Craftsman 247.290000 Operator's Manual page 138

Thebatteryissealedandismaintenance-free. Acidlevelscannotbechecked.
Alwayskeepthe batterycables andterminalscleanandfreeof
corrosive build-up.
Aftercleaning the batteryandterminals, a pplyalight coatof
petroleumjelly or grease to bothterminals.
Alwayskeepthe rubberbootpositioned overthe positiveterminalto
preventshorting.
IMPORTAIV_ If removing the batteryforanyreason, d isconnect the NEGATIVE
(Black) w irefrom its terminalfirst, followedbythe POSITIVE (Red) w ire. When
re-installing the battery,alwaysconnect t he POSITIVE (Red) w ire to its terminal
first, followedbythe NEGATIVE (Black) w ire.Becertainthat the wiresareconnected
to the correct t erminals; r eversing themcouldchange the polarityandresultin
damage to yourengine'salternatingsystem.
Cleaning Battery
Clean the batteryby removing it fromthe tractorandwashingwith abakingsoda
andwatersolution.If necessary, scrape the batteryterminalswith awire brushto
remove deposits. C oat t erminalsandexposed wiringwith grease or petroleumjelly
to preventcorrosion.
Battery Failures
Some common causes f orbatteryfailureare:
Incorrect i nitialactivation
Overcharging
Freezing
Undercharging
Corroded c onnections
These failures areNOT covered byyourtractor'swarranty.
Jump Starting
Neverjump start a damaged or frozen battery. Be certain the vehicles
do not touch, and ignitions are off. Donot allow cable clamps to
touch.
1. Connect positive(+) cableto positivepost(+) of yourtractor'sdischarged
battery.
2. Connect the otherendofthe cableto the positive(+) postofthe jumper
battery.
3. Connect the second cablenegative (-) to the negativepost(-) ofthejumper
battery.
4. Connect the otherendofthe negativecableto the engineblockofthe
tractor,awayfrom the battery.Attachto anunpaintedpartto assure agood
connection.
If the jumper battery is installedon a vehicle(i.e.car,truck),do NOT start
the vehicle'senginewhen jump starting your tractor.
5. Startthe tractor(asinstructed i n the Operation sectionof thismanual).
6. Setthe tractor'sparkingbrakebeforeremoving the jumpercables, i n reverse
orderof connection.
Charging
Batteries give off an explosive gaswhile charging. Chargethe battery in
a well ventilated area and keepawayfrom an open flame or pilot light
ason awater heater, spaceheater, furnace, clothes dryer or other gas
appliances.
Whencharging your tractor's battery, useonly acharger d esignedfor 12V
lead-add batteries. Readyour battery charger's O wner'sManualprior to
charging your tractor's battery. Alwaysfollow itsinstructions a ndheedits
warnings.
Ifyourtractorhasnot beenput intouseforanextended periodoftime,chargethe
batteryasfollows:
1. Setyourbatterycharger t o delivera maxof 10amperes.
Ifyourbatterycharger i sautomatic,charge the batteryuntilthe chargerindicates
that charging iscomplete. I fthe charger i snotautomatic,charge for nofewerthan
eighthours.
Fuse
One15AMPfuseisinstalledinyourtractor'swiring harness t o protectthetractor's
electrical s ystemfromdamage caused byexcessive a mperage.
Ifthe electrical s ystem doesnot function,or yourtractor'senginewill not crank;
first check to becertainthat the fusehasnot blown.Itcanbefoundunderthe
fenderon the left sideof the unit, onthe wiring harness j ustabove the battery.
Alwaysusea fusewith the sameamperagecapacityfor replacement.
Lubrication
Beforelubricating, repairing, o r inspecting, alwaysdisengagePTO (Blade
EngageLever),moveshift leverinto neutral position, setparking brake,stop
eng ne andremovekeyto preventun ntended start ng.
Pivot Points & Linkage
Lubricate all the pivotpointson thedrivesystem, p arkingbrake andlift linkageat
leastonceaseason with light oil.
RearWheels
Therearwheelsshouldberemoved from the axles onceaseason. L ubricate the
axles andthe rimswellwith an all-purpose grease beforere-installing them.
Front Axles
Each endof the tractor'sfront pivotbarmaybe equipped witha grease fitting.
Lubricate with agrease gunafterevery25hoursof tractoroperation.
Steering Rack& Pinion
Once perseason, or every25hoursof operation, i t will benecessary t o lubricatethe
steeringrackandpiniongearlocated underthe front of the unit. Usingstandard
automotivegrease, applygrease to the front sideandrearsideof the steeringrack,
asindicated in Figure 42.
3O