I got the message below in an e-mail from a friend. I don't think that modern cruise control systems would work in this way. I notice that when you press the clutch in or hit the brake, the cruise disengages. I would suspect if the VDC system detects any spin it would disengage cruise. In any case here is the e-mail.

A 36 year old female had an accident several weeks ago and totaled her
car. A resident of Kilgore, Texas, she was traveling between Gladewater and Kilgore. It was raining, though not excessive, when her car suddenly began to hydroplane and literally flew through the air.
She was not seriously injured but very stunned at the sudden occurrence!
When she explained to the highway patrolman what had happened he told her something that every driver should know -NEVER DRIVE IN THE RAIN WITH YOUR CRUISE CONTROL ON. She had thought she was being cautious by setting the cruise control and maintaining a safe consistent speed in the rain.
But the highway patrolman told her that if the cruise control is on and your car begins to hydroplane -- when your tires lose contact with the pavement your car will accelerate to a higher rate of speed and you take off like an airplane. She told the patrolman that was exactly what had occurred. We all know you have little or no control over a car when it begins to hydroplane. You are at the mercy of the Good Lord.
The highway patrol estimated her car was actually traveling through the air at 10 to 15 miles per hour faster than the speed set on the cruise control.
The patrolman said this warning should be listed, on the drivers seat sun-visor - NEVER USE THE CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THE PAVEMENT IS WET OR ICY, along with the airbag warning. We tell our teenagers to set the cruise control and drive a safe speed-but we don't tell them to use the cruise c ontrol only when the pavement is dry.
The only person the accident victim found, who knew this (besides the patrolman), was a man who had had a similar accident, totaled his car and sustained severe injuries. If you send this to 15 people and only one of them doesn't know about this, then it was all worth it. You might have saved a life.


Jim
'03.5 Sedan
Brilliant Silver/Graphite
6MT/ Premium package
Sport tuned suspension
Nismo Body Kit
Navigation and Satellite Radio
Z-Tube/JDM battery cover

 

I, too, would be surprised if a modern cruise control system responded to hydroplaning this way. Sounds like a case for Snopes.com, the best place on the Internet to verify urban legends.

But Snopes labels this rumor "true." I think they're doing a bit of social engineering, in that it's good advice to not use the cruise control when it's wet or icy. And they don't offer any proof of flying through the air like an airplane. So I don't know how true it is, but if you want further details, here's their page on it:

http://www.snopes.com/autos/techno/wetroad.asp

 

"when your tires lose contact with the pavement your car will accelerate to a higher rate of speed and you take off like an airplane"

See, now that right there 1) makes no sense and 2) is ridiculous. Although the incident may have been proven, what the highway patrolman said is a bucket of ****.

...Although while I agree that driving in the rain with cruise control on is probably NOT the best thing to do, 'taking off like an airplane' is like something out of Charlie and the Chocolate factory.

Jase aka Doogie
04 G35S

 

I can't say that I use cruise more than once every month or two, and can't see why anybody would use it in the rain...

2004 Sedan -- 3M Clear Bra - Bought on eBay and DIY -- Ski racks are on and waiting for snow!

 

With the new adaptive cruise control that's already out on some Infiniti models, you can set your car to follow a set distance behind the car in front of you. It's even capable of slamming on the brakes if the car in front slows suddenly. I can see using that type of cruise control pretty often. But definitely not in heavy rain.

 

Doogie:

I'm with you on this one.

How would the car "take off like an airplane" if it lost traction? The only way these cars accelerate (rain or otherwise), is via the traction generated by the wheels against the road surface (as is the case with EVERY earthbound car), and if you've lost traction, you will SLOW DOWN, not accelerate!

Unless the "G" has some sort of jet pump drive for use under water, or a rocket or other method of accelerating using the air as it's medium, then the car cannot "accelerate" once it has broken traction - simple grammar school physics, really.

Sport Sedan Fan - 2004 6MT Sedan
Sport/Navigation/Premium/Aero; "Invisiguard" Bra, Madico Onyx Tint
Obsidian Black/Graphite & "Titanium"
SHE'S SILVER & BLACK - GO RAIDERS!

 

I have seen that email before. My wife sent it to me so I looked at the owners manual on the G to see what it said.

It does not say specifically consequences of driving in the rain w/ it on. However, it does suggest that you should NOT drive in the rain with ther cruise control on.

g4ian

 

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr>

With the new adaptive cruise control that's already out on some Infiniti models, you can set your car to follow a set distance behind the car in front of you. It's even capable of slamming on the brakes if the car in front slows suddenly. I can see using that type of cruise control pretty often. But definitely not in heavy rain.

<hr></blockquote>

The adaptive system is not an Accident Prevention system! It will NOT slam the brakes, rather it will slow the car down using up to 25% of the brake power and will disengage when the vehicle speed drops below 20 miles.

Ok with this out of the way, you guys aren't considering something something in your theory:

When the tires lose traction as you all correctly pointed out the car will slow down during the few seconds til they gain traction again, in this few seconds the cruise system is sensing the car losing speed and will increas throtle to compensate the reduced speed and on an Automatic car this would probably lead to a downshift and although you are actually slowing down, the moment your tires gain traction again you will accelerate at a higher rate and by the time the cruise control finds out you are over the set speed and tries to ease up the throtle you could easily be going 10 miles over the set speed.

However, this will not apply to a G35 or any car with some kind of a Traction Control system since as soon as the system kicks in it will kill the cruise control automatically.

Having said all of this, I don't think its a wise idea to use the cruise during rain, showers or snow.




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