Driving in Water{ CAUTION:Driving through rushing water can be dangerous.Deep water can sweep your vehicle downstreamand you and your passengers could drown. If it isonly shallow water, it can still wash away theground from under your tires, and you could losetraction and roll the vehicle over. Do not drivethrough rushing water.Heavy rain can mean flash flooding, and flood watersdemand extreme caution.Find out how deep the water is before driving through it.Do not try it if it is deep enough to cover the wheelhubs, axles, or exhaust pipe — you probably will not getthrough. Deep water can damage the axle and othervehicle parts.If the water is not too deep, drive slowly through it. Atfaster speeds, water splashes on the ignition system andthe vehicle can stall. Stalling can also occur if you get thetailpipe under water. If the tailpipe is under water, you willnever be able to start the engine. When going throughwater, remember that when the brakes get wet, it mighttake longer to stop. See Driving in Rain and on WetRoads on page 4-25.After Off-Road DrivingRemove any brush or debris that has collected on theunderbody, chassis, or under the hood. Theseaccumulations can be a fire hazard.After operation in mud or sand, have the brake liningscleaned and checked. These substances can causeglazing and uneven braking. Check the body structure,steering, suspension, wheels, tires, and exhaust systemfor damage and check the fuel lines and cooling systemfor any leakage.The vehicle requires more frequent service due tooff-road use. Refer to the Maintenance Schedule foradditional information.4-23
