Spun out my Probe
02-12-2006, 04:34 PM
#1
Spun out my Probe
I just got back tonight. I was on the highway driving to a college and back to my college. I got to the other college fine but about 5 miles away from my college, I spun out.
I was doing about 45 on the snow laden highway (anyone from NJ can tell you that we got owned by snow) when I made a lane change to avoid my lane that became filled with more snow up ahead. Suddenly, I felt my rear end come out. Keeping the advice I've gotten on this board in mind, I modulated the throttle but my car's rear end went to the right. I was aware that there was a car to my right and I tried to correct the spin, but I wasn't sure if I'd be able to avoid the car to my right.
Then my car slid to the left and plowed into the snow in the median. There I was staring at oncoming traffic. At least I was okay and so was my car. I tried to drive out, but no way was I driving out of there. A NJDOT truck came by, called a state trooper, and a tow truck to pull me out. After about an hour, I was on my way $80 poorer with one hell of an experience. Thank God it was considered not my fault.
Was there a way I could have corrected that? I know my Probe is a FWD car which is prone to understeer. I keep replaying the accident in my head and wondering if there was anything I could've done to prevent it.
I was doing about 45 on the snow laden highway (anyone from NJ can tell you that we got owned by snow) when I made a lane change to avoid my lane that became filled with more snow up ahead. Suddenly, I felt my rear end come out. Keeping the advice I've gotten on this board in mind, I modulated the throttle but my car's rear end went to the right. I was aware that there was a car to my right and I tried to correct the spin, but I wasn't sure if I'd be able to avoid the car to my right.
Then my car slid to the left and plowed into the snow in the median. There I was staring at oncoming traffic. At least I was okay and so was my car. I tried to drive out, but no way was I driving out of there. A NJDOT truck came by, called a state trooper, and a tow truck to pull me out. After about an hour, I was on my way $80 poorer with one hell of an experience. Thank God it was considered not my fault.
Was there a way I could have corrected that? I know my Probe is a FWD car which is prone to understeer. I keep replaying the accident in my head and wondering if there was anything I could've done to prevent it.
02-12-2006, 04:48 PM
#2
Registered User
Hard to say, sometimes you feel pressure to drive faster than you should in the conditions, maybe 45 mph was too fast. Also snow tires may have hepled some.
Glad you didn't hurt anything. I wiped out one time in snow/ice way back when I was a young driver.
Glad you didn't hurt anything. I wiped out one time in snow/ice way back when I was a young driver.
02-12-2006, 05:26 PM
#4
Registered User
The way to correct oversteer in a RWD car is to steer into the skid and modulate the gas.
The way to correct oversteer in a FWD car like your Probe is to steer into the skid and floor the gas, to get the front end of the car moving towards the outside of the curve as fast the rear end is.
The way to correct oversteer in a FWD car like your Probe is to steer into the skid and floor the gas, to get the front end of the car moving towards the outside of the curve as fast the rear end is.
02-12-2006, 08:34 PM
#5
Former Moderator
Originally Posted by Bboy AJ,Feb 12 2006, 08:34 PM
I just got back tonight. I was on the highway driving to a college and back to my college. I got to the other college fine but about 5 miles away from my college, I spun out.
I was doing about 45 on the snow laden highway (anyone from NJ can tell you that we got owned by snow) when I made a lane change to avoid my lane that became filled with more snow up ahead. Suddenly, I felt my rear end come out. Keeping the advice I've gotten on this board in mind, I modulated the throttle but my car's rear end went to the right. I was aware that there was a car to my right and I tried to correct the spin, but I wasn't sure if I'd be able to avoid the car to my right.
Then my car slid to the left and plowed into the snow in the median. There I was staring at oncoming traffic. At least I was okay and so was my car. I tried to drive out, but no way was I driving out of there. A NJDOT truck came by, called a state trooper, and a tow truck to pull me out. After about an hour, I was on my way $80 poorer with one hell of an experience. Thank God it was considered not my fault.
Was there a way I could have corrected that? I know my Probe is a FWD car which is prone to understeer. I keep replaying the accident in my head and wondering if there was anything I could've done to prevent it.
I was doing about 45 on the snow laden highway (anyone from NJ can tell you that we got owned by snow) when I made a lane change to avoid my lane that became filled with more snow up ahead. Suddenly, I felt my rear end come out. Keeping the advice I've gotten on this board in mind, I modulated the throttle but my car's rear end went to the right. I was aware that there was a car to my right and I tried to correct the spin, but I wasn't sure if I'd be able to avoid the car to my right.
Then my car slid to the left and plowed into the snow in the median. There I was staring at oncoming traffic. At least I was okay and so was my car. I tried to drive out, but no way was I driving out of there. A NJDOT truck came by, called a state trooper, and a tow truck to pull me out. After about an hour, I was on my way $80 poorer with one hell of an experience. Thank God it was considered not my fault.
Was there a way I could have corrected that? I know my Probe is a FWD car which is prone to understeer. I keep replaying the accident in my head and wondering if there was anything I could've done to prevent it.
I was doing 15 at most in my RL, and the car was wigglin. If I was going 45, I wouldnt be able to stop if anything happened.
02-13-2006, 08:51 AM
#7
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Dude probes are teh suck in winter driving. Those 225's all around put you on top of the snow if there is any. I used to hate driving mine in the snow because the backend will come out if you push it at all. Wide tires and no weight on the rear axle + snow = not good.
BTW, I always ride all season "performance" tires (BFG KDWS, etc) on cars driven year round.
On mine I could always feel when I was pushing it. The backend would feel like it would "track" from side to side. The first time it happened I was driving in the snow back to school and I tried to keep my speed up (bout 40), and I ended up in the ditch as well. $75 later I too was back on the road!
BTW, I always ride all season "performance" tires (BFG KDWS, etc) on cars driven year round.
On mine I could always feel when I was pushing it. The backend would feel like it would "track" from side to side. The first time it happened I was driving in the snow back to school and I tried to keep my speed up (bout 40), and I ended up in the ditch as well. $75 later I too was back on the road!
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02-13-2006, 09:58 AM
#8
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like another poster said, controlling a spin in a FWD car isn't the same as RWD. In FWD, you need to steer into it, and accelerate. I'd say hammering the gas isn't a bad idea in most non-turbo FWD cars.
