moun10eer

Well, the Owner's Manual does not say anything about you can or cannot shift the gears while in the water, BUT it says "Driving through water may cause damage that may not covered by the new vehicle limited warranty"... which pretty much means "if your JK goes in the water and mess it up, we are not going to pay for it!"

Also, it says to drive less than 5mph in deep water (20"), do not cross flowing water over 9 inches etc. In order to drive through water in consistent crawling speed (5mph or less), you need to drive in low gear (1st) with 4LO or 4HI. I don't see much reason shifting to higher gear (1st to 2nd, 4LO to 4HI etc.) while you are in the water. I always shift to 1st (auto) and 4LO and go very slow when I cross the deep water. If it's on paved road and less than 20", I go with 1st and 4HI (straight line). I've never had any problem... only I've done that twice with JK though... one of the standing water in NF road was about 30" or so. It was a bit scary and thought I made a mistake going through... but my JK handled it fine!

BTW, the 2007 Wrangler brochure clearly advertises that it can go "30" when under 5mph". The manual says 20". I think it can handle 30" stock but the manual probably intentionally says 20" and not typo miss so that they don't have to be covered by warranty... a bit sneaky.

It's always good idea to avoid flowing water unless it's a really small stream. I won't cross it unless it is clearly less than 9" (why 9" not 10"?). If you ever walk crossed a small river etc. you'll know. Even about 10" of flowing water can go as high as your thighs (depending on the speed of the stream) when you cross and push you much harder than it looks. I would walk across the stream before I drive across for sure. If the water hits me as high as my knees (about 20"), I wouldn't cross it. Well, other than small streams created by snow melt in the mountains, there are hardly any places you can cross the stream in Pacific Northwest or the West anyway. I think pretty much all the rivers are protected and NF, NP etc. won't let you drive cross... the bridges are built. There are some wash outs but those are very dangerous to even walk across... very violent strong, deep flow and no way a Jeep or any other vehicle can cross.

only_in_my_jeep

Thank you for posting this. I was going to but I know I would be flamed. You should have no need to shift in a proper water crossing. What is happening here is guys are crossing at speed or climbing up high banks and having to back up and hit it hard. None of which is proper water crossing or fording.
That said the reasons why you should not shift with a manual by depressing the clutch have been made clear as have the dealers responsibility to any damage caused by water fording. I know it is done and I know in some circumstances it is the only thing you can do. Now everyone knows the facts. At this point no one should be suprised when driving hard and fast through water causes damage and the dealer rejects the claim.
In continuing with this theme offroad driving is something best and safest for both you and your vehicle when done at speeds of 15mph or less. You should go at a crawl most of the time. Now this is not what we do and sometimes our vehicles can handle it but other times stuff breaks. When we do things beyond the recomendations outlined in the manual or stated in general offroad driving recomendations things can and will break. It happens and in reality no matter how tough your vehicle is advertised to be it is your fault.

wyliecoyote84

it was my issue that i think started this whole topic. i used the clutch to shift into gear after shifting my t-case and when pressing the clutch i sucked up sand / mud/ water into the housing and ruining my clutch / pressure plate. i ran into some large rocks while crossing a creek / river that i couldnt get over without all 4 wheels pushing and pulling. i dont see any issues happening with auto trannys