I'm ok with CC. It helps to save me from speeding tickets and/or keeps me from driving too slow. My car is a manual, of the 8 I've owned only 2 have been automatic. The only time I have an issue is when I driving in town and trying to talk on the phone and smoke at the same time. I have been at the point of being a delivery driver in a straight truck and having to figure out where the next stop is and talking on the Nextel with the office to do so, and I didn't have time to stop and sit to eat lunch, just grab and go. Oh, I love snow driving. It's a chance to hooliganize whilst driving and to blend in with the people that don't know how to drive in the white stuff. I just give them plenty of room.
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Nov. 20, 2009 12:56 p.m. griffin729 Reader
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Nov. 20, 2009 1:14 p.m. byron12 New Reader
Cruise control is awesome it has significantly improved my driving record; because I commute on several four lane roads desgned for traqffic to flow very quickly but due to extreme speed enforcement of extremly low speed limits cc is my friend.
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Nov. 20, 2009 10:02 p.m. confuZion3 SuperDork
oldsaw wrote:
Automatics aren't killing people - it's Super Herpes.
Fixed that for you.
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Nov. 21, 2009 11:55 a.m. SVreX PowerDork
My daughter first learned to drive on a Suburban. I hated driving with her- she was always distracted, drifted around the road, just didn't seem to be focused at all on her driving (even without the distractions like cell phones, etc)
I got rid of the Suburban, got a Subie 5 spd, and forced her to learn to drive it. She hated it. But after a short time I realized she had become a MUCH better driver.
She's a really bright young lady, and I think driving an automatic simply didn't challenge her. She would point it in the right direction, then let her mind wander to anything but driving.
Once she had to work the shifter, use the clutch, time the shifts, listen to the engine rpm's, synch the brake/ clutch/ gas, etc, she HAD to think about her driving. She focused, and became a very good driver.
Now I love autocrossing, etc. with her.
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Nov. 21, 2009 12:06 p.m. SVreX PowerDork
4eyes wrote:
You've obviously never hit black-ice on the hiway while in CC. Hydroplaning is no fun either when the car automaticaly accelerates to maintain speed.
Incorrect. Cars don't accelerate when they hit ice on CC. They do the opposite.
The vast majority of CC systems measure the speed off the transmission. When the car hits something slick, it begins slowing down, but the wheels spin, AND THE RPM's OF THE WHEELS AND TRANS INCREASE. The computer would read this as a vehicle speed increase, and REDUCE the throttle to try to slow down the vehicle to maintain the preset speed. The faster the wheels spin, the more the CC would reduce the throttle. The CC would only try to increase the throttle if the trans was reducing output rpm's, which doesn't happen when traction is lost.
Think about it.
I have tried to make the same assertions in the past. I was mistaken.
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Nov. 21, 2009 3:44 p.m. The_Jed Reader
I belted out a rant somewhat akin to this one some time ago. It dealt with driving nannies and the "dumbing down" of the modern driving experience. I believe vehicles laden with automatic transmissions, stability, traction, yaw controls and seemingly sentient automated braking devices are fine for people who look at vehicles as modes of transportation and nothing more. "Drive-by-wire" throttles and steering are already prevalent and, mark my words, soon brake-by-wire will be just as common. I'm surprised there isn't a mass produced "proper lane usage" nanny that will detect when your vehicle wanders too close to the shoulder or an opposing lane and gently steers the vehicle back to the middle of your lane. I have seen a few experiments but nothing (that I know of) has come to fruition as of yet.
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Nov. 21, 2009 5:38 p.m. TJ HalfDork
SVreX wrote:
4eyes wrote:
You've obviously never hit black-ice on the hiway while in CC. Hydroplaning is no fun either when the car automaticaly accelerates to maintain speed.
Incorrect. Cars don't accelerate when they hit ice on CC. They do the opposite.
The vast majority of CC systems measure the speed off the transmission. When the car hits something slick, it begins slowing down, but the wheels spin, AND THE RPM's OF THE WHEELS AND TRANS INCREASE. The computer would read this as a vehicle speed increase, and REDUCE the throttle to try to slow down the vehicle to maintain the preset speed. The faster the wheels spin, the more the CC would reduce the throttle. The CC would only try to increase the throttle if the trans was reducing output rpm's, which doesn't happen when traction is lost.
Think about it.
I have tried to make the same assertions in the past. I was mistaken.
I bet the change in traction can occur faster than the CC response time leading to speeding up.
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Nov. 21, 2009 8:33 p.m. SVreX PowerDork
I'm sure it can. Still won't get the CC to speed the car up, because the rpm's will be going up, not down. When the CC does respond, it won't accelerate, it will decelerate, so it won't contribute to the slide.
The slide will be every bit as bad as when you first broke traction, no worse.
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Nov. 21, 2009 9:42 p.m. Tommy Suddard SonDork
The_Jed wrote:
I'm surprised there isn't a mass produced "proper lane usage" nanny that will detect when your vehicle wanders too close to the shoulder or an opposing lane and gently steers the vehicle back to the middle of your lane. I have seen a few experiments but nothing (that I know of) has come to fruition as of yet.
The priuses (or priui), and BMWs, and a few others (maybe Jaguar?) have that. If you drift out, it steers you back in. Very fun to play with, I'd assume it was invented to better facilitate giving people the finger and talking on the phone.
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Nov. 23, 2009 4:32 p.m. The_Jed Reader
I need to crawl out from under the rock more often...
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Dec. 3, 2009 5:00 p.m. 4eyes Reader
SVreX wrote:
The fact that I didn't describe the phenomenon accurately and your combining my statements (ice, hydroplaning) contributed to a miscomunication. On ice, a person driving will lift on the accelerator and or push in on the clutch/shift to neutral when he/she feels the traction loss. Thus slowing down. The CC will maintain speed, whether it's in control or not. Hydroplaning the front tires in a RWD car looses steering control and slows the vehicle. CC speeds up to compensate and maintanes speed, while a driver would lift.I'm sure it can. Still won't get the CC to speed the car up, because the rpm's will be going up, not down. When the CC does respond, it won't accelerate, it will decelerate, so it won't contribute to the slide.
The slide will be every bit as bad as when you first broke traction, no worse.
