Instability on Wet Roads - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

jfox42 · 08-05-2006, 12:46 PM

Folks

My wife and I bought a 2002 MR2 in JUne and enjoyed many days driving in great weather.

On 29 July 2006 while navigating a junction (roundabout in UK) at low speed the car spun out of control in the rain.

On 31 July 2006 in a different part of the country (again at slow speed and in the rain) the same happened to me except I spun off the road and hit a crash barrier.

Are these cars liable to doing this in even the lightest of wet conditions.

I have read other posts where the answer is learn to drive - but we are both experienced drivers.

Any thought appreciated.

Regards

ToyotaTechGeek · 08-05-2006, 01:12 PM

well, what is the condition of the tyres? how about the tyre pressures? is it just after the rain shower (or start of it) that you are spinning? or is it after it's been raining for awhile? of course speed is a factor although you stated low speed. are you braking into the turn or in the turn? are you suddenly off of the binders? being a midship, your Spyder is going to have much different handling characteristics than most front engine/front wheel drive or front engine/rear wheel drive cars.

jfox42 · 08-05-2006, 04:22 PM

Thanks for the response TTG.

The tyres are new and pressures are as per the manual specifications. I moved from a stationery position having stopped at the junction and understand my wife had slowed prior to the junction. It had been raining for approximately one hour on each occasion.

ToyotaTechGeek · 08-05-2006, 05:00 PM

sometimes when it is freshly fallen rain, the oil from the asphalt causes problems. on a set of fresh tyres, the full depth can cause problems with the feeling of the car. now, if you braked prior to the roundabout and maybe suddenly let-off of the accelerator, then you may have gotten some trailing throttle oversteer. otherwise, i don't know. which direction was the rotation of the roundabout? which direction were you travelling? which direction did the car rotate?

andyb16 · 08-06-2006, 05:57 PM

That's why I drive like a granny in the rain. They can get pretty frisky, and if you don't catch it quick, you're just a passenger. TTG is right about the fresh rain and oil making it extra slick, but it is more likely a case of getting used to the characteristics of a mid-engine car. It'll get better.

Hope the damage wasn't bad.

ToyotaTechGeek · 08-06-2006, 07:54 PM

i enjoy driving in the rain! it is so much fun to drive and slide! LOL

Gairloch · 08-15-2006, 07:37 PM

There are two main reasons why an MR2 turns. Either the tires are badly overdriven or there is weight transfer off of the tires maintaining the vehicles velocity.

The MR2 can handle well in inclement conditions *on the right tires*. The wrong tires make it very very easy to turn around in the right combination of circumstances.

Weight transfer would likely have been either letting off the trottle suddenly or braking. Either of these actions taken at the wrong time will turn an MR2 around.