boxster vs rain = accident! - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

donjuan143 · 02-23-2006, 06:39 AM

last night i was driving in the rain and all of a sudden the car spinned and i crashed into a fence!! the ABS and the traction control didnt do me no good!!
i was driving straight and the car spinned by itself! even the traction didnt go ON!!.
ill never trust my car again

.

02-23-2006, 06:56 AM

Sorry to hear about your accident.

Are you sure your car has PSM (Porsche Stability Management)? It is always "ON", unless you turn it off manually. And, in the event of certain situations, I think it will turn back on automatically.

RandallNeighbour · 02-23-2006, 07:19 AM

Even with brand new tires, my car doesn't have the stability I need to feel safe. So it stays in the garage unless the weather is sunny and warm. Sorry to hear about your accident. Can you get quality repair work done where you live?

denverpete · 02-23-2006, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by donjuan143

last night i was driving in the rain and all of a sudden the car spinned and i crashed into a fence!! the ABS and the traction control didnt do me no good!!
i was driving straight and the car spinned by itself! even the traction didnt go ON!!.
ill never trust my car again

.

Compared to the previous posts this is going to come off harsh - but after seeing so many similar accidents, I think it needs to be said.

Cars don't "suddenly spin" for no good reason. ABS and TC don't make your car "bullet proof" for the weather! Sounds to me like you hydro-planed which is a good indication of driving too fast for the conditions. I also wouldn't be surprised to find that your tires don't have enough tread left to channel the water.

You sound just like the people in Colorado who blame their their 4-Wheel drive vehicle after sliding into a ditch when it snows. Never mind that there's a foot of snow and they're driving like the roads are dry. It's funny, I've been driving my Boxster (no traction control) in rain and snow and have yet to "suddenly spin" off the road.

As my Dad used to say, "It's a poor mechanic who blames his tools".

dennizxxx · 02-23-2006, 07:36 AM

i must say, i have driven conservatively in the snow like conditions and heavy rain..but have yet to notice anything out of the ordinary..

perhaps donjuan143 can elaborate...icy conditions, could it be a mechanical issue..??

Ronzi · 02-23-2006, 08:25 AM

Bah, rain ... indeed.

denverpete · 02-23-2006, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ronzi

Bah, rain ... indeed.

LOL - just got that. I would have expected that from Rail26....

limoncello · 02-23-2006, 08:55 AM

I agree with Denver - sounds like hydroplaning because of the sudden spin and lack of ability to recover. Once the tires are separated from the pavement by a thin film of water, there is NO traction. It ends when the tire contacts another non-water surface, either on the road or off. I have hydroplaned (in other cars) briefly on puddles but caught it on the other side. Not a good feeling at all.

Defense against hydroplaning:
1. Slow down. The higher the speed, the sooner a tire will hydroplane. In heavy downpours I drop to 45 or so, less if visibility is a factor.
2. Tire choice: some of the Boxster OEM rated tires are known as being notoriously bad on wet roads, like Pirellis. Others are better. My Sumitomos (I know, cheap tire) are great on wet roads.
3. Tire wear: Any tire will hydroplane more quickly if it's worn, since the grooves are shallower and move less water. A car in front of me left the road abruptly during a rain shower in Florida. No one else hydroplaned, and we were all going the same speed. The car was an older car - I suspect the tires were worn. Boxsters go through tires quickly.
4. Road construction: Roads in rainy areas are sloped to get the water off the road. Also, many roads are grooved to allow the water to move off, yet still offer some contact with tires at the top ridges of the grooves. In dry climates this may not be the case, so when it does rain, the water stays on the road longer.

Sorry to hear about the accident, hope it's repairable, and good luck.

eslai · 02-23-2006, 10:00 AM

Traction control is kind of like air bags--it's a secondary restraint system, you still need your seat belts.

If you hit a puddle and are either turning or accelerating you can definitely expect the car to do some unpredictable things, regardless of traction control. But anyhow, you don't need the San Diegan giving advice on how to drive in the rain.

