Maintenance Instructions KOHLER TIPS54IMPORTANT TIPS FOR CARE OF THE KOHLERENGINEFuel System• Fuel must be clean - free from water, dirt, and or-ganic material.• Change fuel filter on a regular basis and whencontamination is suspected or found in the fuel.Starting/Stopping• Keep the battery fully charged.• Match crankcase oil viscosity to the ambient tem-perature, allowing the engine to crank faster andstart easier.• Allow engine to run at idle for a few seconds be-fore stopping engine to avoid run-on or backfiring.Cooling SystemCAUTIONDO NOT use a pressure washer to clean thecooling system on an air-cooled engine;mud may form under the cooling shroudon the cylinder head and cooling fan.• Keep engine air intake screen and cylinder headfins free of grass clippings, chaff, and dirt. Inspectintake screen and cooling fins for cleanliness and nodamage.• Periodically remove two access panels in the en-gine shroud to inspect and clean cylinder head cool-ing fins.• Check performance of the cooling system bystarting the engine, holding a hand adjacent to thecylinder head, and feeling the cooling airflow.DANGERMake sure to keep hands clear of exhaustpipe, muffler, and moving parts whenchecking airflow.• Operate the engine at full speed when mowing.This allows the engine to produce full horsepowerand move more cooling air through the engine cool-ing fins.Air Cleaner System• Use only Donaldson air cleaner elements. After-market elements may not seal in the air cleanerhousing, allowing dirt to enter the engine. Also, af-termarket filters often skimp on the filtration mediaand require more frequent replacement (see follow-ing instructions).• Use the air filter restriction gauge to indicate theneed to service the air filter.• Do frequently check the Turbine Precleaner forfree movement of the internal fan.• DO NOT overservice or frequently “disturb” theair filter. A dirty air filter actually cleans better thana new one. Changing and cleaning the air filter toooften can actually reduce filter efficiency and in-crease the opportunity for traces of dust to enter theengine. Wait until the element really needs servicingas indicated by the air filter restriction gauge.• When the air filter element is removed or replaced,make sure all dust is cleaned out of the air cleanerhousing and hose. Use a damp cloth and wipe theinterior of the canister and hose clean (a little dirt lefthere will be sucked into the engine and reduce enginelife). When the filter is reinstalled, make sure theelement is held tight and straight in the canister forproper seating and sealing.• Periodically check the air intake hose for cuts,nicks, etc., and the hose clamps for tightness.Oil• Use only multi-viscosity oils as specified with theviscosity matching ambient temperatures for the en-gine operating conditions. This will aid starting incold weather and assure proper lubrication in hotweather.• Use only Kohler oil filters. Aftermarket filtersmay not seal properly and/or have the incorrectpressure relief valve for proper lubrication.