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INTRODUCTION

Congratulations on your selection of a Honda lawn mower! We are 
certain you will be pleased with your purchase of one of the finest 
lawn mowers on the market.

We want to help you get the best results from your new mower and to 
operate it safely. This manual contains the information on how to do 
that; please read it carefully.

We suggest you read the 

DISTRIBUTOR’S LIMITED WARRANTY

 

(page 20) and 

EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM WARRANTY

 

(page 21) to fully understand coverage and your responsibilities of 
ownership.

When your mower needs scheduled maintenance, keep in mind that 
an authorized Honda servicing dealer is specially trained in servicing 
Honda mowers and is supported by the parts and service divisions of 
American Honda. Your Honda dealer is dedicated to your satisfaction 
and will be pleased to answer your questions and concerns.

Keep this owner’s manual handy so you can refer to it at any time. 
This owner’s manual is considered a permanent part of the lawn 
mower and should remain with the lawn mower if resold.

The information and specifications included in this publication were in 
effect at the time of approval for printing. American Honda Motor Co., 
Inc. reserves the right, however, to discontinue or change 
specifications or design at any time without notice and without 
incurring any obligation whatever. No part of this publication may be 
reproduced without written permission.

SAFETY MESSAGES

Your safety and the safety of others are very important. We have 
provided important safety messages in this manual and on the 
mower. This information alerts you to potential hazards that could hurt 
you or others. Please read these messages carefully.

Of course, it is not practical or possible to warn you about all the 
hazards associated with operating or maintaining a lawn mower. You 
must use your own good judgment.

You will find important safety information in a variety of forms:

Safety Labels

 – on the lawn mower.

Instructions

 – how to use this mower correctly and safely.

Safety Messages

 – preceded by a safety alert 

A

 symbol and one 

of three signal words: DANGER, WARNING, or CAUTION. These 
signal words mean:

Each message tells you what the hazard is, what can happen, and 
what you can do to avoid or reduce injury.

Damage Prevention Messages

 – You will also see other 

important messages that are preceded by the word NOTICE. This 
word means:

CONTENTS

For lawn mowing tips, see FAQs at 
www.hondapowerequipment.com/faq

B

 

DANGER

You WILL be KILLED or SERIOUSLY 
HURT if you don't follow instructions.

B

 

WARNING

You CAN be KILLED or SERIOUSLY 
HURT if you don't follow instructions.

B

 

CAUTION

You CAN be HURT if you don't follow 
instructions.

NOTICE

Your mower or other property can be 
damaged if you don’t follow instructions.

INTRODUCTION...................................... 1

SAFETY MESSAGES .............................. 1

LAWN MOWER SAFETY......................... 2

IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO 

EMPLOYERS ................................... 2

IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO 

PARENTS......................................... 2

SAFETY LABEL LOCATIONS.......... 3

SETTING UP YOUR NEW MOWER........ 3

CONTROL LOCATIONS.......................... 5

BEFORE OPERATION ............................ 6

IS YOUR LAWN MOWER READY 

TO GO? ............................................ 6

CHECK YOUR MOWING AREA ...... 6

GET THE MOWER READY.............. 6

OPERATION ............................................ 7

SAFE OPERATING PRECAUTIONS7

STARTING THE ENGINE................. 7

OPERATING THE CONTROLS 

FOR MOWING.................................. 8

STOPPING THE ENGINE ................ 8

SAFE MOWING PRACTICES .......... 8

SERVICING YOUR LAWN MOWER ....... 9

MAINTENANCE SAFETY................. 9

MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE ........... 9

BLADES.......................................... 10

GRASS BAG CLEANING AND 

REPLACEMENT............................. 11

ENGINE MAINTENANCE............... 11

REFUELING ................................... 14

TRANSPORTING................................... 15

STORAGE.............................................. 15

TAKING CARE OF UNEXPECTED 

PROBLEMS ........................................... 16

TECHNICAL INFORMATION................. 17

SERIAL NUMBER LOCATIONS..... 17

CARBURETOR 

MODIFICATION FOR HIGH 

ALTITUDE OPERATION ................ 17

EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM .... 17

AIR INDEX ...................................... 18

SPECIFICATIONS .......................... 18

CONSUMER INFORMATION ................ 19

REPLACEMENT PARTS, 

OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT, AND 

SERVICE ITEMS ............................ 19

DEALER LOCATION

INFORMATION............................... 19

CUSTOMER SERVICE 

INFORMATION............................... 19

DISTRIBUTOR'S LIMITED 

WARRANTY ................................... 20

ACCESSORIES, REPLACEMENT 

PARTS, AND APPAREL

WARRANTY ................................... 20

EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM 

WARRANTY ................................... 21

OWNER’S MANUAL

HRC216PDA

IPC

B

WARNING:

