Stopping The Engine; Freewheeling Or Self-Propel Drive; Snowthrowing Tips - Toro 38078 Operator's Manual

10. Move the speed selector (Fig. 14) to first gear, squeeze
the traction control lever to the handgrip, and then
release the traction control lever. If the snowthrower
moves forward before engaging the traction drive
control lever or after releasing the lever, see Adjusting
the Traction Drive Belt on page 20.
Important
Do not operate the snowthrower if the auger
and impeller rotate when you disengage the auger/impeller
drive control lever.

Stopping the Engine

1. Engage the auger to clear any remaining snow from
inside the housing.
2. Run the engine for a few minutes to dry off any
accumulated moisture.
3. Release the auger/impeller drive control lever and the
traction control lever (Fig. 14).
4. Stop the engine by doing one of the following:
D. Move the throttle to the Slow position and remove
the ignition key.
E. Move the throttle to the Stop position.
5. Close the fuel shutoff valve (Fig. 20).
6. Pull the recoil starter with a rapid, continuous, full-arm
stroke 3 or 4 times. This helps prevent the recoil starter
from freezing up.
7. Wait for all moving parts to stop before leaving the
operating position.
Freewheeling or Self-propel
Drive
You can operate the snowthrower with the self-propel
feature engaged or disengaged (freewheeling). When you
insert the axle pins through the outer axle holes and not
through the wheel hubs (Fig. 4), the snowthrower
freewheels. When you insert the axle pins through the holes
in the wheel hubs and the inner axle holes (Fig. 4) and
engage the traction control lever, the snowthrower propels
itself.

Snowthrowing Tips

Danger
When the snowthrower is in operation, the
impeller and auger can be rotating and cut off or
injure hands and feet.
Before adjusting, cleaning, repairing and
inspecting the snowthrower, and before
unclogging the discharge chute, stop the engine
and wait for all moving parts to stop. Disconnect
the wire from the spark plug and keep it away
from the plug to prevent someone from
accidentally starting the engine.
Use a stick, not your hands, to remove an
obstruction from the discharge chute.
Stay behind the handles and away from the
discharge opening while operating the
snowthrower.
Keep face, hands, feet, and any other part of
your body or clothing away from concealed,
moving, or rotating parts.
Warning
The auger/impeller may pick up and throw stones,
toys, and other foreign objects, causing serious
personal injury to the operator or to bystanders.
Keep the area to be cleared free of all objects
that could be picked up and thrown by the
auger/impeller.
Keep all children and pets away from area of
operation.
Adjust the skids to match the type of surface being
cleaned. Refer to Adjusting the Skids and the Scraper
on page 19.
In snowy and cold conditions, some controls and
moving parts may freeze. Do not use excessive force
when trying to operate frozen controls. If you have
difficulty operating any control or part, start the engine
and let it run for a few minutes.
Remove snow as soon as possible after it falls. This
produces the best snow removal results.
Always use the Fast throttle position when throwing
snow.
Overlap each swath to ensure complete snow removal.
Discharge the snow downwind whenever possible.
Do not overload the snowthrower by clearing snow at
too fast a rate. If the engine slows down, shift the
snowthrower into a lower gear to reduce the forward
speed.
16