Jeep 2015 Patriot - Owner Manual - Manual (Page 355)

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 vehicles 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 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.
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