Crewmen,
Be sure to drain the rain and washwater from the hull of your Stryker. If you don’t, components sitting underneath the floor plates could be in for a hard time.
Water causes all kinds of problems, including corrosion, electrical shorts and other damage. Replacing those components means big costs for your unit, not to mention the hit that combat readiness takes.
The components most at risk are the central tire inflation system (CTIS) manifold, W409 wiring harness for the trailer lights, the electronic control unit (ECU), anti-lock brake system (ABS) and height management system (HMS).
Remove your Stryker’s hull drain plugs after every mission and during weekly PMCS. That’ll drain water out of the hull and make sure those components are nice and dry.
Look and smell for fuel and hydraulic fluid at the bottom of the hull first, though. Open the hull access door in the rear center floor plate during weekly PMCS and after every operation. See or smell evidence of leaks? Tell your mechanic.
If there’s no evidence of fuel or hydraulic fluid leaks, go ahead and open all 15 drain hull plugs. Allow any collected moisture to drain into drip pans and dispose of it according to unit SOP. Check out TM 9-2355-311-13&P (IETM EM 0269, Sep 16) for more information on hull PM.