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Before you cross any type of water – Jeep 2015 Compass - Owner Manual User Manual

Page 355

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be attempted when necessary in a safe responsible man-

ner. 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 vehicles abilities and be able to recover it if some-

thing 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 low (L Off-Road) with the 4WD LOCK

engaged and proceed very slowly with a constant slow

speed (3-5 mph [5–8 km/h] maximum) and light throttle.

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.

CAUTION!

Water ingestion into the transaxle, 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.

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 neces-

sary, 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

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