1997 Toyota Land Cruiser Owners Manual - Page 127

! CAUTION Always observe the following precautions to minimize the risk of serious personal injury or damage to your vehicle: S Drive carefully when off the road. Do not take unnecessary risks by driving in dangerous places. S Do not grip the steering wheel spokes when driving off-road. A bad bump could jerk the wheel and injure your hands. Keep both hands and especially your thumbs on the outside of the rim. S Always check your brakes for effectiveness immediately after driving in sand, mud, water or snow. S After driving through tall grass, mud, rock, sand, rivers, etc., check that there is no grass, bush, paper, rags, stone, sand etc. adhering or trapped on the underbody. If the vehicle is used with these materials trapped or adhered to the underbody, a breakdown or fire could occur. S The driver and all passengers should fasten their seat belts whenever the vehicle is moving. NOTICE zIf driving through water, such as when crossing shallow streams, first check the depth of the water and the bottom of the river bed for firmness. Drive slowly and avoid deep water. zTake all necessary safety measures to ensure that water damage to the engine or other components does not occur. zSand and mud that has accumulated in brake drums and around brake discs may affect braking efficiency and may damage brake system components. zAlways perform a maintenance inspection after each day of offroad driving that has taken you through sand, mud, or water. For scheduled maintenance information, refer to the separate "Owner's Manual Supplement/Maintenance Schedule". Water entering the engine air intake will cause severe engine damage. Water can wash the grease from wheel bearings, causing rusting and premature failure, and may also enter the differential, transmission and transfer case, reducing the gear oil's lubricating qualities. 132