BEFORE STARTING ENGINE
ADD OIL
Your lawnmower is shipped without oil in the engine. For type and grade of oil to use, see “ENGINE” in the Maintenance section of this manual.
CAUTION: DO NOT overfi ll engine with oil, or it will smoke heavily from the muffl er on startup.
1.Be sure lawnmower is level.
2.Remove oil dipstick from oil fill spout.
3.You receive a container of oil with the unit. Slowly pour the entire container
down the oil fi ll spout into the engine. NOTE: Initial oil fi ll requires only 18 oz. due to residual oil in engine from the manufacturers 100% quality testing. When changing oil you may need 20 oz.
4.Insert and tighten dipstick.
IMPORTANT:
• Check oil level before each use. Add oil if needed. Fill to full line on dipstick.
• 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. See “TO CHANGE ENGINE OIL” in the Mainte- nance section of this manual.
Engine oil cap
Gasoline fi ller cap
ATTACH FUEL CAP CARTRIDGE
Your mower is equipped with a special FRESH STARTTM fuel cap and continuous fuel preserver cartridge. See the infor- mation and instructions packed with the FRESH STARTTM cartridge.
1.Snap cartridge into bottom of fuel cap. NOTE: Do not remove the silver foil seal on the side of cartridge that snaps into fuel cap.
2.Grasp the white peel tab and pull to remove the entire seal.
3.Screw fuel cap onto fuel tank after fi ll- ing tank with gasoline.
Replace cartridge when empty (about once a season). Check preserver level visually.
DANGER: Cartridge fl uid is HARMFUL OR FATAL IF SWALLOWED. Avoid contact to eyes, skin, or clothing. Do not take internally. Do not inhale fl uid vapor. Keep out of reach of children. If swallowed, call a physician immediately.
ADD GASOLINE
•Fill fuel tank to bottom of tank filler neck. Do not overfi ll. Use fresh, clean, regular unleaded gasoline with a minimum of 87 octane. Do not mix oil with gasoline. Pur- chase 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 fl ame.
CAUTION: Alcohol blended fuels (called gasohol or using ethanol or metha- nol) 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. Empty 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.
TO STOP ENGINE
•To stop engine, release operator pres- ence control bar.
TO START ENGINE
NOTE: Due to protective coatings on the engine, a small amount of smoke may be present during the initial use of the prod- uct and should be considered normal.
NOTE: Your engine is equipped with an automatic choke system. No priming or choking is required before starting.
•To start engine, hold operator presence control bar down to the handle and turn the start key.
IMPORTANT: Do not crank engine more than fi ve continous seconds between each time you try to start. Wait 5 to 10 seconds between each attempt.
•To start engine using the rope starter, hold operator presence control bar down to the handle and pull starter handle quickly. Do not allow starter rope to snap back.
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