I wrecked my car..

Justin Sohn · 10-27-2012, 10:37 PM

Hi All!

Here is Korea, and I report my accident which happened on yesterday.

Nowadays, I turn off the ESC once I turn on the ignition and yesterday I paid for this price.

It was rainning, and speed of 30~40 mile/h.
I tried to get faster and opened throttle little bit. Suddenly my tail lost control little bit and I released the accelerator by instinct.
However, it was keep spinning and slide to right, left, right and hit the tree.
I tried to get control, but it was impossible.
(I doubt that myabe I step on the break and accelerator at the same time..)

I experienced such a thing before, and I think once tail is slipped without ESC, it is hard to get control about several seconds even if you release the accelerator, and accelerator is not so sharp than my expectation.
(I'm not professional though..)

I and my wife are OK, but intercooler has been dammaged, and I think T bone also got some dammage. Just I wish that this car would not be totaled, since I love this car so much.

Do you think my car can be fixed?

Rob the Elder · 10-28-2012, 01:19 AM

Sorry. Leave the ESC on next time

**lllfly** · 10-28-2012, 04:50 AM

Glad you guys are ok.
I never run off.
I never think about that switch.
That now has changed.
LLLFLY

mstrjon32 · 10-28-2012, 05:02 AM

I drive my Sky rather conservatively, but I have the same Stabilitrak system on my CTS-V. I once tried to do a 180 (had done it a few times before), so I shut the system off...the ground was loose, the front tires didn't hold, and the car slid into a curb. Not too much damage but I have since learned my lesson and leave the system on (and I don't try the 180's anymore).

Recently I was driving at the track and lost control coming out of a corner and the Stabilitrak brought it right back into line. I'm not a professional driver and if it hadn't been for the system it could have been much worse.

I'm sorry to hear about your car and hopefully it can be fixed. Unfortunately you had the learn the lesson a bit harder than I did...

Always leave the system on.

buzzardt · 10-28-2012, 11:43 AM

I am very glad that you and your wife are ok. This is a problem a lot of people have that did not start out driving or later on learn how to control a RWD with out the nanny controls. FWD is mostly point and drive.

Elff · 10-28-2012, 08:06 PM

What is the extent of the damage?
Is the suspension and frame OK?

I am glad you and your wife are ok, that is the most important part.

NikK · 10-28-2012, 08:41 PM

The damage doesn't seem that bad....I can hardly imagine that the IC got hit since you crashed from the right side.
That aside however when our rear wheels are above water ALWAYS have ESC on.

Justin Sohn · 10-29-2012, 12:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mstrjon32

I drive my Sky rather conservatively, but I have the same Stabilitrak system on my CTS-V. I once tried to do a 180 (had done it a few times before), so I shut the system off...the ground was loose, the front tires didn't hold, and the car slid into a curb. Not too much damage but I have since learned my lesson and leave the system on (and I don't try the 180's anymore).

Recently I was driving at the track and lost control coming out of a corner and the Stabilitrak brought it right back into line. I'm not a professional driver and if it hadn't been for the system it could have been much worse.

I'm sorry to hear about your car and hopefully it can be fixed. Unfortunately you had the learn the lesson a bit harder than I did...

Always leave the system on.

Now I have a sense of relief since I read your experience. whoa! CTS-V is extreamly rare here and if I had one, I would never run it in the rain. Maybe I can't control that kind of HP even in the dry condition without ESC.
By the way, professional drivers are also using ESC in the racing, aren't they? from my lesson, I can't imagine driving without ESC anymore....

Justin Sohn · 10-29-2012, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elff

What is the extent of the damage?
Is the suspension and frame OK?

I am glad you and your wife are ok, that is the most important part.

Thanks for your comment.
Surely, suspension is OK, but I'm not sure about frame yet.
So far, I checked damage list..

-Head light
-Impact beam
-Hood
-Radiator and fan
-Intercooler
-Air filter case
-and so on.......

I think dealer ship will contact me soon. Hopefully my car would be saved....

Naus · 10-29-2012, 09:48 AM

I can't tell if your wife is damaged with that many clothes on. Could you please have her remove some and post more pics?

RedSky228 · 10-29-2012, 10:22 AM

Trust me man, I know exactly how you feel. The same thing happened to me. I hope for your sake that they do not total the vehicle.

Bogie · 10-29-2012, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Justin Sohn

Suddenly my tail lost control little bit and I released the accelerator by instinct.
However, it was keep spinning and slide to right, left, right and hit the tree.

Once the rear gets loose, lifting acceleration will not re-establish traction on the rear. It will transfer weight to the front, which will help traction at the front. This provides direction control at the expense of making the rear lighter. Unless someone has a lot of practice and experience, the end result is exactly what you experienced...fish tail.

Professional drivers PRACTICE upset conditions like this all the time. Their entire life. Hundreds..perhaps thousands of times. Even those professionals occasionally can't recover. Recovery, without ESC, is all in the steering. Knowing when to stop correcting for the initial slide takes a lot of practice and experience.

The beauty of ESC is it can apply the brake to only one wheel. So instead of correcting via steering, it uses the counter torque centered on one of the front wheels to offset the swing of the rear.

Note that in racing, sometimes a professional driver WANTS to swing the rear out. In those conditions, the professional does not want ESC intervening...as it will mess up the driver's intent.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Justin Sohn

By the way, professional drivers are also using ESC in the racing, aren't they? from my lesson, I can't imagine driving without ESC anymore....

Sometimes ESC can help depending on the track. Usually it's used in a reduced mode which does not intervene as quickly or intervenes in a small way. The benefit is derived because there are some track conditions where single wheel braking (which is not an option from the driver's seat) provides the fastest line through a corner. In this case, it's not so much the driver "needing" the ESC as it is the driver "using" the ESC to run a line faster than would otherwise be possible without it.

Sky_Pilot · 10-29-2012, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob the Elder

Sorry. Leave the ESC on next time

And fix the gate after the horse leaves

atlredlinekid · 11-29-2012, 11:47 AM

^? i guess me being young means i have a very different sense of humor?

i drive with the esc off most of the time as well, our cars in the rain love losing traction, sound like you under-steered into the tree seeing how you had no control of the vehicle and you hit the tree with the front of your car. To answer your question, yes it looks repairable. Your Sky looks like it needs a new intercooler, hood, headlight, and bumper.. probably an alignment too. Its not going to be cheap..

SkyVue2 · 11-29-2012, 12:07 PM

Glad that you both came out with no injuries.
With a little luck you will get your baby back on the road soon.

Here's hoping one of the few documented G2Xs is not totalled.