Can someone tell me what just happened to my car?

[AZN GTR]

I was driving this kid home from school before, and it was raining hard, before we got into the car, I said "Jason, tell me  before I need to make a turn, and tell me earlier."  We got onto the highway, and I was going 55 and 2 seconds before the exit, he said " Right here" and I just stepped on the brakes but not too hard, cuz it was rainning and I turned at about 35, but it was a 90 degrees turn.  The car went into the other lane, and I steered more but it won't go.and the car eventually slowed down and all of a sudden, the car turned a lot.  I don't know what happened, I am kinda a new driver, and I am usually really safe when driving, but this time, my friend just told me too late and I didn't know what to do.  The car is a 97 if you want to know.  Could I have messed up anything in the car by doing that? the reason I came up with was the whole car didn't have traction and slided, and when I slowed down, it gripped again so it turned, but I am not sure.  Someone please tell me.  Thanks.

[adey]

<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'> no need to apologize, we're all newbies at some point.

From the sounds of it, I am led to believe you lost traction as you made the turn (yeah, even at 35!<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'> It's really easy to whip the tail out on our cars, especially with old/bad tires.
So my hypothesis is that your tail skidded out, causing you to go into the other lane - then to explain your sudden "turn", I assume back into your original lane, I imagine your rears finally got to the point where they regained traction, thus "kicking" you back into the direction that you were steering.
Did that make sense? It sounds like the typical &nbsp;regaining-traction-during-a-drift-causing-you-to-get-intimate-with-a-curb-or-mountai
n &nbsp;situation. <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>

See when your tires are spinning fast and w/out traction, you only make things worse by slamming on the brakes/stepping on the accelerator. What you're "supposed" (I think) to do is slowly let the tires stop spinning (slow down) until they get to the point where they regain traction with the road.
I think that's what happened w/ you, only you weren't expecting the sudden regain in traction, catching you off guard.

Hope that helped!

[BlackFox]

Hydroplane.... fun stuff.... NOT.... I did that a few weeks ago in my crap celica, the tires are crusty, anyways, if you don't have abs pump the brakes, it relly does work. Drive Safe &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/thumbs-up.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':thumbsup:'>

I GET MY 240 TOMORROW !!!! &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sly.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':sly:'>

[TonysS13]

I love when that happens ,especially on a wide block with no &nbsp;cars lol ,rev that baby up n peel them tires lol &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'> &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'> &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/hehe.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':hehe:'> &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'>

[AZN GTR]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (adey @ April 25 2002,3:24)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Hope that helped!</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
Yes it did. &nbsp;Thanks.

[AZN GTR]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (TonysS13 @ April 25 2002,3:45)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I love when that happens ,especially on a wide block with no cars lol ,rev that baby up n peel them tires lol <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'> <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'> <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/hehe.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':hehe:'> <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':p'></td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
I didn't like it at all when it happened. &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/blush.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':blush:'>

[mrdirty]

Next time don't go for the turn if u can't make it. The worst that will happen is u will have to back track a bit. Then maybe your buddy will learn to give notice.

You'll get used to the way the 240 handles, it will take some time though; just keep it gentle till u get the feel.

[AceInHole]

Mmm.... i was hydroplaning on 17x7 wheels a few days ago..... and to think I want a lot wider......

[HippoSleek]

I'm confused by adey's explanation... was that right? &nbsp;Was the tail out? &nbsp;

To me, it sounds like a classic case of understeer (you steer, but the car goes straight) which is caused by going into a turn too fast and the wheels not getting traction until you either steer into it or you slow down enough for them to bite... at which point it will turn fast.

Either way, I like the advice about next time just going around the block!

[LanceS13]

From the sound of it, he didn't oversteer (tail out). Sounds like it understeered...which makes sense, since he was braking and not accelerating in the wet.

You hit the brakes and tried to turn at the same time, overloading the available traction to the front tires b/c of the sheet of water on the road surface. You probably turned all the way to lock w/o the car changing direction any b/c the front tires were essentially skiing on that sheet of water (hydroplaning). As you slowed down, the tires could penetrate the water and get traction...and since your tires were turned all the way to right (I assume) lock, the car suddenly veered to that side.
The only damage you may have done is possibly flat-spotting a tire...which is pretty unlikely given the total lack of bite and not really serious "damage" anyway.
And don't be embarrassed. We had an autox in the rain a few months back and I did this very thing on one of my runs.

*edit: &nbsp;ehh...Mark beat me to it. <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/thumbs-up.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':thumbsup:'>

[transient]

I dunno... it doesn't sound to me like his tail went out, I think he'd easily realize that, I think he just hydroplaned and understeered on the corner. It can definately catch you offgard till you've had it happen once or twice.

Definately though, don't turn into a corner if you can't get to a speed where you know you'll make the corner. It'll take a while before you're familliar enough with the car to know how fast that is, so until then, I'd play it pretty safe. 240's are amazing machines, but they're not foolproof by any means.

