Your Exmark is a little different than my Toro. I have 2 filters. Partially fill oil filters before installing. Remove both vent plugs, add oil through the reservoir until oil comes out of a vent, install that vent plug and continue to add oil until it comes out the other vent, install that vent plug. Then fill reservoir to the cold oil line. Sit in the seat, start engine, 1/2 throttle, release parking brake. It now says to release the push machine levers, you have to release these if you want to move the machine when the engine is off. With the bypass valves open, slowly move the forward backward levers 5 or 6 times, all forward then backward. Now release those bypass levers or valves back to close them, now slowly move your forward backward levers 5 or 6 times. Now check the expansion reservoir for full to cold level line. May have to repeat this procedure untill the drives are purged of air.
My service interval is 50 hrs first and 400 there after. Guessing that EXmark is geared more towards commercial use, hence more frequent oil and filter change.
So, does your machine have these little release levers? Mine are on the deck on either side of the engine, just a heavy wire in a curved slot.