B

The engine exhaust from this product contains 

chemicals known to the State of California to cause 

cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.

© 2004–2009 American Honda Motor Co., Inc.—All Rights Reserved

31VK6614
00X31-VK6-6140

EM5

 POM31VK6614

 IPC.1020.2009.02

PRINTED IN U.S.A.

K3

Summary of Contents for HRC216PDA

Page 1: ...ctly and safely Safety Messages preceded by a safety alert A symbol and one of three signal words DANGER WARNING or CAUTION These signal words mean Each message tells you what the hazard is what can happen and what you can do to avoid or reduce injury Damage Prevention Messages You will also see other important messages that are preceded by the word NOTICE This word means CONTENTS For lawn mowing ...

Page 2: ...ate time for hands on training by a qualified instructor and personally supervise practice sessions until you feel sure the employee is ready to operate the machine Also be sure employees wear proper clothing and have eye protection and any other gear that may be required by local ordinances or your insurance company Remember too that you are responsible for keeping the mower properly maintained a...

Page 3: ...ds together Make sure the ribs are facing out as shown 2 Slip the left handle support hanger over the end of the handlebar and slide past both bolt holes Make sure the ribs are facing out 3 Position the handlebar onto the handle stay and loosely install the two 8 x 16 mm flange bolts through the handlebar lower bolt holes DO NOT OPERATE UNLESS GUARD IS CLOSED OR BAG IS IN PLACE HOT MUFFLER CAN BUR...

Page 4: ... 10 Install an 8 mm self locking nut on both studs on the inside of the mower deck Do not fully tighten the nuts at this point 11 Tip the mower back onto its wheels 12 From the grass bag side of the handle insert the stud on the end of each handle support plate through the handle support hanger Make sure the stud goes through both holes in the handle support hanger 13 Install an 8 mm self locking ...

Page 5: ...TIONS page 5 BEFORE OPERATION page 6 OPERATION page 7 MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE page 9 You can also find additional information on the Honda Power Equipment web site Visit www hondapowerequipment com faq htm Please Register Your Lawn Mower If your dealer did not collect registration information from you please take a few minutes and register your purchase with Honda This allows us to contact you with a...

Page 6: ...em from the work area People and Pets People and animals near the work area can move into your lawn mower s path or into a position where they could be struck by thrown objects Clear the area of pets and people especially children Their safety is your responsibility Work Area Check the condition of the grass Adjust your lawn mower ground speed and mowing swath accordingly GET THE MOWER READY Grass...

Page 7: ...ks and practice in a safe area until you build up your skills For your safety avoid starting or operating the engine in an enclosed area such as a garage Your mower s exhaust contains poisonous carbon monoxide gas which can collect rapidly in an enclosed area and cause illness or death STARTING THE ENGINE The blade turns when you operate the starter It is easiest to start the engine in a clear or ...

Page 8: ...n changing direction Mowing on a slope when the grass is damp or wet could cause you to slip fall and lose control of the mower Obstacles Use the side of the mower to cut close to large obstacles such as fences or walls Be careful when mowing over obstacles embedded in the lawn such as sprinkler heads paving edging raised tree roots etc Avoid anything that sticks up above the surface of the lawn I...

Page 9: ...ke sure you have the tools and skills required To reduce the possibility of fire or explosion be careful when working around gasoline Use only a nonflammable solvent not gasoline to clean parts Keep cigarettes sparks and flames away from all fuel related parts MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE 1 For commercial use log hours of operation to determine the proper maintenance intervals 2 Service more frequently wh...