Happy driving <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'>

*Edit: Wow, quite a few people thinking the exact same thing, hehe

[nrcooled]

What I did was take my car to an empty lot and played in the rain It helped me out alot to get used to the way the car likes to behave and how much gas you can give it before the back end comes out

[240 2NR]

I'll agree to understeer. &nbsp;But I will add that to counter it you should have actually added more throttle. &nbsp;It seems counter intuitive but in a rear wheel drive car it is more stable and has better turn in when its under power. &nbsp;That said, I'm not talking about flooring it and powersliding through the corner, but enough so that the rear end is slightly loaded. &nbsp;Independent rear end cars are only stable in braking and power on situations. &nbsp;Try it in the dry, your 240 is way more responsive when you are driving under power than just coasting around town. &nbsp;It makes it a real dog sometimes in traffic, but find some open roads (or a track) and its a blast.

[LanceS13]

Nope...I have to disagree. Unless you can put down enough power to brake the rear end loose to turn the car--very unlikely, adding throttle during understeer is just gonna make the car continue to plow in a straight line. Adding throttle will cause a rearward weight transfer, taking even more effective grip from the front tires. The best thing to do is try to straighten the wheel and ease off the brakes until the front tires regain traction. &nbsp;Any car is gonna have better turn in under braking b/c of the forward weight transfer (as long as you don't exceed the grip threshhold of the front tires and lock them up causing no turn in at all...understeer).
Now, if you're oversteering, it is possible to gently add throttle to stabilize the car, b/c the resultant rearward weight transfer will allow the rear tires to have more grip.

[AZN GTR]

The back didn't swing out, but I think the whole car was sliding, front and back together, towards the left. &nbsp;
But I don't think it's understeer, cuz I had no grip, you need grip to understeer right? &nbsp;
Well, I was pretty pissed today, almost lost control of myself and wanted to get the stick from the trunk to hit my friend, but I calm myself down. &nbsp;
I don't usually drive fast at all, cuz I know I basically suck at driving due to lack of experience, I am not one of those kids who think they are the best drivers when they just got their licenses two months ago.
I also thought about going to empty parking lots and trying stuff out, but I am really not sure if doing that is bad for the car, so I just never tried it.

[camppain]

your a drifter now! <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/thumbs-up.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':thumbsup:'>

j/p

[drifting240racer]

I would say it is only bad if you run into the curb or a light post or another car(but there should not be any cars in an empty parking lot, i know i know).

Look when i first got my license I did not want to suck at driving so i started to learn how my truck felt. Mind you I was much more into computers then and no into cars at all. It kinda helped that i did not have any radio in my truck(am only radio does not count) but it is a good idea to drive with out the radio on and just listen to your car. After i worked on holding my truck to a line or presision driving i took my truck out to a parking lot at a local JC and ran up to about 45mph then braked as hard as i could(no abs on a '66 ford 3/4ton truck) of course it slid then i did it again only this time i started to try and hold it from going over the threshhold of a slide. I can now hold my truck just above the point of sliding. and i also took my truck and learned how to do a controled breaking of the back wheels, so that I could slide the rear end around(need to do that to park the HUGE thing in small parking spaces). I am good enough to turn into a parking space, slide the rear end out and line up my truck without coming close to the cars on eather side of me but i did not try that with cars on eather side of me first. I used a parking spot in the empty lot.

It took me about two years of practice to get where i am now. I have no problem with rwd cars in the rain and when it is my truck i can hold the brake pedel real close to slipping. Learning how to control my truck to that degree has saved me from trouble a couple of times(one time the person in front of me just stopped and i was doing about 45mph, had to turn my truck sideways to keep from hitting the person)

also if you don't believe that learning how to drive well helps just check out ].My Website (http://www.geocities.com/drifting240racer) and look at the old car(aka the CRASH) it was because i knew how to drive that i was able to hold that car from sliding for as long as i did and keep control of it all the way till the crash. my lines on the pavement when i was skidding were strait as can be.

anyway i think i have talked long enough and as to

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I also thought about going to empty parking lots and trying stuff out, but I am really not sure if doing that is bad for the car, so I just never tried it. </td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>

try it out and

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I am not one of those kids who think they are the best drivers when they just got their licenses two months ago.
</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>

that is the first step to becoming a better driver is knowing you are not that good right now and that you can improve <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/thumbs-up.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':thumbsup:'> <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':cool:'>

later

Michael <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':cool:'>

[sykikchimp]

The only thing you'll tear up playing in a parking lot is your tires. &nbsp;Just make sure your not riding the clutch, and you'll be fine. &nbsp;

When I just started driving I had a rwd truck that friend that was a dirt track race car driver took me out and tought me how to do controled donuts while not loosing forward momentum. &nbsp;I could do a full 720 across a parking lot and never loose forward motion.. &nbsp;TOO MUCH FUN!!! &nbsp;It was nice having someone that knew what they were talking about instruct me too.