W3526602 Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 Hi, Take a look at http://forum.difflock.com/viewtopic.php?t=7901 Other than pointing you at this discussion, I'm keeping my neck well wound in. But i'm going to read your replies, assuming there are any. 602 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Newell Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 Absolute cobblers frankly! Cruise control takes its road speed signal from the vehicle's drive train so if the wheels were slipping as they do when hydroplaning occurs it would actually register that as an increase in speed and back off the throttle. Unless the tyres are severely worn down it is almost impossible to hydroplane (we call it aquaplaning in Britain) a car unless there is a large volume of standing water. As the stroy says it was raining but not hard I find it difficult to beleive that the cruise control had anything to do with it. I would say the accident (if it ever happened at all) was caused by driver inattentiveness. Oh yes, car's do not just take off and fly through the air. The aerodynamics of a car will not generate enough lift to get its mass into the air, even if it did manage to get airborne the flight would be over almost as soon as it began because the moment the drive wheels leave the ground forward velocity reduces because of air resistance. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 I agree with Dave. If the vehicle was acquaplaning the driver can not have had control over speed or direction, since the wheels were running on water, and not on the road. The vehicle must have clipped a bank or kerb while acquaplaning out of control, and that alone will have caused it to "take off". Lack of attention to speed, and too much reliance on the cruise control!Funny they don't say what speed the "cruise" was set to, isn't it? Drive down a wet road at 70, and hit standing water, and you can easily get waterborne! The water only needs to be a bit deeper than the tread depth, so with even 3mm of tread, 6mm of water might be enough, and many people run their tyres with less that 3mm remaining!However, I think anyone who uses cruise control while driving on ice is probably certifiable under the Mental Health Acts! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millhey Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 Couldn't agree more. My limited knowledge of aquaplaning relates to that of aeroplanes, where the initial aquaplaning speed may be calculated as being equal to 9vP, where P is the tyre pressure. This means that a typical motorhome with, say, a tyre pressure of 65 psi, may start to aquaplane at about 72 mph. Having said that, an aircraft's wheels are not driven, and may well stop rotating completely during aquaplaning, and won't start going round again until well below the initial speed. I'm quite sure Dave's right, in that with a driven vehicle, the cruise control would have helped, rather cause the accident. Quite frankly though, I think if you're using cruise control at that sort of speed on a wet road, then you may well be asking for trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 Belated April Fool's me thinks ... although removing the April bit I seem to think the 'fools' bit could be applicable to most of this posting's contributors!!! (lol) (lol) (lol) C'mon lads ... cruise..... B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millhey Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 C'mon then, explain? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 Just dug out the handbook on my Granada, it says cruise control should not be used in heavy rain, icey conditions, or snow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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