Sideways in a Boxster 986

[nemc]

Picking up on the 987s thread and an earlier thread about driver training"¦. I found myself going sideways in the torrential rain a couple of weekends ago. I was doing about 25-40 on a very slight bend (out of a built up area) and suddenly the car was broadside and very hard to bring back under control.

I have been replaying the scene through my mind and am still surpised by this "˜moment' "¦.too much right foot and "˜greasy road' are my only conclusions. Have any others had this experience or is just that I can't drive!![:-]

 

[thboxster]

I nearly managed a 360 on a dual carriageway last winter, but then again it was snowing.

There have been posts in the past, round roundabouts or sharp bends, where peoples tyres seemed to loose traction. I think they deduced that the tyres were at fault. I could be wrong as it was a while ago. Do you know the state of your tyres?

 

[Helen Goff]

its great fun doing it on purpose though []

 

[Michael Downing]

Rain on a greasy road at a tight bend will do it.

That was my excuse for finding myself on a roundabout facing the wrong way, anyway. []

 

[Dapster]

Diesel!! That's what catches a lot of people out as there is no warning of the impending loss of traction.

And that was my excuse for clonking the armco on a slip road a few years ago.....

 

[Michael Downing]

Ah ... yes ... there was probably some diesel on my roundabout too! []

 

[kitchens]

Diesel is the most likely reason as trucks seem to discharge some on roundabouts happened to me in the 993 at 30mph a full 360 ,very scarry ,think what bikers must go through .

Brian

 

[Ivor]

Was this with or without PSM?[]

 

[GreigM]

check your tire pressures and rubber depth all over (i.e. take the wheel off and have a good look - its not unusual for a tyre to be extremely worn on the very inside edge due to low pressures, and this can only be seen with the wheel off).

Because the boxster is mid-engined, once it does start to spin it is very difficult to control.

 

[nemc]

Thanks to those that responded..I have asked the body repair shop (Reynolds of Rushock) to report on the condition of the tyres (as Greig suggests)

Although I haven't stopped to investigate the road in great detail, I have since noted (in my 1.4 clio!) that at the point of the spin there was a round manhole cover which was broken and would affect traction of the one wheel in the wet ....hindsight!

Neil Mc

 

[nemc]

Without PSM..

 

[Guest]

Nemc,

I too have come a Roy Cropper in my Boxster, It is also off to Reynolds of Rushock for review and - Hopefully -repair.

The car i hit, was nearly diamond shaped and will surely be written off... I feel really sorry for them... No Injuries thankfully - just bruised pride....

Honest (I have a witness!) - I'd just pulled out of the Garage, couldn't have been more than ten yards up the street, slight corner and woosh, round the back end came. As the Police were breathalising me, THREE other cars skidded into the kerb stones on the same bend, however all front wheel drive super minis - Corsa, Clio and MINI! To rozzers didn't seem too concerned!

NEMC - Is yours back now? How long did they have it for? Was the workmanship good?

 

[Dapster]

When I hit the armco in mine, I did a bit of research and discovered that it was one of the top 10 accident blackspots in London. I mentioned this to the recovery truck driver the next day and he said accident blackspots collect all sorts of nasty deposits because of the accidents - brake fluid, coolant leaks, more spilled petrol and diesel and off course oil. So they just become worse and worse. Why doesn't the council detergent wash the roads at blackspots I wonder?

 

[Dapster]

By the way - my accident was in the last one - a 2.7 986. OPC Colchester did the work (I think the body shop is at OPC Cambridge) and the work was absolutely faultless. Only issue was having a bottom of the range no toys 106 Peugeot as a loaner for 3 weeks..... [:'(]

 

[karl from ripponden]

Remember if you start to loose it......ie your rear end starts going away from you.

 

[karl from ripponden]

As I was saying before I pressed the wrong button.... if your back end starts going away you have only got a split second to react and correct it.Good fun on track days,but a bit scary on public roads.Come on ....how many of you check your tyres after wash/wax your pride and joy.[8|][8|][8|] Too much boot on the pedal before the apex of the bend in poor road conditions will give you this result.

 

[Guest]

Tell me about split second responses!

I've done track days before and never spun a car, even more powerful rear wheel drives, sideways around a corner is preferred!

But i just wasnt expecting it, i wasn't at speed, the roads were dry and sun was shining (Ish). I'm gonna stick a postit note in me Boxster to remind of the back end from now on!

 

[Dapster]

roads were dry and sun was shining

I didn't think you could loose a Boxster on a dry road without driving like a maniac (which you obviously weren't) - loosing the back at 10mph on a dry road????

 

[Guest]

Read above, other cars did EXACTLY the same, immediately after the indcident. Which would suggest a imperfection on the road surface.

Many local residents came out and independently confirmed that the same has happened to a number of other drivers in the last month or two. One asked me to 'Count the new walls'!

 

[channella]

If it starts to go, jump on the ABS, literally slam it down as hard as you can, and the clutch too. Don't believe me, book some time on a skid pan with a decent instructor and try it - forget anything fancy like "steering into the skid" you don't have time. Oh, and if you have time to remember, take your hands off the steering wheel and put your trust in Porsche chassis engineers.....