CHECK BEFORE OPERATION
4. CHECK BEFORE OPERATION
15
YOUR ENGINE READY TO GO?
Fo
r
your
safety
,
and to maximize the service life of your
equipment
,
i
t is very
i
mportan
t
t
o
take
a
few moments before you operate the engine to check
its
condition
.
Be
su
r
e
to take
care of any problem you find
,
or have your servicing dealer correct
it
,
before you operate
the
eng
i
ne.
AWARNING
Improperly maintaining
this
engine,
or tailing
to correct
a
problem
betore operation, could cause
a
malfunction in which you could be
seriously
injured.
Always perform
a
preoperation
inspection betore each operation,
and correct any problem.
Before beginning your preoperation
checks
,
be sure the engine
is
level and the engine
switch is
in
the OFF position.
Check the General Condition
of
the Engine
•
Look around and underneath the
eng
i
ne for signs of oil or gasoline
leaks
.
•
Remove any excessive dirt or
debris
,
especially around the muffler and recoil
starter
.
•
Look for signs of damage.
•
Check that
all
shields and covers are
in
place
,
and
all
nuts,
bolts
,
and screws are
tightened.
Check the Engine
Check the engine
oi
l
level. Running the engine with
a
low oil level can cause engine
damage
.
The Oil Alert system (applicable engine types) will automatically stop the
eng
i
ne
befo
r
e
the
o
il
level falls below safe limits.
However
,
to avoid the inconvenience of an
unexpected shutdown
,
always check the engine oillevel before startup.
Check the air filter. A dirty air filter will restriet air flow to the carburetor, reducing engine
performance.
Check the fuel level. Starting with
a
full tank will help to eliminate or reduce
operat
i
ng
interruptions for refueling.
Check the Equipment Powered by This Engine
Review the instructions provided with the equipment powered by this
eng
i
ne for any
precautions and procedures that should be followed befare engine startup.
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