procedures below.
* Insert key into ignition and turn key clock-
wise 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)
When engine starts, move the throttle
control to the fast position.
The 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)
When engine starts, allow engine to run
with the throttle control in the choke posi-
tion until the engine runs roughly, then
move throttle control to fast position. This
may require an engine warm-up period
from several seconds to several minutes,
depending on the temperature.
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