7. PRECAUTIONS DURING OPERATION WARNING: For reasons of safety, always follow these safety precautions. OPERATE CAREFULLY ON SNOW When working on snow or icy roads, even a slight slope may cause the machine to slip to the side, so always travel at low speed and avoid sudden starting, stopping, or turning. There is danger of slipping particularly on uphill or downhill slopes. With frozen road surfaces, the ground becomes soft when the temperature rises, so the travel conditions become unstable. In such cases be extremely careful when traveling.
When there has been heavy snow, the road shoulder and objects placed beside the road are buried in the snow and cannot be seen, so always carry out snow-clearing operations carefully. When traveling on snow-covered roads, always fit tire chains. When traveling on snow-covered slopes, never apply the brakes suddenly. Reduce the speed and use the engine as a brake while applying the foot brake intermittently (depress the brake intermittently several times). If necessary, lower the bucket to the ground to stop the machine. The load varies greatly according to the characteristics of the snow, so adjust the load accordingly and be careful not to let the machine slip.
1-16 PRECAUTIONS IN COLD AREAS ‡ After completing operations, remove all water, snow, or mud stuck to the wiring harness, connector 1, switches, or sensors, and cover these parts. If the water freezes, it will cause malfunctions of the machine when it is next used, and this may lead to unexpected accidents. ‡ Carry out the warming-up operation thoroughly. If the machine is not thoroughly warmed up before the control levers are operated, the reaction of the machine will be slow, and this may lead to unexpected accidents.
‡ Operate the control levers to relieve the hydraulic pressure (raise to above the set pressure for the hydraulic circuit and release the oil to the hydraulic tank) to warm up the oil in the hydraulic circuit. This ensures good response from the machine and prevents malfunctions. ‡ If the battery electrolyte is frozen, do not charge the battery or start the engine with a different power source. There is danger that this will ignite the battery. When charging or starting the engine with a different power source, melt the battery electrolyte and check for leakage of battery electrolyte before starting. Battery charge rate © See “14. COLD WEATHER OPERATION.”