Sorry to hear about your accident, but don't let it kill your joy of the car!

stucatz · 02-23-2006, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by denverpete

Compared to the previous posts this is going to come off harsh - but after seeing so many similar accidents, I think it needs to be said.

Cars don't "suddenly spin" for no good reason. ABS and TC don't make your car "bullet proof" for the weather! Sounds to me like you hydro-planed which is a good indication of driving too fast for the conditions. I also wouldn't be surprised to find that your tires don't have enough tread left to channel the water.

You sound just like the people in Colorado who blame their their 4-Wheel drive vehicle after sliding into a ditch when it snows. Never mind that there's a foot of snow and they're driving like the roads are dry. It's funny, I've been driving my Boxster (no traction control) in rain and snow and have yet to "suddenly spin" off the road.

As my Dad used to say, "It's a poor mechanic who blames his tools".

Well said, DP

Excellent balance and handling is great but you still need to be mindful of the driving conditions.

denverpete · 02-23-2006, 01:39 PM

Jim brings up a good point regarding tire width. Any vehicle with wide tires is at a disadvantage when dealing with rain or snow.

Big fat wide tires on SUVs, while cool looking and extremely popular, are actually counter-productive in the snow (not our current topic). Not only is your lb/sq in decreased, but they also have a tendancy to "track" or follow grooves in the snow. If pushing a new path they will also wander as slight variations in direction cause snow to build up on one side of the tire.

I agree that the Porsche is primarily a "fair-weathered" vehicle. But it is most definately capable (and perfectly happy) to take be a nearly all-weather vehicle. As with any vehicle, it should not be driven beyond it's capabilities. With the first snow storm in Denver I took my Boxster into a parking lot to test starting, stopping, and turning abilities. With the stock tires it was horrendous. After switching to snow tires, I again tested it in a snow storm and found it had greatly improved. Note that I said improved - it's still requires careful throttle application, steering, and braking. I also performed the same actions in the rain. With the knowledge gained from that testing I now know what it can and cannot do along with the warning signs and reprecussions of what happens if pushed too far.

donjuan143 · 02-23-2006, 01:41 PM

here are pictures of my accident.
in bahrain it rarely rains, and last night it rained for the first time of this year.
i guess my porsche is not used to such a weather!

blinkwatt · 02-23-2006, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by donjuan143

here are pictures of my accident.
in bahrain it rarely rains, and last night it rained for the first time of this year.
i guess my porsche is not used to such a weather!

WHOA looks like you car went through alot.

denverpete · 02-23-2006, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by donjuan143

here are pictures of my accident.
in bahrain it rarely rains, and last night it rained for the first time of this year.
i guess my porsche is not used to such a weather!

Right. The Porsche. BAD PORSCHE!

Jeph · 02-23-2006, 02:40 PM

This may sound weird, but I think it is really cool that you have a picture of yourself at the site of your wreck -with the wrecked car. I can't explain it, but I dig it.

And it looks like you hit pretty hard too. Good to see you're ok bro.

ephidaboost · 02-23-2006, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by donjuan143

here are pictures of my accident.
in bahrain it rarely rains, and last night it rained for the first time of this year.
i guess my porsche is not used to such a weather!

Hey man sorry about the accident. It hurts a little to see those pictures.

porscheguy · 02-23-2006, 04:04 PM

screw the car man! atleast you're okay. Thats what i tell myself when crap like this happens

9000RPMan · 02-23-2006, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by donjuan143

here are pictures of my accident.
in bahrain it rarely rains, and last night it rained for the first time of this year.
i guess my porsche is not used to such a weather!

I think you must also consider the effect of rain on a road that has built up a lot of dust, rubber and oil from the passing traffic. I once read where the initial part of a rain event is the most dangerous. The oil and water (rain) will not mix, and until the rain has carried away the oil and other material it is like driving on ice.

p.s. donjuan are you going to the Grand Prix on March 12?