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166 STARTING AND OPERATING
DRIVING THROUGH WATER
Extreme care should be taken crossing any type of
water. Water crossings should be avoided if
possible and only be attempted when necessary, in
a safe responsible manner. You should only drive
through areas which are designated and approved.
You should tread lightly and avoid damage to the
environment. You should know your vehicle's
abilities and be able to recover it if something goes
wrong. You should never stop or shut a vehicle off
when crossing deep water unless you ingested
water into the engine air intake. If the engine stalls
do not attempt to restart it. Determine if it has
ingested water first. The key to any crossing is low
and slow. You want to use FIRST gear in 4WD Low
and proceed very slowly with a constant slow
speed (3-5
mph [5–8 km/h] maximum) and light
th
rottle. Keep the vehicle moving; do not try to
accelerate through the crossing. After crossing any
water higher than the bottom of the axle
differentials, you should inspect all of the vehicle
fluids for signs of water ingestion.
Before You Cross Any Type Of Water – As you
approach any type of water you need to deter-
mine if you can cross it safely and responsibly. If
n
ecessary, get out and walk through the water
or probe it with a stick. You need to be sure of its
depth, approach angle, current and bottom
condition. Be careful of murky or muddy waters,
check for hidden obstacles. Make sure you will
not be intruding on any wildlife and you can
recover the vehicle if necessary. The key to a
safe crossing is the water depth, current and
bottom conditions. On soft bottoms the vehicle
will sink in, effectively increasing the water level
on the vehicle. Be sure to consider this when
determining the depth and the ability to safely
cross.
Crossing Puddles, Pools, Flooded Areas Or
Other Standing Water – Puddles, pools, flooded
or other standing water areas normally contain
murky or muddy waters. These water types
normally contain hidden obstacles and make it
difficult to determine an accurate water depth,
approach angle, and bottom condition. Murky or
muddy water holes are where you want to hook
up tow straps prior to entering. This makes for a
faster, cleaner and easier vehicle recovery. If
you are able to determine you can safely cross,
than proceed using the low and slow method.
Crossing Ditches, Streams, Shallow Rivers Or
Other Flowing Water – Flowing water can be
extremely dangerous. Never attempt to cross a
fast running stream or river even in shallow
water. Fast moving water can easily push your
vehicle downstream sweeping it out of control.
Even in very shallow water, a high current can
still wash the dirt out from around your tires
putting you and your vehicle in jeopardy. There
is still a high risk of personal injury and vehicle
damage with slower water currents in depths
greater than the vehicle's running ground clear
-
WARNING!
If the engine stalls or you lose headway or
cannot make it to the top of a steep hill or grade,
never attempt to turn around. To do so may
result in tipping and rolling the vehicle, which
may result in severe injury. Always back carefully
straight down a hill in REVERSE. Never back
down a hill in NEUTRAL using only the vehicle
brakes. Never drive diagonally across a hill,
always drive straight up or down.
CAUTION!
Water ingestion into the axles, transmission,
transfer case, engine or vehicle interior can
occur if you drive too fast or through too deep of
water. Water can cause permanent damage to
engine, driveline or other vehicle components
and your brakes will be less effective once wet
and/or muddy.
CAUTION!
Muddy waters can reduce the cooling system
effectiveness by depositing debris onto the
radiator.
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