Cruise control in the rain.

Bollotom

REDDDRAGGON wrote: »

Works fine for me, I've been doing 200miles/week on the M6/56/62/A55 recently, 90+% of it in CC, works great.

Beggar me, RD. I go up that way, well as far as Burnley, often and I've never had a clear enough run to even think about CC, lmao. There was once at night but then I had a Pug 106 and no CC. :cool:

kaya

Utter tripe as are 99% of these things that do the rounds on farcebook

System

Bollotom wrote: »

Beggar me, RD. I go up that way, well as far as Burnley, often and I've never had a clear enough run to even think about CC, lmao. There was once at night but then I had a Pug 106 and no CC. :cool:

I do it every day at the moment. There again it is at about 11:30 at night when I finish work.

Retrogamer

began to hydroplane and literally flew through the air.

Maybe she was driving one of these.

almillar

Attention seeking exaggerated post on Facebook, trying to be spread as much as possible.
Some truth buried deep within. (you're 'flying' on water though, not 'through the air'!)
The grooves in your tyres are there for the water to go into, so that the rubber of your tyre can touch the road. If there's more water on the road than can fit into the grooves, there's nowhere for the water to go and the car will be lifted up on top of the water. The faster you go, the more water you need to clear, so the more likely this is to happen. This is aquaplaning. The Americans, with their tIres, seem to call it hydroplaning.
When it happens, your steering really won't do much and you'll find it very difficult to slow down - you've just lost the friction you had when your tyres were touching the road.
You need to do everything gently, just like on ice. Get off the accelerator, keep the wheel straight-ish, and wait for the car to slow down and get back in contact with the road. You're literally floating until you do, so expect NO control. Maybe brake gently. If you make any big steering movement, and you do come back in contact with the road, that will suddenly give you grip, and send you off in that direction!
Notice that I haven't mentioned cruise control yet. If the above happens when you're using CC (not advised if there's lots of standing water, rain doesn't matter), then a gentle dab of the brake, or a press of a button, cancels it, and you follow the advice above.

runningben16

The above advice about not using CC in poor conditions is absolutely right. However, just as extra info, I once hit standing water while driving an 07 Vectra and using CC (on the M53 at Cheshire Oaks if anyone knows it, notorious spot for flooding). It was in the right hand lane, so only the right wheel would have aquaplaned, and it was very hard to spot beforehand. In the time it took me just to see the water and start to panic, the CC was knocked off and the ABS kicked in, all without any input from me. The car noticed the problem and reacted far quicker than I ever would have done, so maybe having the CC on wasn't a bad thing? Just a thought

gingerdad

on mainland europe i've seen signs telling you not to use crusie control but thats mainly in roadworks and heavy traffic.

Peater

Some interesting physics in the OP there.

forgotmyname

AQUAPLANE.... When did they start calling it hydroplane?

Just references on youtube and facebook?

Whatever next, 4x4's are immune to snow and ice? Lost count of the number of them ive pulled out of ditches.

But its got 4 wheel drive why did it fall off the road. Because your an idiot and drove too fast. 4WD will get you moving in slippery conditions. But you still have the same amount of grip as a 2WD car when you brake and steer.

iltisman

A cruise control that allows a setting of .5mph would be useful near the Dartford crossing.