Hydroplaning issues

[TXLS3]

Originally Posted by Splitter

I may seem like an a-hole by saying it, but its what works for me.

I completely agree. I go 50 in the rain sometimes slower.

[blakjak55]

Meh, I don't know what it is. Every post I read from Palmer reminds me of a teenager who thinks he's always right and knows it all.

I don't care who else likes him. Not like it's going to change my mind because some people who agree or think like him come to his aid. Call it like you see it? That's fine; doesn't make you right or whatever you say the truth. Just makes you an asshole and like a mouthy woman *most* of the time.

Am I doing the exact same thing right now? Yup.

[jshaf]

I know about twenty years ago I almost got hit head on by a lady rushing to pick up her child at the grade school right after a light spring rain, saw her hauling a$$ and knew she was about to lose control. she missed me and hit the car behind me so hard the engine in the Monte Carlo she was driving was ejected from the engine bay. will never forget that. to this day I slow way down and avoid driving in the rain when possible.

[rontammy0]

Basic driving ...adjust your speed to suit conditions......so everyone slow down......that one is free ...I'm charging for anymore advice.

[CWI]

Originally Posted by Comrando

Steer uphill violently while sliding into the ditch that has been designed to catch and stop a car that went off the road if you just took your hands off the wheel and your feet off the pedals.

Washington and Oregon ditches are designed to let water run off. Some are abrupt and quite deep.

Originally Posted by Comrando

First you have to understand that Traction Control helps you to accelerate. It controls engine power to the rear wheels.

Then you have to know that StabiliTrak is what kicks in when you are steering into a skid.

Two different systems.

StabiliTrak will apply brakes at opposite corners of the vehicle when the steering is compared to the wheel speeds to try to help you regain a straight line.
It was a bit weird for me the first time it caught me.

I'm glad you are both okay, the Camaro is a tank.

It doesn't mean the car is broken. It means conditions were to great to overcome.

Stabilitrac is only an assist, not a solution. It is also quite possible the breaking and steering feeling she was getting were simply the build up of water in front of the tires which would feel like breaking. Usually to lose total control of a car at 50 mph would mean all 4 wheels were hydroplaning. It is best to simply let off the gas and try to steer out of it.

In January I had my Silverado all kinds of sideways on black ice near Laramie, WY. Let off the throttle and steered and kept it on the pavement. I was going 65 in an 80 zone. A tanker semi had just passed me at a high rate of speed so I figured if he didn't jackknife I wouldn't have any problems. The problem was he was a lot heavier. My truck being a dually and no weight in the rear broke traction with the 750 lbs of torque the Duramax delivers.

My point is things can happen even when you think you have taken precautions to be in control. It happens.

And before people talk crap, yes I do have experience as a professional driver.

[Russtl]

Originally Posted by Dizzy82

What tires was she running on? Wait, you bought these wheels off a previously wrecked camaro?

No he replaced the wheels before he wrecked the car. He replaced the factory wheels with a $4K set of wheels. We bought his factory wheels. We are in the process of rebuilding the car.

[Russtl]

Originally Posted by Comrando

First you have to understand that Traction Control helps you to accelerate. It controls engine power to the rear wheels.

Then you have to know that StabiliTrak is what kicks in when you are steering into a skid.

Two different systems.

StabiliTrak will apply brakes at opposite corners of the vehicle when the steering is compared to the wheel speeds to try to help you regain a straight line.
It was a bit weird for me the first time it caught me.

I'm glad you are both okay, the Camaro is a tank.

It doesn't mean the car is broken. It means conditions were to great to overcome.

Actually I mispoke. Yes your correct. I meant to say StabiliTrak.

[backeddy]

It would be highly ironic if this is the same set of tires that hydroplaned the last owner into a ditch.

even worse, the owner before him bought them from his buddy that wrecked his car (that he had pictures of).....lottery time!

[Avalnch]

Hydroplaning (complete loss of traction) can make your ABS go into "ice mode" which would limit the car's braking capability. Along with aggressive steering manoeuvring, this will get you into a lot of trouble. Every situation is different, but remaining calm is key.

To prevent hydroplaning, avoid the large pools of water, slow down and make sure your tires are suitable for the conditions. I've even hydroplaned in my Chevy Avalanche with M+S truck tires.

Glad to see that the OP and everyone involved is ok.

[Russtl]

Originally Posted by CWI

Washington and Oregon ditches are designed to let water run off. Some are abrupt and quite deep.



Stabilitrac is only an assist, not a solution. It is also quite possible the breaking and steering feeling she was getting were simply the build up of water in front of the tires which would feel like breaking. Usually to lose total control of a car at 50 mph would mean all 4 wheels were hydroplaning. It is best to simply let off the gas and try to steer out of it.

