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While normal care and regular maintenance will extend the life
of your equipment, prolonged or constant use may eventually
require that service be performed to allow it to continue operat-
ing properly. The troubleshooting guide below lists the most
common problems, their causes and remedies.
If you prefer, all of these procedures can be performed for you
by a Sears Parts & Repair Center. See the back cover for
important Sears Parts & Repair Center information.
,WARNING
To avoid serious injury, perform maintenance on
the rider or mower only when the engine is
stopped and the ground speed levers are set to
PARK.
Always remove the ignition key, disconnect the
spark plug wire and fasten it away from the plug
before beginning the maintenance, to prevent
accidental starting of the engine.
Troubleshooting the Rider
PROBLEM
Engine will
not turnover
or start.
CAUSE
Ground speed controls not set to PARK
PTO switch in ON position.
Ground speed levers not in PARK positions.
Choke not in CLOSED position.
Key not turned fully to START position.
Out of fuel.
Engine flooded.
Fuel is old or stale, or water in fuel.
Battery terminals require cleaning.
Battery discharged or dead.
Spark plug(s) faulty, fouled or incorrectly
gapped.
Wiring loose or broken.
Solenoid or starter motor faulty.
Safety interlock switch faulty.
Engine starts Air filter plugged
hard or runs
poorly. Choke not set to CLOSED position when
cranking the engine, OR choke not set to
OPEN after engine starts.
Spark plug faulty, fouled, or incorrectly gapped.
Engine Low oil level.
knocks. Using wrong grade oil.
Excessive oil Engine running too hot.
consumption.
REMEDY
Set to PARK.
Place in OFF position.
Move ground speed levers to PARK positions.
Move choke to CLOSED position.
Turn key fully to START position.
Allow engine to cool, then refill the fuel tank.
Set choke to OPEN position when cranking engine.
Drain fuel & replace with fresh fuel. Contact Sears
Parts & Repair.
Clean the battery terminals
Recharge or replace.
Clean and gap or replace.
Visually check wiring & replace broken or frayed
wires. Tighten loose connections.
Replace. Contact Sears Parts & Repair.
Replace. Contact Sears Parts & Repair.
Service pre-cleaner and/or replace air filter ele-
ment.
Set choke to CLOSED when cranking. Set choke to
OPEN when engine is running. A warm engine may
not require choking.
Clean and gap or replace.
Check/add oil as required.
See "Change Engine Oil" in the Maintenance
Section.
Clean engine cooling fins, blower screen and air
cleaner.
Using wrong weight oil. See "Change Engine Oil" in the Maintenance
Section.
Too much oil in crankcase. Drain excess oil.
Engine Dirty air filter or precleaner, or both. Service or replace as required. See Maintenance
exhaust is Section.
black. Choke set to CLOSED when engine is running. Set choke to OPEN as soon as engine starts.
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