In cer tain conditions during fueling , static
electricity can be r eleased causing a spar k
which can ignite the gasoline v apor s. A fir e
or explosion fr om gasoline can bur n y ou and
other s and can dama ge pr oper ty .
• Al w ays place gasoline container s on the
g r ound a w ay fr om y our v ehicle bef or e
filling .
• Do not fill gasoline container s inside
a v ehicle or on a tr uck or trailer bed
because interior car pets or plastic tr uck
bed liner s may insulate the container and
slo w the loss of an y static charge.
• W hen practical, r emo v e gas-po w er ed
equipment fr om the tr uck or trailer and
r efuel the equipment with its wheels on
the g r ound.
• If this is not possible, then r efuel such
equipment on a tr uck or trailer fr om a
por ta ble container , rather than fr om a
gasoline dispenser nozzle.
• If a gasoline dispenser nozzle must be
used, k eep the nozzle in contact with the
rim of the fuel tank or container opening
at all times until fueling is complete.
Gasoline is har mful or f atal if s w allo w ed.
Long-ter m exposur e to v apor s can cause
serious injur y and illness.
• A v oid pr olonged br eathing of v apor s.
• K eep f ace a w ay fr om nozzle and gas tank
or conditioner opening .
• K eep gas a w ay fr om ey es and skin.
Using Stabilizer/Conditioner
Use a fuel stabilizer/conditioner in the mac hine to
pro vide the follo wing benefits:
• K ee ps g asoline fresh during storag e of 30 da ys
or less . F or long er storag e it is recommended
that the fuel tank be drained.
• Cleans the engine while it r uns
• Eliminates gum-lik e v ar nish buildup in the fuel
system, whic h causes hard star ting
Important: Do not use fuel additi v es
containing methanol or ethanol.
Add the cor rect amount of g as
stabilizer/conditioner to the g as .
Note: A fuel stabilizer/conditioner is most
effecti v e when mix ed with fresh g asoline . T o
minimize the c hance of v ar nish de posits in the fuel
system, use fuel stabilizer at all times .
Filling the Fuel Tank
1. Shut the engine off and set the parking brak e .
2. Clean around the fuel tank cap and remo v e
the cap . Add unleaded regular g asoline to the
fuel tank until the lev el is 1/4 to 1/2 inc h
(6 to 13 mm) belo w the bottom of the filler
nec k. T his space in the tank allo ws g asoline to
expand. Do not fill the fuel tank completely
full.
3. Install the fuel tank cap securely . Wipe up any
g asoline that ma y ha v e spilled.
Checking the Engine Oil
Level
Before y ou star t the engine and use the mac hine ,
c hec k the oil lev el in the engine crankcase; refer to
Chec king the Oil Lev el in Engine Maintenance ,
pag e 23 .
Starting and Stopping the
Engine
Starting the Engine
1. Sit do wn on the seat and mo v e the motion
controls to the brak e position.
2. Diseng ag e the blades b y mo ving the blade
control switc h to Off ( Figure 7 ).
14