You really don't want cruise ...

RTTTTed

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I often reply to people stating that they want cruise control in their Vipers. Since I experienced CC full throttle on ice, going up a steep hill in winter while driving my gutless F150 4x4 pick-up I understand this information and what it means. For anyone that wants Cruise control in a fast car or lives where it might rain or snow ...

WERE YOU AWARE?



JUST A HEADS UP PEOPLE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



PLEASE READ ESPECIALLY IF YOU OFTEN DRIVE LONG DISTANCES!!!!!!!!

I Wonder How Many People Know About This:

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 & Kilgore. It was raining, though not excessively, when her car suddenly began to hydro-plane 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 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 when your car begins to hydro-plane and your tires lose contact with the pavement, your car will accelerate to a higher rate of speed making you take off like an airplane.

She told the patrolman that was exactly what had occurred.

The patrolman said this warning should be listed on the driver's 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 control 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.

NOTE: Some vehicles (like the Toyota Sienna Limited XLE) will not allow you to set the cruise control when the windshield wipers are on.

Insurance Corporation of BC.

Turn off the cruise control: Wet roads can cause wheels to spin and lose control. The only way to stop wheels from spinning and maintain control is to immediately reduce power. An activated cruise control system applies continuous power, keeping the wheels spinning. By the time you disengage the cruise control it may be too late – you may have already lost control .

The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia is a provincial Crown corporation established in 1973 to provide universal auto insurance to B.C. motorists . "

Of course our DODGE engineers are smart enough that they could develop a computer controlled unit that would allow cc. That would necessitate Traction Control and electronic throttles as well as an increase in the price of purchasing all Vipers. Nah, don't need it.

Ted
 

GTS Bruce

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I never use cruise on snowy,icy or cold wet roads. Who would?? On the insterstate last week I started spinning the rears on my Tacoma at 80mph. Cold,snowy,somewhat slippery. Had to slow down to 50 to engage 4 wheel drive and pick up the pace again. NO big deal. However cruise might have made it very exciting. GTS Bruce
 

SkyBob

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I never use cruise on snowy,icy or cold wet roads. Who would?? On the insterstate last week I started spinning the rears on my Tacoma at 80mph. Cold,snowy,somewhat slippery. Had to slow down to 50 to engage 4 wheel drive and pick up the pace again. NO big deal. However cruise might have made it very exciting. GTS Bruce

You're kidding, right? Cold, snowy, somewhat slippery and you were goimg 80mph? 4 wheel drive made it NO big deal for you? What about 4 wheel braking?
 

luc

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not to argue with you but a few things don't make sense ( to me at least)
If the tires loose contact with the pavement, not only will the car not be able to accelarate due to this same lack of contact/traction between tires and pavement but as the wheels spin faster the speed sensor will inform the cruise control and reduce the tires speed. (rotations)
The information for the cruise control come from the speed sensor that calculate wheel/axle/driveshaft rotations to deduct the speed of the vehicle, don't see how tires loosing contact will make the CC computer think that it as to increase the rotations
 
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RTTTTed

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Trust me, take a cc'd car that isn't equipped with TC and try it out on snow or ice - but not on the highway. When you're going sideways on a steep hill that has 30-100' embankments you'll become a believer.

... or you should be able to read it in your car's owner's manual.

My uncle emailed this to me and the bottom is the insurance companies 2 cents.

I know what you're saying about "it doesn't make sense to me" as I was driving a '91 Ford F150 pu and it has mechanical CC, not computerized. The only thing I could figure out was that although the speedo was reading about 100mph and I was sideways maybe the cruise control was reading the non-posi wheel? Don't know, never did get a working explanation, but I DID experience it so I know it's true.

Ted
 

white out

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I've never had a problem with cruise in rain or cold weather. I will not use it on snow covered roads.
I've never had a problem with doing 80-90mph on snow-covered highways.
I've never had a problem with the Viper, on the highway, in massive rain storms.

The key, make no sudden movements; that includes braking, turning, accelerating.

If you start to hydroplane with CC on, disengage it; don't slam on the brakes.
If the tail comes out, power out of the slide.

If you're paying attention to what is going on around you, normal driving isn't that difficult.