In January I had my Silverado all kinds of sideways on black ice near Laramie, WY. Let off the throttle and steered and kept it on the pavement. I was going 65 in an 80 zone. A tanker semi had just passed me at a high rate of speed so I figured if he didn't jackknife I wouldn't have any problems. The problem was he was a lot heavier. My truck being a dually and no weight in the rear broke traction with the 750 lbs of torque the Duramax delivers.

My point is things can happen even when you think you have taken precautions to be in control. It happens.

And before people talk crap, yes I do have experience as a professional driver.

Thanks CWI! What made me start the search to find other that may have encountered this is because the person I bought the wheels from is a professional driver. He races professionally and knows these cars inside and out. He is far more experienced than my wife He said that when the car started to slide sideways the wheel froze up. He wasn't able to correct! I wouldn't have posted this if it was just my wife. But when a professional driver and another experienced driver have the same response due to hydroplaning. I think it's time to share the experience and help other be aware of this situation or to correct a potential flaw.

3 separate drivers with 3 different driving skill levels (Novice to Professional), driving the same model cars with the same driving conditions and all 3 said the car basically locked up.

If the car can't drive with the flow of traffic and maintain control then there is something that needs to be looked into.

[Russtl]

Originally Posted by zr1chris

Wait... She "rolled" it? How in the world did she pull that off?
I can't imagine what I'd have to do to roll this car.

After spinning and going into the ditch she high sided and flipped the car. The ditches in the NW are deep!

[Russtl]

Originally Posted by backeddy

even worse, the owner before him bought them from his buddy that wrecked his car (that he had pictures of).....lottery time!

Yes it would be lottery time. However, we had our original factory tires and wheels on the car at the time of the wreck.

[Chevy_cowboy]

Originally Posted by Russtl

Thanks CWI! What made me start the search to find other that may have encountered this is because the person I bought the wheels from is a professional driver. He races professionally and knows these cars inside and out. He is far more experienced than my wife He said that when the car started to slide sideways the wheel froze up. He wasn't able to correct! I wouldn't have posted this if it was just my wife. But when a professional driver and another experienced driver have the same response due to hydroplaning. I think it's time to share the experience and help other be aware of this situation or to correct a potential flaw.

3 separate drivers with 3 different driving skill levels (Novice to Professional), driving the same model cars with the same driving conditions and all 3 said the car basically locked up.

If the car can't drive with the flow of traffic and maintain control then there is something that needs to be looked into.

If the rest of the traffic was similar type of vehicles running wide summer tires, that would be a valid point... but you can't expect a performance car running summer tires rated for dry weather to be comparable or equal to your every day basic transportation car with all seasons and narrow contact patches.

The Camaro will handily outperform those cars in the right weather conditions, but in inclement weather, they have the advantage and trying to keep up with them in standing water will likely end badly.

[PalmerGA]

Originally Posted by gajagfan

I did make up my mind pro driver guy. I am surprised with your superior level of talent that I should have to explain this to you, but I will my fellow Camaro brother. You see, speed is not the only thing that can cause an accident. There are things that happen that older folks like you and I (not trying to say I have your immense skill level as you so often state, but like you, I am no spring chicken) may have acquired a skill set for that others may not have, and no matter what the speed (and let me repeat that since some of us older guys can't hear or see so well) NO MATTER WHAT THE SPEED, the driver may not be able to handle the situation. So to recap, I feel that the accident the OP's wife had was more a result of something she did incorrectly (that may have had nothing to do with speed) than, as OP had asked in his original post, a result of something that the car did through traction control or stabilitrak. Is there some speed that she could have been moving at that would have prevented the hydroplaning? Sure there is, but is it also possible that travel at that speed may have caused many other problems for other drivers? You bet. Slowing down is not always the answer, but then again I am sure you knew that. My comments were meant to be a polite way to suggest that she my need some more instruction to improve as driver, but I guess I handled that all wrong.

Oh... yeah. Okay. So that's what all this meant.

Originally Posted by gajagfan

I guess the rest of us that have experienced hydroplaning can assume that all you genius professional level drivers that are telling OP to slow down have never in your illustrious driving careers ever been going too fast for conditions, and found yourself in a tricky spot. I get none of you "just slow down" guys have ever had an accident that was your fault (because that would confirm you were not quite what you present yourselves to be), but it would seem that by your comments you have never even made a mistake. Truly incredible. It is a pleasure to drive the same make of car you do, though I am sure you do it much better than us normal guys.
OP, I would say that the end result of the accident was not the fault of the traction control or stabilitrak systems, but a mistake made by your wife as she attempted to regain control. Even though I said mistake, there is a chance that there was no way to save it, so I was in no means putting her down.