Troy-Bilt 12159 - Manual (Page 19)

STORAGE
WARNING
Never store your equipment when there is a fuel
mixture in the fuel tank.
Never place your equipment near any source of
sparks or open flame (such as from a hot water
heater, a space heater or clothes dryer).
Failure to comply can result in serious personal in­
jury or property damage.
IMPORTANT: It is important to prevent gum deposits
from forming in essential fuel system parts such as
carburetor, fuel filter, fuel hose, or tank during stor­
age. Also, experience indicates that alcohol-blended
fuels (called gasohol or using ethanol or methanol)
can attract moisture which leads to separation and
formation of acids during storage. Acidic gas can
damage the fuel system of an engine while in stor­
age.
Off-Season Storage Procedure
• Drain the fuel tank of all of the gasoline/two-cycle oil
mixture. NOTE: Do not use a fuel mixture that is older
than one season in order to avoid varnish deposits
throughout the fuel system. Dispose of the fuel mixture
properly.
• Start engine and run until fuel mixture is used up. This
will prevent poor performance from stale fuel when your
equipment is taken out of storage.
• Let the engine cool down after the fuel mixture has
been used up. Clean dirt and debris from the engine
cooling fins, linkage and other engine surfaces.
• Remove the spark plug. Pour a few drops of two-cycle
engine oil into the engine’s spark plug hole. Pull out the
starter rope several times to distribute the oil over the in­
ternal cylinder wall.
• Reinstall the spark plug.
• Remove the tines. Clean all soil and debris from the
dust covers and tine shaft. Lubricate the tine shaft with
a coating of light oil. Replace the tines securely.
• Cover the engine and store the equipment in a dry,
sheltered location.
NOTE: Fuel stabilizer (such as STA-BIL) is an accept­
able alternative in minimizing the formation of fuel gum
deposits during storage. Add stabilizer to the fuel mix­
ture in the fuel tank or the fuel storage container. Always
follow the mix ratio instructions on the stabilizer contain­
er. Run engine at least 10 minutes after adding stabiliz­
er to allow the stabilizer to reach the carburetor. Do not
drain the gas tank and carburetor if using fuel stabilizer.
TROUBLESHOOTING POINTS
PROBLEM POSSIBLE CAUSE CORRECTIVE ACTION
Engine does not start. 1. Spark plug wire disconnected. 1. Reconnect wire to spark plug.
2. Out of gas/two-cycle oil fuel mixture. 2. Check fuel tank. Add fuel mixture.
3. Stale fuel mixture. 3. Drain old mixture. Add fresh mixture.
4. Priming procedure not correct. 4. Refer to pages 12 and 13 for priming
and starting procedure.
5. Dirty air filter(s). 5. Clean or replace air filters.
6. Worn, corroded or broken spark plug. 6. Replace spark plug.
7. On-Off Switch in OFF position. 7. Move On-Off Switch to ON.
Engine runs poorly or 1. Fouled spark plug. 1. Remove, inspect, clean spark plug.
has low power under 2. Dirty airfilter(s). 2. Clean or replace dirty air filters.
tilling conditions. 3. Stale fuel mixture. 3. Drain old mixture. Add fresh mixture.
4. Carburetor out of adjustment. 4. Adjust carburetor referring to instruc­
tions on Page 17.
Engine overheats. 1. Engine cooling system clogged. 1. Remove blower housing. Remove
debris.
2. Carburetor out of adjustment. 2. Authorized Engine Dealer.
Tines stop rotating. 1. Object wedged between tines and hood. 1. Remove wedged object.
2. Internal transmission problem. 2. Authorized Engine Dealer.
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