2010 Jeep Patriot Owner's Manual - Page 313

312 STARTING AND OPERATING 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 determine if 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 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. Crossing Puddles, Pools, Flooded Areas Or Other Standing Water Puddles, pools, flooded or other standing water areas normally contain murky or muddy waters. These water types normally contain hidden obstacles and make it difficult to determine an accurate water depth, approach angle, and bottom condition. Murky or muddy water holes are where you want to hook up tow straps prior to entering. This makes for a faster, cleaner and easier vehicle recovery. If you are able to determine you can safely cross, than proceed using the low and slow method.