Driving Through Water

Use extreme caution when crossing any type of water. Avoid water crossings if possible, and cross only when necessary and in a safe and responsible manner. Drive only through areas that are marked and approved. Proceed carefully and avoid damage to the environment. Know the capabilities of your vehicle and be able to recover it if something goes wrong. Never stop or turn off the vehicle while crossing deep water, unless water has been swallowed into the engine air intake. If the engine stalls, do not attempt to restart it. First determine whether water has entered the engine. The key to any crossing is low and slow. Shift into FIRST gear (manual transmission) or DRIVE (automatic transmission), with the transfer case in 4WD LOW, and drive very slowly at a constant low speed of {3 to 5 mph (5 to 8 km/h) maximum} with light throttle. Keep the vehicle moving; do not try to accelerate through the crossing. After crossing any water deeper than the bottom of the axle differentials, inspect all vehicle fluids for signs of water intrusion.

• Water entering the axles, transmission, transfer case, engine, or passenger compartment may occur if you drive too fast or through water that is too deep. Water may cause irreversible damage to the engine, transmission, or other vehicle components, and your brakes will be less effective after becoming wet and/or dirty.
• When driving through water, do not exceed 5 mph (8 km/h). Always check the water depth before entering as a precaution, and check all fluids afterward. Driving through water may cause damage that is not covered by the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.

Before crossing any type of water

When approaching any type of water, determine whether you can cross it safely and responsibly. If necessary, get out and walk through the water or probe it with a stick. You need to be certain of its depth, approach angle, current, and bottom condition. Be careful of murky or muddy water and check for hidden obstacles. Make sure you will not become stranded in the wilderness and that you can recover the vehicle if necessary. The key to a safe crossing is water depth, current, and bottom condition. On a soft bottom, the vehicle will sink, effectively raising the water level in the vehicle. Be sure to take this into account when determining depth and whether a safe crossing is possible.

Crossing puddles, pools, flooded areas, or other standing water

Puddles, pools, flooded areas, or other standing water areas usually contain murky or muddy water. These types of water usually conceal hidden obstacles and make it difficult to determine the exact water depth, approach angle, and bottom condition. In murky or dirty water, connect tow straps before entering. This allows faster, cleaner, and easier vehicle recovery. If you can determine that you can cross safely, 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-moving stream or river, even in shallow water. Fast-moving water can easily push your vehicle downstream, causing loss of control. Even in very shallow water, strong current can still wash mud away from your tires, placing you and your vehicle at risk. There is still a high risk of personal injury and vehicle damage with slower water currents at depths greater than the vehicle's ground clearance. Never attempt to cross flowing water that is deeper than the vehicle's ground clearance. Even the slowest current can push the heaviest vehicle downstream and out of control if the water is deep enough to act on a large surface area of the vehicle body. Before proceeding, determine the current speed, water depth, approach angle, bottom condition, and presence of obstacles. Then cross slightly at an angle upstream, using the low and slow technique.