2017 X5 Torrential Rain - No Visibility

[Qsilver7]

Originally Posted by 440ijjj

I was driving in some really torrential rain the other day on the Highway 85, in Atlanta, in my 2017 X5 and as I was driving, totally lost visibility. It seemed to me that where water was puddled on the ground on the highway, somehow the water was pushed onto my front window, and the amount of water that was propelled onto the window made me lose total visibility, which was very scary. Imagine a four or five second wall of water on your windshield.

I'm trying to figure out if this has happened to anyone else, or was a unique experience to my car, and if so, what might be wrong.

(On an aside, there was so much water I figured it had to have been coming from the other side of the highway going over the divider, but it happened again another time when I was no where near the divider. Also, I have been driving for 20 years in Atlanta, and have never had something like this happen to me in any other vehicle.)

Thanks for any help or ideas you can provide!

Originally Posted by Road Carnage

What you are describing happened to me often in my previous E70 X5. The water seems to get thrown by the front wheels in a way that brings it over the hood and right onto the windshield. It was definitely unnerving the first few times it happened! Seemed to happen most often when I would go through a deep puddle. Our roads in PA are pretty lousy these days, on many of the smaller back roads the pavement develops two grooves where the tires naturally run and these grooves will fill with water during heavy rain storms. That’s when I usually noticed it.

As others have mentioned, Rain-X helps as does using auto rain sensing wiper mode.

Originally Posted by 440ijjj

Yes, exactly! Did you ever figure out what was going on. What's a bit odd is that not everyone experiences it. The highway in Atlanta is pretty great, so I'm surprised that it doesn't happen to more people, if it is not a defect in my car in some way. And that's what I need to find out. As it is, I don't feel safe driving in heavy rain any more...

No...this is not a defect...it is what happens when you drive through a huge puddle of water too fast.

The only thing you can do is...when you see a large area of standing water...try to avoid it or slow down as much as possible with consideration of safety (like if cars are behind or beside you on an interstate with all traveling at 75 MPH). In rainy conditions...you shouldn't be driving that fast in heavy rain anyway...especially if the rain has come down so hard that it isn't being evacuated from the roads fast enough.

Examples of cars driving through deep puddles of water. Note that if you drive through the water (to fast)...not only can it completely cover the windshield...you can also blind vehicles adjacent to you.

{this video shows multiple vehicles...some driving slower and some driving to fast...the ones driving too fast throw water on their windshields as well as the vehicles passing them going the opposite direction}

[anon1000]

Originally Posted by 440ijjj

I was driving in some really torrential rain the other day on the Highway 85, in Atlanta, in my 2017 X5 and as I was driving, totally lost visibility. It seemed to me that where water was puddled on the ground on the highway, somehow the water was pushed onto my front window, and the amount of water that was propelled onto the window made me lose total visibility, which was very scary. Imagine a four or five second wall of water on your windshield.

I'm trying to figure out if this has happened to anyone else, or was a unique experience to my car, and if so, what might be wrong.

(On an aside, there was so much water I figured it had to have been coming from the other side of the highway going over the divider, but it happened again another time when I was no where near the divider. Also, I have been driving for 20 years in Atlanta, and have never had something like this happen to me in any other vehicle.)

Thanks for any help or ideas you can provide!

Same exact scenario for me yesterday after 5 years of ownership for first time.

No other car around, heaby rain and puddling and all water flies to the windshield from underneath of the car. It was coming in from the sides. Happened several times and had to slow down, then eventuallt a car did pass me and seemed to have no trouble navigating the water on the road. Was the weirdest thing ever.

Was already driving much slower than the car that did pass me and it wasnt an issue with the windshield not shedding it faat enough, it was just a wall water as if I drove into a lake fast.