Nick
 

Skunk Works

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I agree that cruise is a bad idea. I had the opposite problem with traction control in my 99 Formula when I had her. Was going around a curve in the rain (not flying mind you) and the back end came out suddenly... cars traction control cut in and immediately cut power, so I had not way to walk it back straight by using the gas. I used to auto cross for fun (not professionally mind you) and knew how to do a lot of rear end steering and recovery.

I never use the cruise in the rain and I never engage traction control (personal preference only and not intended as advice) on a wet surface. I prefer to have control of the rear end steering when needed.

Great post and I will make sure to pass it on to my other family members as well.
 

Vic

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If a cruise control system is looking at the wheel speeds of all four wheels, (which I think modern systems do), then if the rears start to spin, but the fronts continue normal rotation, then the cruise system program would not continue to accelerate the rears.

Maybe some simple systems only look at the speed sensor at the tranny, and dont figure in front wheel speeds? If so, then that would confirm the reports of cc causing a loss of control in the wet. There is probably more than one way cc systems are set up, since there are so many different manufacturers.
 

Steve 00RT/10

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I never use cruise on snowy,icy or cold wet roads. Who would?? On the insterstate last week I started spinning the rears on my Tacoma at 80mph. Cold,snowy,somewhat slippery. Had to slow down to 50 to engage 4 wheel drive and pick up the pace again. NO big deal. However cruise might have made it very exciting. GTS Bruce

not to argue with you but a few things don't make sense ( to me at least)
If the tires loose contact with the pavement, not only will the car not be able to accelarate due to this same lack of contact/traction between tires and pavement but as the wheels spin faster the speed sensor will inform the cruise control and reduce the tires speed. (rotations)
The information for the cruise control come from the speed sensor that calculate wheel/axle/driveshaft rotations to deduct the speed of the vehicle, don't see how tires loosing contact will make the CC computer think that it as to increase the rotations

I've never had a problem with cruise in rain or cold weather. I will not use it on snow covered roads.
I've never had a problem with doing 80-90mph on snow-covered highways.
I've never had a problem with the Viper, on the highway, in massive rain storms.

The key, make no sudden movements; that includes braking, turning, accelerating.

If you start to hydroplane with CC on, disengage it; don't slam on the brakes.
If the tail comes out, power out of the slide.

If you're paying attention to what is going on around you, normal driving isn't that difficult.

Nick

If a cruise control system is looking at the wheel speeds of all four wheels, (which I think modern systems do), then if the rears start to spin, but the fronts continue normal rotation, then the cruise system program would not continue to accelerate the rears.

Maybe some simple systems only look at the speed sensor at the tranny, and dont figure in front wheel speeds? If so, then that would confirm the reports of cc causing a loss of control in the wet. There is probably more than one way cc systems are set up, since there are so many different manufacturers.


Reading some of this stuff makes me cringe. Ted is EXACTLY right. ....That some of these comments come from states that get snow is even more alarming. I'm guessing White Out lives in a part of MI that doesn't get much...which thankfully means our snow covered paths won't likely cross. He would be dead by now if he lived up here. Only fools drive at 80-90 on snow covered roads whether in 4WD drive or not.

How about black ice on overpasses? Dry roads otherwise. With cruise control vehicles I've owned...power is applied when the wheels slip...kicking the back end out. This can easily occur on level surfaces as well (did to me 25 years ago). I believe it holds true for my 2001 pick up as well.

Let's even assume that the 'new' cruise controls are tied to the ESC/TC systems. Your reaction time is diminished when the vehicle is in cruise....period.

Cruise should never be used in snow, freezing/black ice temps, water on the road rain, and heavy traffic (reaction time again if one claims to be a defensive driver)

Steve
 

Tim

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Every vehicle I have had that has had cruise and it's engaged on a slippery surface will apply throttle to maintain speed and you will go sideways. Even in my 2004 Dodge Ram 4*4 1 ton locked up or in 2 wheel drive will spin out on ice or snow and will take off sideways.

The Viper would be a handful the way it is. As well if you were to hit a little wash board with the cruise engaged the results would be worse. The short wheel base and those wide tires that car will come out from under you faster than any other vehicle out there so you had better be paying attention.

