Lightning

[Bluebell]

Just wondering if anyone has experienced any reactions from the software while driving in an intense lightning storm.

[ScottY]

Never experienced that. But I assume the car won't be affected by lightning, unless you are strike by it (which will fully charge your battery ).

Scott

[jayman]

It's [possible that any modern car or pickup with electronic integration will be affected by the high charge before a lightning strike. For the most part, there is nothing special that will protect any car or pickup onboard system from a direct strike.

The Prius uses a Timing Triggered CANBus onboard network. In theory it will tolerate brief glitches without latching up. CANBus has extensive industrial use due to it's tolerance of stray RF and spikes, eg a Variable Frequency Drive.

In a metal body car or pickup you will still be very well protected from lightning due to The Faraday Cage Effect. It has nothing to do with the tires, it has to do with the metal body. During a lightning storm, stay inside the vehicle.

http://www.lightningsafety.com/nlsi_pls/ve...cle_strike.html

The exception to that would be the onboard systems on modern passenger airliners. They have to be certified to withstand direct lightning strikes, since one can expect a large jet to get hit by lightning - sometimes repeatedly - during a flight and especially during a lifetime of flying.

That sort of protection is very expensive, and it doesn't always work as intended. For example, sometimes the nose assembly that holds the weather radar and radar altimeter equipment will get hit, and the radome will be partially or completely destroyed. It won't bring down the aircraft, but I bet the pilots have to change their underwear after landing.

[Dan Gross]

I was hit by a torrential downpour on the way home last night with lightning that was hitting pretty close...not a problem....