Hey guys/gals,

I just have a quick question (Im not sure if this is the correct place to post this question..the Mod's can move it ..I have no problem). It has been raining up here in NY for 2 days now and some of the old Parkways are starting to get flooded (Example Bronx River Parkway, I believe the first parkway in the US which was originaly a one lane and now 2).

My questions is, last night I was driving down the BRP and there was an SUV in front of me, the person hit a puddle of water Hydroplaned (sp?) and went into a ditch. I stopped help the poor lady and went on my way....10 minutes later still on the BRP I went passed a puddle of water I think the same if not bigger than the SUV had lost control from and My baby didnt even steer to the left or right. Is this because the car is "Lower" to the ground? Or is there another reason why this car is so good in wet conditions?

PS: My Trac Crontol did not kick in and I have the stock tires and have not lowered my car.....YET.... :D

 

The car is pretty stable but don't let that fool you. Go alittle faster or hit a big enogh puddle ,and it will do some uncanny stuff. Trust me I've been there

 

I think its the fact that some not all suv drivers think they are invincible in all weather conditions.

 

well i would watch out but not worry, many factors are in hydoplaining or not. Like tire tread depth. New tires (depending on cut) can push the water out fast and keep traction w/ the ground. Chances are that the SUV had very used or even bald tires which will hydoplain in a F'ing desert. and changing lanes quickly or any fast movements can also tend to increase the chance of hydroplaining (including hard breaking)

 

only thing to worry is that if you lower it u may hydrolock it. i went through a huge puddle i didnt even see and came out doing 20mph and couldnt accelerate. so i reved it smoke blew out and it started to go after about 5 different lights blinked at me. they went away in about 5minutes tho

 

Couple things to consider here ....

1. The xB does have a low center of gravity.
2. Your stock tires, narrow and new.

I was driving the the pooring rain yesterday from Philly to Holmdel ( exit 114 of the NJ parkway ) so it was about 90 miles; 50 or so was on the NJ Turnpike. On the way back it was raining pretty hard out, and i too was impressed with the handling of the car in wet weather. I was doing 80MPH easy. I do notice that with the wider tire, it holds the road better when driving through large puddles of standing water, but at 80MPH, i was keeping a close eye on the road, avoiding puddles all together. The only thing that ____es me off about the xB and wet weather, is the windshield. the front windshield is so perpendicular to the road, that even road spray from other cars coats the windshield with mist/spray/water faster then in my Neon. I find that even if im behind another car, i have to bump my wipers up to the fastest setting just to keep my windshield clear. Just annoying.

BTW, i have the Nankang NS-1s, and they handle great in wet and dry weather. All around great tire.

BTW again, is the intermitant setting adjustable, or is it a set time from the factory? Im too lazy to look in my manual.

 

It's a set time from the factory. I have been trying to figure out a way to change it since Feb 3 when I got mine :D

 

yeah...as someone who took a turn a lil too quick in the rain on the stock tires...rims and tires are probaly gonna be the first think I get this summer once I've gotten a lil more money...my Box is gonna be my daily driver and I will be driving in Baltimore and DC a lot...so I want something that will be smooth and handle pot holes well....

any suggestions?

sorry I'm still new to this whole thing but love(d) my box for the 4 days I drove it...

 

I used to put rain-x on my Chevy Astro windshields because of the similiar angle, I think I will try to find that bottle and try it on the boxes. I will let you guys know how it works!

 

I used to use Rain-X alot, matter of fact, my dealer put some on while doing the PDI, but now its all washed off. This may be a result of using the Mr. Clean car wash system. Ill have to reapply some and see ....

 

I can tell you that the roads here in Dirty Jersey are not in the best of shape, and my 17s have handled the road well, so far (knock on wood). I am running with a 215/45R17 tire, which gives a little more in the side wall, the distance between the wheel and the road. Pics are availible below in my sig.

BTW, im looking into installing the Tein H series spring, to give my back some releif from the stock xB ride.

 

It could also be that the SUV had a lower tire pressure.

as a rule of thumb you can begin to hydroplane you tires at 5 to 7 times the square root of the tire pressure.

So for example your tires are pumped to 35psi. That is about 36 which when squre rooted is 6. so you can begin hydroplane your tires at about 30 to 42 mph.

if your tire pressure was 25 it would be 25 to 35 mph. so even if you were both going 30mph (where both of you could be hydroplaning) the car with the lower pressure tires will have to slow down more before they can regain control of their car.

It also has to deal with tire width and tread design, but this is just a rule of thumb.

 

Here in Houston tx, which is noutorious for flash flooding and lots of rain. I too had the same experience. I was very impressed with the handling on the wet road. I tried some quick turns in the rain and still very stable. I would of lost it in my truck. It could be a number of factors, low gravity, new tires and characteristics, tracktion control, driving habits, but I believe that the car just handles well in the rain. I also tried very hard (very hard) to get the traction control warning to go off. This car is very stable just stock. Of course, be very careful in the rain and don't let your guard down, it's a car, you drive the car, the car doesn't drive you.

 

I have actually had my traction control go off twice, both times in the rain, both times from a stand still to acceleration. Yes, i have an automatic.