Cub Cadet Challenger 400LX Operation Manual - Page 4

Do: 1. Travel straight up and down slopes, not across. Exercise extreme caution when changing direction on slopes. 2. Travel slowly while on a slope. Always keep the speed limited when going down slopes to take advantage of the engine braking action. 3. Keep all movement on the slopes slow and gradual. Avoid starting or stopping on a slope. 4. Avoid slopes with slippery, loose, or bumpy surfaces as they are especially hazardous. 5. Use extra care while carrying cargo. It may affect the stability of the vehicle. Spread the load evenly and secure to prevent movement. Do Not: 1. Do not travel near drop-offs, ditches or embankments. The vehicle could suddenly turn over if a wheel goes over the edge of a cliff, ditch, or if an edge caves in. 2. Do not stop or start suddenly when going uphill or downhill. Be especially cautious when changing direction on slopes. 3. Do not turn sideways to the hill. The vehicle may roll over. If you must turn, go slow and do so carefully and gradually. 4. Do not carry cargo or tow loads on steep slopes. Towing 1. Always use an approved hitch and hitch point provided on the utility vehicle. 2. Do not tow more than 500 lbs. rolling weight (i.e. trailer plus cargo). 3. Never load more than 85 lbs. tongue weight on tow bracket provided. 4. Go slow and use extra care when towing a trailer. Allow for increased braking distance. Load trailer properly. 5. Do not tow heavy loads on slopes greater than 5° incline. When going downhill or turning, the extra weight tends to push the tow vehicle and may cause you to lose control (i.e. braking and steering ability are reduced, towed equipment may jack-knife and cause utility vehicle to overturn). Cargo Bed Loading/Operation 1. Do not exceed vehicle's Total Payload Capacity rating of 850 lbs. This includes operator, passenger, accessories, attachments, tongue weight and cargo. 2. Do not exceed 350 lbs. load in cargo bed. 3. Spread load evenly and secure to prevent movement. 4. Do not load above height of cargo bed. Load could shift forward and injure driver or passenger. 5. Avoid loads which exceed the physical dimensions of cargo bed. 6. Go slow. Heavy loads will affect steering, braking, stability, and overall handling of the vehicle. Limit loads to those that can be safely controlled. 7. Avoid sudden starts, stops, and turns which could cause load to shift. Cargo Bed Lift 1. Stop vehicle on level ground and set Parking Brake before raising cargo bed. 2. Empty heavy cargo by hand. 3. Do not operate vehicle with cargo bed in raised position. 4. Do not operate vehicle with cargo bed unlatched. Always latch upon manually lowering cargo bed. Safety Frame (OPS) 1. Your vehicle is equipped with a operator protective structure (OPS) which must be maintained in a fully functional condition. Use care when driving through doorways or spaces with a low overhead. a. Never modify the OPS in any way. b. Never attempt to straighten or reweld any part of the main frame if damaged. Doing so may weaken the structure and endanger your safety. Replace a damaged OPS immediately. c. Never secure any parts other than Cub Cadet approved accessories on the main frame or attach the safety frame with anything other than the special fasteners specified. d. Never attach ropes, chains, or cables to the OPS for pulling purposes. e. Although the OPS, when used with a properly secured seat belt, provides a crush-protective environment in the event of a tip-over or rollover, never take unnecessary risks. Children 1. Tragic accidents can occur if the operator is not alert to the presence of children. Children are often attracted to the vehicle. They do not understand the dangers. Never assume that children will remain where you last saw them. Avoid run over accidents. a. Keep children out of the immediate area of the vehicle and in watchful care of a responsible adult other than the operator. b. Be alert and turn the vehicle off if a child enters the area. c. Before and while backing, look behind and down for small children. d. Never carry small children, they may fall off and be seriously injured or interfere with safe vehicle operation. e. Use extreme care while approaching blind corners, doorways, shrubs, trees or other objects that may block your vision of a child who may run into the path of the vehicle. f. Remove key when vehicle is unattended to prevent unauthorized operation. 2. Never allow children under 16 years old to operate this vehicle. Children 16 years old and over should read and understand the operation instructions and safety rules in this manual and should be trained and supervised by a parent and has obtained a state-issued motor vehicle driver's license. 3. Do not let children ride in the cargo bed, in the driver's or passenger's lap or anywhere other than the passenger seat. Never give small children a ride; not even in the passenger seat. The passenger seat belts, handholds and seat height are not designed to accomodate the safe transport of small children. Service Safe Handling Of Fuel: 1. To avoid personal injury or property damage, use extreme care in handling fuel. Fuel is extremely flammable and the vapors are explosive. Serious personal injury can occur when fuel is spilled on yourself or your clothes which can ignite. Wash your skin and change clothes immediately. a. Use only an approved fuel container. b. Never fill containers in the cargo bed inside a vehicle or on a truck or trailer bed with a plastic liner. Always place containers on the ground away from your vehicle before filling. c. When practical, remove gas-powered equipment from the truck or trailer and refuel it on the ground. If this is not possible, then refuel such equipment on a trailer with a portable container, rather than from a fuel dispenser nozzle. d. Keep the nozzle in contact with the rim of the fuel tank or container opening at all times until fueling is complete. Do not use a nozzle lock-open device. e. Extinguish all cigarettes, cigars, pipes and other sources of ignition. f. Never fuel vehicle indoors. g. Never remove gas cap or add fuel while the engine is hot or running. Allow engine to cool at least five minutes before refueling. h. Never over fill fuel tank. Fill tank to no more than ½ inch below bottom of filler neck to allow space for fuel expansion. i. Replace fuel cap and tighten securely. j. If fuel is spilled, wipe it off the equipment. Push vehicle away from spilled fuel. Wait 5 minutes before starting the engine. k. To reduce fire hazards, keep engine compartment and exhaust system free of grass, leaves, or other debris buildup. Clean up oil or fuel spillage and remove any fuel soaked debris. l. Never store the vehicle or fuel container inside where there is an open flame, spark or pilot light as on a water heater, space heater, furnace, clothes dryer or other gas appliances. m. Avoid injury from explosion or fire. DO NOT carry fuel or other flammable liquids in vehicle or cargo bed. General Service 1. Never run an engine indoors or in a poorly ventilated area. Engine exhaust contains carbon monoxide, an odorless and deadly gas. 2. Before cleaning, repairing, or inspecting, make certain all moving parts have stopped. Remove the ignition key to prevent unintended starting. 3. Check brake and parking brake operation frequently as it is subjected to wear during normal operation. Adjust and service as required. 4. Keep all nuts, bolts, and screws tight to be sure the equipment is in safe working condition. 5. Never tamper with the safety interlock system or other safety devices. Check their proper operation regularly. 6. Never attempt to make adjustments or repairs to the machine while the engine is running. 7. Do not change the engine governor settings or over-speed the engine. The governor controls the maximum safe operating speed of the engine. 8. Maintain or replace safety and instruction labels, as necessary. 9. According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), units in this product category have an Average Useful Life of seven (7) years, or approximately 400 hours of operation. To extend the life of your unit, and specifically after (7) years of ownership or at 400 hours of operation, have the unit inspected annually by an authorized service dealer to ensure that all mechanical and safety systems are working properly and not worn excessively. Failure to do so can result in accidents, injuries or death. See Section 5 of this Operators Manual for Maintenance and Service schedules. 10. Observe proper disposal laws and regulations for gas, oil, etc. to protect the environment. 4 Section 2 - Important Safe Operation Practices