Driving Through Water - Jeep 2013 Wrangler Owner's Manual

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 RE-
VERSE. Never back down a hill in NEUTRAL
using only the vehicle brakes. Never drive
diagonally across a hill, always drive straight
up or down.

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
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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. Shift into first gear (manual trans-
mission), or DRIVE (automatic transmission),
with the transfer case in the 4L (Low) position
and proceed very slowly with a constant slow
speed {3 to 5 mph (5 to 8 km/h) maximum} and
light throttle. Keep the vehicle moving; do not try
to accelerate through the crossing. After cross-
ing any water higher than the bottom of the axle
differentials, you should inspect all of the ve-
hicle fluids for signs of water ingestion.
CAUTION!
• Water ingestion into the axles, transmis-
sion, transfer case, engine or vehicle inte-
rior 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.
(Continued)
CAUTION! (Continued)
• This vehicle is capable of crossing through
water at a depth of 30 inches (76 cm) at
speeds no greater than 5 mph (8 km/h).
Water ingestion can occur causing dam-
age to your vehicle.
Before You Cross Any Type Of Water
As you approach any type of water, you need to
determine if you can cross it safely and respon-
sibly. If necessary, 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.