Cleaning the Mower
Service Interval: Before each use or daily
The mower may dislodge material from under
the mower housing.
• Wear eye protection.
• Stay in the operating position (behind the
handle) when the engine is running.
• Do not allow bystanders in the area.
For best results, clean the mower soon after you have
completed mowing.
1. Lower the mower to its lowest cutting height setting.
Refer to Adjusting the Cutting Height.
2. Move the mower onto a flat paved surface.
3. Wash out the area under the rear deflector where the
clippings go from the housing to the grass bag.
Note: Wash out the area with the bag-on-demand in
both the fully forward and fully rearward positions.
4. Attach a garden hose that is connected to a water
supply to the washout port on the mower housing
(Figure 31).
Figure 31
1. Washout port
5. Turn the water on.
6. Start the engine and run it until there are no more
clippings that come out from under the mower
housing.
7. Stop the engine.
8. Shut off the water and disconnect the garden hose
from the mower.
9. Start the engine and run it for a few minutes to dry
the housing to prevent it from rusting.
10. Allow the engine to cool before storing the mower
in an enclosed area.
Storage
Store the mower in a cool, clean, dry place.
Preparing the Mower for
Storage
Gasoline vapors can explode.
• Do not store gasoline more than 30 days.
• Do not store the mower in an enclosure near
an open flame.
• Allow the engine to cool before storing it.
1. On the last refueling of the year, add fuel stabilizer
to the fuel as directed by the engine manufacturer.
2. Dispose of any unused fuel properly. Recycle it
according to local codes, or use it in your automobile.
Note: Old fuel in the fuel tank is the leading cause
of hard starting. Do not store fuel without stabilizer
more than 30 days, and do not store stabilized fuel
more than 90 days.
3. Run the mower until the engine stops from running
out of fuel.
4. Start the engine again.
5. Allow the engine to run until it stops. When you can
no longer start the engine, it is sufficiently dry.
6. Disconnect the wire from the spark plug.
7. Remove the spark plug, add 1 oz. (30 ml) of oil
through the spark plug hole, and pull the starter rope
slowly several times to distribute oil throughout the
cylinder to prevent cylinder corrosion during the
off-season.
8. Loosely install the spark plug.
9. Tighten all nuts, bolts, and screws.
10. Charge the battery for 24 hours, then unplug the
battery charger an store the mower in an unheated
area. If you must store the mower in a heated
area, you must charge the battery every 90 days
(electric-start models only).
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