Have you seen this?

[act2617]

How things change !!!!!!!!

http://www.breakthechain.org/exclusives/cruise.html

[Des]

Originally Posted by act2617

How things change !!!!!!!!

http://www.breakthechain.org/exclusives/cruise.html

Good spot act2617!

[Trevor 57]

(2/6/2003) Nothing moves advice around the 'net faster than anecdotal evidence of what could actually happen to you if you don't heed it. Even in cases where the advice stands up, the story illustrating it rarely does. This one may be an exception, but there are still reasons to be skeptical. . .

I have been unable to locate the Bill Norris who supposedly authored this tale (His is a surprisingly common name). That said, there's little reason to doubt its authenticity. The area described in the letter is real and the advice sound. It's likely that Norris only intended the note for his friends and family and didn't expect it to be widely circulated, that's why he didn't do more to identify himself. . .

Automotive experts, manufacturers and highway patrolmen advise against using a vehicle's cruise control on wet or icy pavement. Doing so can delay your reaction to situations that often offer only fractions of a second to maintain or regain control. To do so, you must reduce power and slow the wheels so that the tires can once again grip the pavement.

But not all cars will "accelerate to a high rate of speed" when they hydroplane. Rather, your vehicle's wheels will maintain the speed set by the cruise control. If set at 50 mph, the tires will continue to rotate at that rate - they will not suddenly accelerate out of control just because they aren't in contact with the road. The lone exception is vehicles whose speed is metered on the non-drive axles.

This means that some cars will, so to all of those out there who is was B-S, I rest my case!!!!!

[jabba]

Originally Posted by Big_Trev

This means that some cars will, so to all of those out there who is was B-S, I rest my case!!!!!

I would like to know why some poeple would think that thay would know more then a person who does driver training for a living.........

[Gammaboy]

Originally Posted by Big_Trev

This means that some cars will, so to all of those out there who is was B-S, I rest my case!!!!!

So you rest your whole case on defying the laws of physics, as outlined on an urban myth debunking website?
Nice. You wanna let Newton know he was wrong?

[XR-ENVI]

Originally Posted by Big_Trev

If the brake light switch breaks (which is common on these models) then what he is saying is correct. I am not sure about the lights though, however when I blew a brake light fuse, the cruise wouldn't work.

BTW i am a she!!

[Wokkas]

In theory, as the back tyres lose traction, thus taking resistance off the drive-line, the engine would increase in revs significantly, BEFORE, the cruise control had a chance to re-adjust throttle position. Then, if the rear tyres found traction again before the engine had a chance to rev-down, it would be possible to accellerate SLIGHTLY (depending on what the throttle possition was when in cruise conrtol, engine type, etc etc). Mind you, this would all have to happen in the split second or so it takes for the cruise control to re-adjust the throttle.
But as Jabba and others have said, that point of re-traction with the engine possibly at peak revs, can be extremely uncontrollable and unpredictable.

Certainly possible though.

Also, there are many things that appear to defy the laws of physics, gravity and nature, UNTIL they are fully explained, and understood.

[Trevor 57]

Originally Posted by XR-ENVI

BTW i am a she!!

Sorry about that.

[Rollin]

Wokkas probably has the most accurate explanation:

vehicle requires, say, 20kw to maintain 100km/h with cruise on. (10% throttle opening for arguments sake)

rear tyres loose traction (prevailing conditions must be horrific, or tyres must be stuffed, if there is enough water on the road to make both front and rear wheels loose traction)

engine is no longer 'driving' the vehicle, its driving wheels floating on water, requiring ~5kw to maintain 100km/h wheel speed, obviously, with 20kw on tap the wheels start to accelerate, though actual vehicle is not accelerating.

cruise module notices sharp increase in acceleration of drive wheels and closes the throttle, car slows down.

some systems are programmed to notice an excessive accel or decel and switch off - which is why its generally impossible to set cruise when the car suspended on a hoist - and the hydroplane condition may be enough to switch the cruise totally off.

the reason the car feels like it is accelerating is because you arent the one making it accelerate - the reason most cars feel so much faster from the passenger seat, and why oversteer is fun when you are the driver, but terrifying for the passengers!

the moral is cruise control doesnt make you crash, it maintains the speed you have set it to. if you choose to set the cruise to a speed which is unsafe for the prevailing conditions and/or the vehicles' capabilities, then you should be prepared for unpleasant consequences

[Trevor 57]

Originally Posted by Rollin

. . . the moral is cruise control doesnt make you crash, it maintains the speed you have set it to. if you choose to set the cruise to a speed which is unsafe for the prevailing conditions and/or the vehicles' capabilities, then you should be prepared for unpleasant consequences

Absolutely spot on

[SPK-250]

It seems to me everyone is thinking the lady crashed off in a straight direction when she aquaplaned. If all four wheels lose traction and the cruise control did just happen to momentarily zing, then is not possible the car could have turned around on itself causing a "flat slide". What happens if your doing a "drift" per se' in your car? when you get sideways the back wheels want to slow down so you feed the gas and hey, you do a slide. So in theory and more so reality, in the split seconds that her accident happened before applying brake (or clutch just for the argument), her back wheels would have started to slow due to being sideways causing the cruise control module to sense it was maybe going up a hill, therefore applying some throttle and making her situation worse. I think people are getting too upset over this warning that has been given. I'll admit i have never thought of it either but i wont stop using cruise control because i'm a bit lazy. :