Page 10: ...Use a wooden block to prevent the blades from turning when removing the bolts Remove the blades Blade Installation 1 Clean dirt and grass from around the blade mounting area 2 Install both blades using the two blade bolts and special washers as shown Be sure to install the special washers with the concave side toward the blades and the convex side toward the bolts The blade bolts and washers are s...

Page 11: ... upper limit mark on the dipstick Do not overfill If the engine is overfilled the excess oil may get transferred to the air cleaner housing and air cleaner filter NOTICE Running the engine with a low oil level can cause engine damage This type of damage is not covered by the DISTRIBUTOR S LIMITED WARRANTY page 20 4 Screw in the oil filler cap dipstick securely Engine Oil Recommendations Always cha...

Page 12: ...he latch tabs on the top of the air cleaner cover and then remove the cover 2 Remove the foam element from the air cleaner cover 3 Remove the screen grid and paper element 4 Check both elements to be sure they are in good condition and replace them if they are damaged 5 Clean the paper element by tapping it several times on a hard surface to remove dirt or blow compressed air not exceeding 30 psi ...

Page 13: ... quickly take the mower to an authorized Honda servicing dealer for repair Spark Arrester Service optional equipment Your lawn mower engine is not factory equipped with a spark arrester In some areas it is illegal to operate an engine without a spark arrester Check local laws and regulations An optional USDA approved spark arrester is available from an authorized Honda servicing dealer The spark a...

Page 14: ...ntaining no more than 10 ethanol E10 or 5 methanol by volume In addition methanol must contain cosolvents and corrosion inhibitors Use of fuels with content of ethanol or methanol greater than shown above may cause starting and or performance problems It may also damage metal rubber and plastic parts of the fuel system Engine damage or performance problems that result from using a fuel with percen...

Page 15: ...perature to evaporate any water remaining on the engine 3 Stop the engine and allow it to cool 4 After the lawn mower is clean and dry touch up any damaged paint touch up paint part numbers are on page 19 and coat other areas that may rust with a light film of oil Fuel NOTICE Depending on the region where you operate your equipment fuel formulations may deteriorate and oxidize rapidly Fuel deterio...

Page 16: ...engine is warm page 7 Out of fuel Refuel page 14 Bad fuel mower stored without treating gasoline or refueled with bad gasoline Refuel with fresh gasoline page 14 Spark plug faulty fouled or improperly gapped Gap or replace the spark plug page 13 Spark plug wet with fuel flooded engine Dry and reinstall the spark plug Fuel filter restricted carburetor malfunction ignition malfunction valves stuck e...

Page 17: ...and other emission systems to reduce the emission of carbon monoxide oxides of nitrogen and hydrocarbons Additionally Honda fuel systems utilize components and control technologies to reduce evaporative emissions The U S California Clean Air Act and Environment Canada EPA California and Canadian regulations require all manufacturers to furnish written instructions describing the operation and main...

Page 18: ...AE 10W 30 API SJ or later page 11 Spark Plug Type NGK BPR5ES page 13 Maximum Governed Speed 3 100 rpm 50 150 rpm Shop manual Blade Control Cable Adjust for 1 3 16 1 3 8 in 30 35 mm free play at the blade control lever page 13 Throttle Cable Adjust for proper choke operation page 14 Blade Bolt Torque 36 43 ft lb 49 59 N m page 10 Do not try to increase the engine speed above the maximum governed sp...

Page 19: ... Your name address and telephone number A detailed description of the problem Honda Publications These publications give you additional information for maintaining and repairing your lawn mower Shop Manual This manual covers complete maintenance and overhaul procedures It is intended to be used by a skilled technician Available through your Honda dealer or through Helm Inc at 888 292 5395 or visit...

Page 20: ... or distributor s dealer authorized by American Honda to sell those products in the United States Puerto Rico and the U S Virgin Islands Parts and Accessories must be purchased for installation on original Honda equipment or engines to be eligible for warranty coverage Installing parts and accessories on non Honda products or engines voids this warranty 2 You must be the first retail purchaser Thi...

Page 21: ... are warranted up to their required replacement interval only Honda will also replace other engine components damaged by a failure of any warranted part during the warranty period Only Honda approved replacement parts may be used in the performance of any warranty repairs and must be provided without charge to the owner The use of replacement parts not equivalent to the original parts may impair t...

Page 22: ...NOTES ...

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