Porsche "Wet Mode" to Reduce Hydroplaning

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Originally Posted by fdcg27
It's just that we've all experienced hydroplaning and this Porsche system seems unlikely to do much to ameliorate it.

How so?
 
Originally Posted by rooflessVW
Typical BiTOG thread.

Technology bad.

German car buyer dumb.

Ugga ugga.

Hydroplaning can catch anyone out. How is tech that makes everyone safer a bad thing? If Chevrolet was developing this tech for the new 'Vette, you'd all be signing their praises.


There already is the existing traction control system which actively interferes in situations like this.

Nobody is saying technology is bad, but questioning the usefulness of such as it adds yet another system to an already complex system. Let's think critically about this feature for a moment and how it operates in real world conditions.
In real world when driving in the rain the driver has both visual, audio, and tactile queues with regards to hydroplaning: Visual; seeing large puddles or movement of water across the pavement. Tactile; "feel" the vehicle enter deeper water either through the steering wheel and/or seat of the pants. Audio; hearing change the increase in volume as additional water splashes against the wheel wells.

So this Porsche system now requires the driver to process (visually) and validate (compare to what he/she is feeling/seeing/hearing) an additional input which with 100 percent certainty increases the reaction time by the driver. There's no reason to believe that drivers who aren't already paying attention to their conditions will magically pay attention to and process the meaning of an idiot light. This system is like ABS or Traction Control where these systems both notify the driver and interfere in the operation of the vehicle.
 
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I have had a more basic system … GM's StabiliTrak save me from lack of awareness in the rain …

Now the lane departure thing?
I'm still getting used to having the steering wheel nudged by Alexa under the hood …

BTW… rented a 2019 Fusion Hybrid and found the front sonar system worked very well navigating slower traffic at 75 mph It reached out further than the Tahoe so I got retrained … Enjoyed the car …
 
It's sounds like:

The car will recognize standing water.

Ding!

Press "ok" to activate "wet mode."

Done.

Just like current German cars Ding! at 37°F. Just like activating a car's "snow mode." It takes no time, it takes no thought, and it can only help.
 
Originally Posted by d00df00d
Originally Posted by fdcg27
It's just that we've all experienced hydroplaning and this Porsche system seems unlikely to do much to ameliorate it.

How so?


Might just as well ask you how it will.
Seems as though it won't do much if anything.
Not a while lot that can be done to prevent hydroplaning in water more than a quarter inch or so in depth.
 
So, Porsche didn't think to use the windshield wipers to active "wet mode", so instead, in typical German fashion, made things overly complicated?
 
Originally Posted by UG_Passat
So, Porsche didn't think to use the windshield wipers to active "wet mode", so instead, in typical German fashion, made things overly complicated?




This would have been a great way to activate the system automatically.

A driver can suddenly drive over a portion of road that does not drain well. So in that moment when you feel the car hydroplaning you reach for the button and activate the Wet Mode? It's too late.

On the Mazda awd system, if the wipers are going and the temperature is 35F or lower the system assumes that the roads are icy or snow covered. Predictive systems are better in these situations.

Now I can understand somewhat why Porsche would not do this. It might take away from the performance.
 
Originally Posted by fdcg27
Originally Posted by d00df00d
Originally Posted by fdcg27
It's just that we've all experienced hydroplaning and this Porsche system seems unlikely to do much to ameliorate it.

How so?


Might just as well ask you how it will.
Seems as though it won't do much if anything.
Not a while lot that can be done to prevent hydroplaning in water more than a quarter inch or so in depth.

More downforce to increase ground pressure

Softer torque buildup and (for AWD) more front-biased power delivery to reduce the odds of sudden breakaway in the back

Lower activation threshold for stability and traction control for faster and more positive intervention


Seems pretty plausible to me.

No, it probably won't save a recklessly inattentive idiot doing 150 through deep standing water. And smoke detectors probably won't save you if you take too much Ambien while a toddler plays with a flamethrower downstairs. And chemo probably won't save you from stage IV pancreatic cancer. And a bulletproof vest probably won't save a cop from a bomb. So what?
 
Originally Posted by d00df00d
Originally Posted by fdcg27
Originally Posted by d00df00d
Originally Posted by fdcg27
It's just that we've all experienced hydroplaning and this Porsche system seems unlikely to do much to ameliorate it.

How so?


Might just as well ask you how it will.
Seems as though it won't do much if anything.
Not a while lot that can be done to prevent hydroplaning in water more than a quarter inch or so in depth.

More downforce to increase ground pressure

Softer torque buildup and (for AWD) more front-biased power delivery to reduce the odds of sudden breakaway in the back

Lower activation threshold for stability and traction control for faster and more positive intervention


Seems pretty plausible to me.

No, it probably won't save a recklessly inattentive idiot doing 150 through deep standing water. And smoke detectors probably won't save you if you take too much Ambien while a toddler plays with a flamethrower downstairs. And chemo probably won't save you from stage IV pancreatic cancer. And a bulletproof vest probably won't save a cop from a bomb. So what?


