In 2009, the U.S. Department of Transportation say that one in 10 of the 620,000 crashes that occurred during that year happened in the rain. Slippery conditions can hinder a vehicle’s performance in more ways than one and can even penetrate the braking system. Water can easily dilute braking power and performance, increasing the chance of an accident. Cadillac is determined to prevent this as much as possible by fitting their premium crossover, the SRX, with a system called Auto Dry.
The system works directly with the rain sensing windshield wipers and the vehicle’s speed sensors. If an SRX has been traveling for more than four miles over 20 mph and the wipers have on (automatically or manually), Auto Dry kicks in. StabiliTrak management uses hydraulic pressure to generate pulses in the brake calipers, essentially shaking water away from the rotors. The system is present at all four wheels.
“The important thing is to assure the brakes are as dry as possible before the driver applies the brake pedal,” said Randy Leek, a General Motors brake development engineer. “We designed this feature to ensure that the brakes provide optimal braking performance while driving in inclement weather.”
Source: Cadillac
