[Pilot Project]

Has anybody noticed that when driving through 2-3 inch deep water that the water gets diverted onto the windshield from the right front tire?

This has happened to me several times. The driver is blinded until the water clears.

 

[Sage]

Has anybody noticed that when driving through 2-3 inch deep water that the water gets diverted onto the windshield from the right front tire?

This has happened to me several times. The driver is blinded until the water clears.

Haven't gone through a "Rainy Season" in the Pilot yet. I'll let you know in about 3 weeks!
Tha't very strange though... Can't wait to see the replies.

 

[RipRocK]

Yes, I noticed this when the snow started to melt and it was all sloppy and slushy around here for a while. Never had that happen to me before with a car, but I guess it's another one of those quirks of the Pilot, along with the brakes clicking, the gas tank sloshing and etc.

 

[pre-sage pilot]

I have not noticed that so far and living in North Jersey I've had plenty of opportunities, of course now that you have brought it up, I'll be watching for it!

 

[ChuckW]

It's never happened to me and I go through large puddles all the time. I'll keep an eye out for this behavior next time it rains though.

 

[jay]

I know that I've seen water thrown up in a rooster tail effect when the road's wet, turning right at a light and goosing it when the light changes, but I wouldn't call it hitting the windshield.

 

[sfhondapilot]

I have not noticed this at all.

Structurally speaking, I don't see how it is physically possible for tire generated water spashes to reach the windshield without rebounding off of some object adjacent to the Pilot, such as guard rail / other car / etc. It would seem that the overhang from the wheel well would inhibit water from spashing onto the windshield.

 

[RipRocK]

I have not noticed this at all.

Structurally speaking, I don't see how it is physically possible for tire generated water spashes to reach the windshield without rebounding off of some object adjacent to the Pilot, such as guard rail / other car / etc. It would seem that the overhang from the wheel well would inhibit water from spashing onto the windshield.

I know, unless it actually happens to you, it's hard to believe. When it happened the very first time for me, I thought some car had just whizzed by, but there were absolutely no cars, strcutures, or objects around me at all. It's the darnest thing.

 

[tonyrwc]

I have not noticed this at all.

Structurally speaking, I don't see how it is physically possible for tire generated water spashes to reach the windshield without rebounding off of some object adjacent to the Pilot, such as guard rail / other car / etc. It would seem that the overhang from the wheel well would inhibit water from spashing onto the windshield.

I have to agree with you, this would seem physically impossible for water to reach the windshield, the wheel well should catch this.

 

[axjms]

I have seen it several times

Seems like most people have not had this issue but I definitely have. With the snow melting there are lots of deep puddles in Alaska so I have seen it quite a bit. It seems to occur when I am turning though not when I am going straight through the puddles. I wouldn't really call it a problem though becasue a couples swipes with the wiper seems to clear it just fine.

 

[jay]

Has anybody noticed that when driving through 2-3 inch deep water that the water gets diverted onto the windshield from the right front tire?

This has happened to me several times. The driver is blinded until the water clears.

Well, I made it happen tonight, driving home in a thunderstorm, with a lot of water on the road, driving with a sidewalk to my right. But I had to drive TOO FAST FOR THE ROAD CONDITIONS to make it happen.

The water shoots out from the tire, bounces off the curb, and creates a tidal wave effect in front of the vehicle, on the curb side. On the left side, I could see an immense amount of water shooting away from the vehicle, but since there was nothing to hinder its travel, it didn't backwash onto the windshield.

sfhondapilot, you nailed it in your reply. In my case, the sidewalk was in the way.

 

[RipRocK]

Re: Re: Water being thrown on windshield

Well, I made it happen tonight, driving home in a thunderstorm, with a lot of water on the road, driving with a sidewalk to my right. But I had to drive TOO FAST FOR THE ROAD CONDITIONS to make it happen.

The water shoots out from the tire, bounces off the curb, and creates a tidal wave effect in front of the vehicle, on the curb side. On the left side, I could see an immense amount of water shooting away from the vehicle, but since there was nothing to hinder its travel, it didn't backwash onto the windshield.

sfhondapilot, you nailed it in your reply. In my case, the sidewalk was in the way.

Hmmm...the sidewalk. I'll have to watch out for that next time. But I've had the water splash on the rightside of my windshield, going down a road with no center divider or meridian.

 

[Sage]

Well personally I can't wait until we get some rain down here (for more reason's than this) to see what mine does.

 

[jay]

With all the snow we had this winter, and the rain this spring, the two year drought here in Northern Virginia is over, I would think.

 

[Pilot Project]

Thanks for the replies.

We have had this happen numerous times, on different types of roads and even in different cities, but all going between 30-40 mph. There is such a large quantity of water that it overwhelms the wipers and we have to immediately brake, since we have zero visibility. It has happened when there was no curb to divert it back, so we assume it must be a design flaw in the wheel well. We talked to Honda but they told us it was a "normal characteristic" of the vehicle. Common sense tells us that water should be diverted AWAY from the vehicle, not back upon the windshield.

We found a low spot on a street in our neighborhood where it had happened to the Pilot and we took our Odyssey through the same puddle the same day and the Odyssey did what it was supposed to: diverted the water away from the vehicle. Other than this safety issue, the Pilot has been great.

 

[vkarcher]

I know, unless it actually happens to you, it's hard to believe. When it happened the very first time for me, I thought some car had just whizzed by, but there were absolutely no cars, strcutures, or objects around me at all. It's the darnest thing.

This same thing happens to me in mt CR-V.

 

[metallocene]

Ditto with RipRock, in slushy snow greater than about two inches the snow is thrown onto the hood, windshield, and roof(if you're going fast enough, >=40km/h). Never had that happen before. Visibility becomes somewhat limited.

On the plus, the Pilot plows right through and keeps to where I'm steering (not that I can see with all the slush on the windshield...).

Will see about the water this summer.