More like an immeasurably small increase in downforce within the dimensional limitations of the aero aids that could be deployed and less power which the driver will defeat with his right foot when he sees the car slowing.
More drive to the front will accomplish nothing, since anyone with much FWD experience has seen the engine rev up in hydroplaning encounters. I know that I have.
The rest of your post is irredeemably silly and undeserving of any response.
 
Seems like Porsche engineers were looking for a practical use for their 'wet tires' microphone sensor rather than looking for (yet) another way to detect wet roads for the purpose of fiddling with ESC and aero settings. The method to determine wet tires is indeed clever, but also pretty useless.
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Originally Posted by fdcg27
More like an immeasurably small increase in downforce within the dimensional limitations of the aero aids that could be deployed and less power which the driver will defeat with his right foot when he sees the car slowing.
More drive to the front will accomplish nothing, since anyone with much FWD experience has seen the engine rev up in hydroplaning encounters.

Not less power. Less abrupt power onset.

Is there seriously not a bone in your body that says "this doesn't seem to me like it'd work, but Porsche obviously knows what they're doing, so maybe I should give them the benefit of the doubt"? Or do you think you're perceptive enough to read one third-party article and conclude that some of the best engineers in the world are producing something with no merit whatsoever?

The rest of my post was analogy. The fact that something doesn't save you from the worst possible scenario doesn't mean it's useless.
 
Nope, not useless, just a bit excessive IMO.

Just as ABS can't stop you when there is no traction on ice, this setup won't save an idjit driver. Another great example of too many electronic nannies which may give aforementioned idjit a false sense of confidence.
 
Originally Posted by d00df00d
Originally Posted by fdcg27
More like an immeasurably small increase in downforce within the dimensional limitations of the aero aids that could be deployed and less power which the driver will defeat with his right foot when he sees the car slowing.
More drive to the front will accomplish nothing, since anyone with much FWD experience has seen the engine rev up in hydroplaning encounters.

Not less power. Less abrupt power onset.

Is there seriously not a bone in your body that says "this doesn't seem to me like it'd work, but Porsche obviously knows what they're doing, so maybe I should give them the benefit of the doubt"? Or do you think you're perceptive enough to read one third-party article and conclude that some of the best engineers in the world are producing something with no merit whatsoever?

The rest of my post was analogy. The fact that something doesn't save you from the worst possible scenario doesn't mean it's useless.



I suspect that the Porsche folks have come up with the best solution they could for a difficult problem.
The quality of their engineers is debatable, since cost no object engineering isn't all that hard.
Whether this setup will actually do anything would require that you drive a car so equipped in the prolonged heavy rain conditions that typically bring hydroplaning events.
Would this system do something?
Maybe.
Would it eliminate hydroplaning at moderate highway speeds?
I doubt it.
Been their, experienced it even on good tires and while I found hydroplaning to be a quickly over with non-event, I know I didn't like it.
 
A good example would be driving on grooved pavement in heavy rain. I would wonder if the system would detect the different sound pattern of grooved pavement vs regular pavement?

In the places around here that utilize grooved pavement I drive with caution. They say it's for better drainage but I think there is reduced contact between tire and pavement. Add heavy rain and it's a mess.
 
Originally Posted by fdcg27
The quality of their engineers is debatable, since cost no object engineering isn't all that hard.

Would Porsche as profitable as it is if cost were no object? I don't think so.

Originally Posted by fdcg27
Would this system do something?
Maybe.
Would it eliminate hydroplaning at moderate highway speeds?
I doubt it.

They don't claim it eliminates anything. They just claim it helps, which I think you'd agree is pretty plausible.
 
Originally Posted by PimTac
A good example would be driving on grooved pavement in heavy rain. I would wonder if the system would detect the different sound pattern of grooved pavement vs regular pavement?

In the places around here that utilize grooved pavement I drive with caution. They say it's for better drainage but I think there is reduced contact between tire and pavement. Add heavy rain and it's a mess.

Grooved pavement does reduce contact area but it also drastically increases ground pressure. Net result is less grip in most conditions, but far less risk of hydroplaning in very heavy rain.

Overall, I don't like it, either -- though I see the argument for it in some cases.
 
It seems there is no end to the nannies.
Lane departure... the car steers for you.
Automatic Braking... ugh.
Drowsy stopper... vibrates seat and steering wheel... wake up dummy! Wow.
Even the low fuel warning light... umm... it has a fuel gauge, right?
The auto industry is actively working on more ways to protect us from ourselves. And most of all, let us remember that we did this to ourselves.
At what point will we realize we all have ADD and we simply aren't able to watch the road anymore, and we all should be in autonomous vehicles?
Like the article that says we should put something important in the back seat to remind us that our kids are back there. Yes, we are doing this to ourselves.

Originally Posted by Pelican
Mine has a system that can be transferred from car to car it's called "My Right Foot" it works wonderfully especially when connected to the optional "Common Sense" application, that makes it foolproof !


*sigh* I miss the good old days... smart, courteous driving and common sense are GONE.
 
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