[Fauvel]

I had a scary experience last week. Driving uphill on a highway during heavy rain. There were
ruts in the asphalt, water flowing down the ruts and the Slipping indicator started flashing and the
SUV started going left and right. I tried to compensate but to did not help until i moved slightly
in the left side so that the wheel would be a bit left of the ruts. It was quite scary.

I have the impression the vehicle was applying brakes to one side to compensate and made things worst.

My question now, what should have I done that I did not do? I had the impression the control system of the RAV4 did not help and actually made things worst.

Rav4 Prime SE 21

 

[8AA]

Next time you could try turning the VSC off (Owners Manual Page 382). Note that momentarily pressing the button just turns off the Traction Control (TRAC). If you want to turn off TRAC, VSC, and Trailer Sway Control, the car has to be stopped and you have to hold the button in for 3 seconds.

 

[Fauvel]

Next time you could try turning the VSC off (Owners Manual Page 382). Note that momentarily pressing the button just turns off the Traction Control (TRAC). If you want to turn off TRAC, VSC, and Trailer Sway Control, the car has to be stopped and you have to hold the button in for 3 seconds.

Thanks. I will read that manual part carefully.

 

[FKHeath]

I had a scary experience last week. Driving uphill on a highway during heavy rain. There were
ruts in the asphalt, water flowing down the ruts and the Slipping indicator started flashing and the
suv started going left and right. I tried to compensate but to did not help until i moved slightly
in the left side so that the wheel would be a bit left of the ruts. It was quite scary.

I have the impression the vehicle was applying brakes to one side to compensate and made things worst.

My question now, what should have I done that I did not do? I had the impression the control system
of the RAV4 did not help and actually made things worst.

Rav4 Prime SE 21

My guess is your tires were hydroplaning. With a lot of water, there is not much you can do except slow down and get the tires where there is less water (what you did). It appears the stability control was doing the best it could, but technology cannot override the laws of physics.

 

[q445187]

Hydroplaning is bad. Watch some youtube videos about it. You were going too fast, the water couldn't get out of the way fast enough. I would NOT turn off vsc or trac, just slow down. I had an experience with a "primitive" version of Toyota (Lexus) traction control that made my wife think I was superman (I would rather be Batman).

I was driving a Lexus 2005 GS300 in Utah, up a BIG hill on the highway, the road was "moist" zipping along, cruise control on, no problem. As soon as I crested the hill, the downslope was VERY different from the up slope, it was not in the sun... There was a thin coating of snow/ice with the usual ruts from the night before. When I crested the hill the car started slightly drifting left and right. The car IMMEDIATELY started the ABS noises rotating all the way around the car as the VSC and TRAC basically saved our bacon. I don't believe we even left our lane! I (honestly) had very little to do with keeping control, my minor steering inputs were probably crucial, but the racket from the ABS (in my book) gets the glory. Way to go Toyota (Lexus).

Every time my wife tells the story of "how we would be dead if not for his driving skills", my smile gets bigger...

Don't turn them off, drive with the conditions.

 

[kucyk]

When it happens, don’t brake, just take the foot off the pedal and wait for the traction to be restored. Also, any steering wheel movements can put you in a very difficult situation, so be careful with that.

 

[paperboy]

brake

 

[The Gadgeteer]

slow down