17
S
ection
4 — S
ervice
Charging
WARNING!
Batteries emit an
explosive gas while charging.
Charge the battery in a well
ventilated area and keep away from
an open flame or pilot light as on a
water heater, space heater, furnace,
clothes dryer or other gas
appliances.
CAUTION:
When charging your
tractor’s battery, use only a charger
designed for 12V lead-acid batteries.
Read your battery charger’s Owner’s
Manual prior to charging your
tractor’s battery. Always follow its
instructions and heed its warnings.
If your tractor has not been put into use for an
extended period of time, charge the battery as
follows:
Set your battery charger to deliver a max of 10A.
If your battery charger is automatic, charge the
battery until the charger indicates that charging is
complete. If the charger is not automatic, charge
for a minimum of eight hours.
Jump Starting
WARNING!
Never jump start a
damaged or frozen battery. Be
certain the vehicles do not touch,
and ignitions are OFF. Do not allow
cable clamps to touch.
IMPORTANT:
Never jump start your lawn tractor’s
battery with the battery of a running vehicle.
1.
Connect positive (
+
) cable to positive post (
+
)
of your lawn tractor’s discharged battery.
2.
Connect the other end of the cable to the
(positive
+
) post of the jumper battery.
3.
Connect the second cable (negative
–
) to
the other post of the jumper battery.
4.
Make the final connection on the engine
block of the tractor, away from the battery.
Attach to a unpainted part to ensure a good
connection.
CAUTION:
If the jumper battery is
installed on a vehicle (i.e. car, truck), do
NOT start the vehicle’s engine when
jump starting your lawn tractor.
5.
Start the tractor as instructed on page 13.
6.
Set the tractor’s parking brake before
removing the jumper cables, in reverse
order of connection.
WARNING!
Failure to properly jump
start the battery could cause a spark,
and the gas in either battery could
explode.
Removing the Battery
To remove the battery, pull outward and then up
on the battery hold-down bracket.
Figure 4-5
Fuse
One 20A fuse is installed in your tractor’s wiring
harness to protect the tractor’s electrical system
from damage caused by excessive amperage.
If the electrical system does not function, or your
tractor’s engine will not crank, check that the fuse
has not blown. It can be found at the rear of the
unit, underneath the fender located by the battery.
WARNING!
Always use a fuse with
the same amperage capacity for
replacement.
Leveling the Deck
NOTE:
Check the tractor’s tire pressure before
performing any deck leveling adjustments. Refer
to Tires on page 18 for more information
regarding tire pressure.
Front-to- Rear
The front of the cutting deck is supported by a
stabilizer bar that can be adjusted to level the deck
from front to rear. The front of the deck should
be between ¼” and 3⁄8” lower than the rear of the
deck. Adjust if necessary as follows:
1.
With the tractor parked on a firm, level
surface, place the lever for lifting the
platform on the second to the top notch
(second highest position) and rotate the
blade as close to the discharge channel that
is parallel to the tractor.
2.
Measure the distance from the front of
the blade tip to the ground and the rear
of the blade tip to the ground. The first
measurement taken should be between ¼”
and 3⁄8” less than the second measurement.
Determine the approximate distance
necessary for proper adjustment and
proceed, if necessary, to the next step.
3.
Locate the jam nut and lock nut on the front
side of the stabilizer bracket. See Figure 4-6
Figure 4-6
4.
After loosening the jam nut:
•
Tighten the lock nut to raise the
front of the deck;
•
Loosen the lock nut to lower the
front of the deck.
4.
Retighten the jam nut loosened earlier
when proper adjustment is achieved.
Side-to-Side
If the cutting deck appears to be mowing
unevenly, a side-to-side adjustment can be
performed. Adjust if necessary as follows:
1.
With the tractor parked on a firm, level
surface, place the deck lift lever in the
second notch from the top (second highest
position)
and rotate both blades so that they
are perpendicular with the tractor.
2.
Measure the distance from the outside of
the left blade tip to the ground and the
distance from the outside of the right blade
tip to the ground. Both measurements taken
should be equal. If they’re not, proceed to
the next step.
3.
Loosen, but do NOT remove, the hex cap
screw on the left deck hanger bracket. See
Figure 4-7.
Hex Cap Screw
Figure 4-7
4.
Balance the deck by using a wrench to turn
the adjustment gear (found immediately
behind the hex cap screw just loosened)
clockwise/up or counter-clockwise/down. The
deck is properly balanced when both blade tip
measurements taken earlier are equal.
5.
Retighten the hex cap screw on the left deck
hanger bracket when proper adjustment is
achieved.