Servicing Your Snowthrower; Maintenance Safety - Honda HS520A Owner's Manual

SERVICING YOUR
SNOWTHROWER
Proper maintenance is essential for safe, economical, and
trouble-free operation. It will also help reduce air pollution.
B
WARNING
Improper maintenance, or failure to correct a problem
before operation, can cause a malfunction in which you
can be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the inspection and maintenance
recommendations and schedules in this owner's manual.
To help you properly care for your snowthrower, the following pages
include a maintenance schedule, routine inspection procedures, and
simple maintenance procedures using basic hand tools. Other service
tasks that are more difficult, or require special tools, are best handled
by professionals and are normally performed by a Honda technician
or other qualified mechanic.
The maintenance schedule applies to normal operating conditions. If
you operate your snowthrower under severe conditions, such as
sustained high-load or high-temperature operation, or use in
unusually wet or dusty conditions, consult your servicing dealer for
recommendations applicable to your individual needs and use.
Remember that an authorized Honda servicing dealer knows your
snowthrower best and is fully equipped to maintain and repair it.
To ensure the best quality and reliability, use only new, Honda
Genuine parts or their equivalents for repair and replacement.
Maintenance, replacement, or repair of the emission control
devices and systems may be performed by any engine repair
establishment or individual, using parts that are "certified" to
EPA standards.
10

MAINTENANCE SAFETY

Some of the most important safety precautions follow. However, we
cannot warn you of every conceivable hazard that can arise in
performing maintenance. Only you can decide whether or not you
should perform a given task.
B
WARNING
Failure to properly follow maintenance instructions and
precautions can cause you to be seriously hurt or killed.
Always follow the procedures and precautions in this
owner's manual.
Safety Precautions
• Make sure the engine is off before you begin any maintenance or
repairs. This will eliminate several potential hazards:
— Carbon monoxide poisoning from engine exhaust.
Operate outdoors away from open windows or doors.
— Burns from hot parts.
Let the engine and exhaust system cool before touching.
— Injury from moving parts.
Do not run the engine unless instructed to do so.
• Read the instructions before you begin, and make sure you have
the tools and skills required.
• To reduce the possibility of fire or explosion, be careful when
working around gasoline. Use only a nonflammable solvent, not
gasoline, to clean parts. Keep cigarettes, sparks, and flames away
from all fuel-related parts.