I was going to put cruise on my Viper but after seriously considering it I decided against it for the above reasons. Sure on a perfectly dry high way there would not be a problem but we know things are never perfect for very long.

Tim
 

white out

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Reading some of this stuff makes me cringe. Ted is EXACTLY right. ....That some of these comments come from states that get snow is even more alarming. I'm guessing White Out lives in a part of MI that doesn't get much...which thankfully means our snow covered paths won't likely cross. He would be dead by now if he lived up here. Only fools drive at 80-90 on snow covered roads whether in 4WD drive or not.

Cruise should never be used in snow, freezing/black ice temps, water on the road rain, and heavy traffic (reaction time again if one claims to be a defensive driver)

Steve

I live in Grand Rapids, spent 4 years in Allendale (halfway between GR & Lake Michigan), worked in Lansing, and had a cottage in Bay Harbor. Lots of snow driving, never had a crash, and have never slid off the road (fwd, rwd, awd, & 4wd vehicles).

Like I said, speed doesn't matter. It's keeping a constant speed and being able to know what to do if, by chance, the car/truck does make an immediate action. Also knowing your own personal limits and the limits of the vehicle play major roles.
Ex: I will go 80+mph on a completely snow covered highway in a WRX with snow/all season tires, but won't pass 70mph in my Hummer since there isn't a lot of weight over the rear end.

Viper in rain; treat like snow conditions.

Heavy water/snow on road, don't use cruise. Light of either, or just cold temps; cruise is fine.

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racing on a frozen lake last winter; I'm the third one down with a vehicle weighing more than double of what the competition, and on mud tires, not snow. It doesn't get any more icy than this.
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Nick
 

jdeft1

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Not to disagree because I understand the intent and agree with the PSA...


This is posted in the RT 10 / GTS forum, right? Anybody got CC in their RT10 or GST?? I'm a bit old school and drive a '94... They don't have that stuff on cars I want to drive....... So I passed this good info. on to my wife.
 
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RTTTTed

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I posted this as a safety issue first, but also wanted to answer all those "I want cruise control like a vette." thread guys.

I also posted it to show why NO Viper comes with cruise control.

Ted
 

carguy07

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I posted this as a safety issue first, but also wanted to answer all those "I want cruise control like a vette." thread guys.

I also posted it to show why NO Viper comes with cruise control.

Ted

I agree with you there. Could definitely be an issue with the tires & torque.

Gotta say the cop it a hoot though.:rolaugh:
 

SkyBob

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"your car will accelerate to a higher rate of speed making you take off like an airplane."

If it was only that simple ...
 

R993

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CC is a bad idea in weather. Yesterday it was minus 52 F in Edmonton (ambient not windchill). Instead of CC for the 4x4 I use an old brick. This way I can kick it off it it gets a bit hairy. :)
 

Vic

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"your car will accelerate to a higher rate of speed making you take off like an airplane."

If it was only that simple ...

Dont miss out on your chance to panic!
:panic:
 

ROCKET62

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Not sure what your point of the thread is? If it was to make people aware that it is wrong to use the cruise with rain/snow/ice, fine - but a blanket statement saying cruise control doesnt belong on Viper says just one thing to me - you have never driven your Viper for an extended period of time (that and you did not pay attention in drivers ed.) Having taken a trip from Iowa to Montana this summer - I would have loved to had cruise control.
 
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JKVIPER

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Interesting article. Not sure I really agree with the hypothesis.

I've been driving with cruise control for 30 years. Had cruise on 3 vettes, on my 2006 Viper and have Active Cruise on my 420hp Jaguar XF. Never had an issue in wet weather.

I am definitely more careful engaging the cruise on my viper when roads are wet given the torque factor, no TC and since it is an aftermarket system and does not engage as smooth as I would like.

I was under the impression that cruise control systems calculate the speed from the engine RPMs or transmission RPM. If this is the case, the whole argument of the wheels hydro-planing, spinning and accelerating does not make sense to me.
 

PatentLaw

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More advanced cruise control systems utilize the wheel speed sensors differently and have diagnostics built into the CPU of the system to allow for corrections to weather conditions. This warning is good practice for all, but the newer systems take this into account.

Vehicle dynamics are very difficult and costly to program. There are many patents and patent applications related to overcoming these problems.
 

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