Craftsman 917.379480 owner manual Drive Control, To engage, Drive control

DRIVE CONTROL

•Self-propelling is controlled by holding the operator presence control bar down to the handle and pushing the drive control lever forward until it clicks;then release the drive control lever.

•Forward motion will stop when the operator presence control bar is released. To stop forward motion without stopping engine,

release the operator presence control bar slightly until the drive control disengages.

Hold operator presence control bar down to handle to continue mowing without self- propelling.

•To keep drive control engaged when turning comers, push down on handle and liftfront wheels off ground while turning

lawn mower.

Operator presence control bar

Drive	Drive
control	control
To engage	Drive control
drive control	disengaged
BEFORE STARTING	ENGINE
OIL

Your lawn mower is shipped without oil in the engine.

•Be sure mower is level and area around oil fill is clean.

•Remove engine oil cap and fill to the full line on the dipstick.

NOTE: Allow oil to settle down into engine for accurate dipstick reading.

•Engine holds 18.5 ozs. of oil. For type

and grade of oil to use, see "ENGINE" in Maintenance section of this manual.

•Pour oil slowly. Do not over fill.

•Check oil level before each use. Add oil if needed. Fill to full line on dipstick.

•To read proper level, tighten engine oil cap each time.

•Reinstall engine oil cap and tighten.

•Change the oil after every 25 hours of operation or each season. You may need to change the oil more often under dusty, dirty conditions.

ADD GASOLINE

•Fill fuel tank. Use fresh, 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 assure fuel freshness.

AWARNING: Experience indicates that 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 Instructions for additional information. Never use engine or carburetor cleaner products in the fuel tank or permanent damage may occur. _IbCAUTION: Fill to bottom of gas tank filler neck, Do not overfill, Wipe off any spilled oil or fuel. Do not store, spill or use gasoline near an open flame.

filler cap

Oil filler

cap

__ __-Oilfiller cap/dipstick

Lower limit----_ -Upper limit

J

J

TO START ENGINE

•Tum fuel valve to ON position.

•To start a cold engine, move handle mounted throttle/choke control lever to

choke position.

•Hold operator presence control bar down to the handle and pull starter handle quickly. Do not allow starter rope to snap back.

•Slowly move throttle control lever to fast position after engine starts.

•To start a warm engine, move throttle control lever to fast or slow position

8 then follow steps above.