4-28Driving in WaterLight rain causes no special off - road driving problems.But heavy rain can mean flash flooding, and floodwaters demand extreme caution.Find out how deep the water is before you drive throughit. If it’s deep enough to cover your wheel hubs, axles orexhaust pipe, don’t try it -- you probably won’t getthrough. Also, water that deep can damage your axleand other vehicle parts.If the water isn’t too deep, then drive through it slowly.At fast speeds, water splashes on your ignition systemand your vehicle can stall. Stalling can also occur if youget your tailpipe under water. And, as long as yourtailpipe is under water, you’ll never be able to startyour engine. When you go through water, rememberthat when your brakes get wet, it may take you longerto stop.CAUTION:Driving through rushing water can be dangerous.Deep water can sweep your vehicle downstreamand you and your passengers could drown.If it’s only shallow water, it can still wash awaythe ground from under your tires, and you couldlose traction and roll the vehicle over. Don’t drivethrough rushing water.See “Driving Through Water” in the Index for moreinformation on driving through water.
