Section 4: Operating Instructions
4220ST & 4420ST Light Utility Vehicles 700-504M
8/05/08
20
Table of Contents
Towing
The Treker is capable of being towed behind a tractor or
another vehicle as long as certain precautions are
followed:
•
The ignition switch must be turned off.
•
The gear selector must be placed in neutral position.
•
The vehicle must be towed with a rigid tow-bar that is
designed to tow the gross weight of the Treker. See
"Section 10: Specifications and Capacities" on page 45
for vehicle gross weight.
•
Tow-bar must be securely attached to the Treker at a
location that will not damage the vehicle or come loose
from the vehicle.
•
Owner/user takes on all responsibility and liability
resulting from attaching tow-bar to the Treker and to the
vehicle towing the Treker.
•
Do not allow anyone to ride in the Treker while it is being
towed.
•
Do not tow a trailer or vehicle behind the Treker that is
being towed.
•
Do not tow vehicle at speeds over 25 mph. The vehicle
is designed to travel up to 25 mph. Higher speeds may
result in damage to the Treker, vehicle towing the Treker
and personnel.
•
Slow down when turning to prevent loss of control and
rollovers.
•
Obey all state and local laws for towing vehicles.
Engine Performance
All small gas engines need fuel, air, and spark in exactly
the right proportions in order to run properly at peak
performance. Bad or stale fuel, a fouled spark plug, a wet
or corroded spark plug wire, a gummed up carburetor, a
wet or dirty air filter, a low oil situation, incomplete fuel
combustion, carburetor icing, high oil situation (gas in the
oil reservoir), and low engine temperature are all causes
of small gas engine problems or diminished
performance.
Fuel Quality
The normal shelf life of gasoline from the time it leaves
the refinery is about 30 days. Unused gas that is stored
too long can oxidize and break down causing formation
of gum and varnish deposits in carburetors, needle
valves, jets and venturis. This stops or chokes off flow of
proper fuel/air mixture.
Draining the tank or running the engine until the tank is
empty can result in dried out gaskets that, when dry, will
crack and leak. Also, emptying metal fuel tanks and
storage containers can result in corroded containers and
contaminated fuel.
Land Pride highly recommends using a fuel stabilizer or
oxygen inhibitor such as STA-BIL.
Incomplete Combustion
Incomplete combustion is when fuel is not fully burned in
the engine combustion chamber. This condition can
occur when an engine is started but is not allowed to run
long enough to reach full operating temperature. Cold
weather can accelerate this condition. Also, fouled spark
plugs, wet electrical circuits and/or a plugged air filter will
prevent fuel from being fully burned.
Unburned fuel pools on top of the piston and seeps down
the cylinder walls into the oil reservoir. Often the oil
dipstick will show an oil over-fill condition as fuel
accumulates in the reservoir.
The oil reservoir filling up with gas can foul the spark
plugs. If left unchecked, oil will become so diluted with
gasoline that it can no longer function as a lubricant. It is
extremely important to change oil and oil filter often
whenever there is a high frequency of gas getting into the
oil reservoir. Not changing oil and oil filter often can result
in premature wear on cylinder walls and piston rings.
Also, replace fouled spark plugs, regap weak plugs,
check electrical system for capability of delivering a
strong spark and clean the air filter when dirty.
Cold Weather Operation
Small gasoline engines must get up to operating
temperature before they will operate properly. Most air
cooled engines draw a large volume of air through their
intake fan. In sub-zero temperatures or freezing weather
it can become almost impossible for an engine to reach
normal operating temperature unless intake air is
restricted or warmer air is fed into the carburetor. Land
Pride offers a cold weather kit that directs air warmed
from the exhaust manifold into the carburetor.
Chokes, throttle cables, and other mechanical linkages
are also subject to freezing and sticking in cold weather.
Products like WD-40 or dry graphite lubricants can be
invaluable in keeping these items working freely.
Whenever possible, park your Treker in a warm, dry
environment to allow time for the linkages to dry out.
