Why do I get zapped when getting out of the car?

[theknight571]

Here's what's happening...

I drive to my destination, turn off the car, open the door, step out, turn around to push door closed and as soon as my hand touches the door...ZAP...

It's the kind of shock you get when shuffling your feet on carpet and then touching a doorknob.

I figure it's static electricity..but where is it coming from and should I be concerned about it damaging the electronics?

- TK

 

[pulse8]

Do you have cloth seats?

 

[crab]

It's electric, boogie woogie woogie!

 

[Eaglescout]

Yep, happens to me all the time in the winter-time. I have cloth seats and have been told that's the culprit. Rubbing your clothes across the seats builds up the charge, and then you get zapped by the first metal object you touch.

Eaglescout

 

[d0ofy]

I have the same problem. Everytime I exit the car, I get zapped when I push the lock down. I cringe in anticipation of the zap, hoping it's not a super-zap that actually hurts.

 

[RedRooster]

Hold onto a metal part of the door while you're getting out of the car, and it shouldn't happen. I have that exact problem right now, but doing that seems to help a little.

 

[theknight571]

Pulse & EagleScout .... Duh....I never thought of that. I guess it would be just like shuffling on carpet. (I do have cloth seats)

Crab ... lol


Anything I can do to help prevent it? Other than switching to leather (or sim) seats.

- TK

Edit:

RR ... I'll try that.

 

[busmaster11]

I take my key and touch the car metal after my foot touches the ground. That keeps the shock from getting you. Just be careful not to scratch your car.

 

[Sir Fredrick]

It's more than just touching metal. You could touch a quarter all day and you'd still get shocked when you touched the door...it's really more or less touching grounded metal.

 

[hevnsnt]

The problem is that your car is sitting on 4 rubber tires, no where for the static electricity to go that builds up due to the cold air.... Havent you ever seen that dork with all the puffy hair driving along with a strip of paper clips hanging from the car onto the ground? That is to ground the car, so you dont get shocked.

 

[busmaster11]

<< It's more than just touching metal. You could touch a quarter all day and you'd still get shocked when you touched the door...it's really more or less touching grounded metal. >>



Obviously you didn't get what I was saying. When your feet touch the ground, and you make contact with the car's metal, you're making the bridge that lets the difference in charges between the car and the the ground equalize. If you use a key to touch the metal, you won't feel the shock as much.

 

[Pepsei]

yes, electrons build up in your body and when you leave the car the inblance causes the electrons to 'leap' from your finger through the air to the car when your finger is close to the body of the car.


to fix this....

open car door, touch and hold the car door before you step on the ground... do not remove hand... that way ... electricity doesn't 'leap' to the car. it'll just flow harmlessly to the car. remove hand after you close the door... that's it...

 

[Doggiedog]

Its your cloth seats and also the dry winter air. I used to get nasty (1 inch bolts) shocks from my car. What I did was I'd step out of the car pushing the window to close the door. Then I'd take my key and insert it into the lock. The shocks were so severe, I could still feel them through the key though.

Edit: Holding the door or any metal part of the car for me never worked. I would still get a pretty strong jolt.

 

[MaxDepth]

The Cure:
If you have a metal frame around your door (best place is around the window behind your head), place your left hand on that frame and then let yourself out of the car, keeping your hand on the frame until you've completely stepped out of the car.

I do this in the winter automatically, just like hitting the light switch for the car (my does not have a warning bell - I can't tell you how many times I've drained the battery because of that stupid error).

Because you ground yourself continually, there is no static discharge.

 

[chansen]

Happens to me all the time, and I have leather seats.

I countersact this by resting my forearm on the door before I close it.

 

[Doggiedog]

Another cure may be getting those static strips you see sometimes on the ends of buses for your car. Problem is, if your car gets hit by lightning...

 

[killface]

Your alternator or engine are probably bad. You should probably get a new car soon.

 

[d0ofy]

Another cure may be getting those static strips you see sometimes on the ends of buses for your car. Problem is, if your car gets hit by lightning...

Your car is one of the safest places to be in a lightning storm. Even if you're car gets hit by lightning, you'll be fine.

 

[Doggiedog]

Your car is one of the safest places to be in a lightning storm. Even if you're car gets hit by lightning, you'll be fine.

That's if your car isn't grounded.

 

[glen]

You drive a Honda Accord, early 90's?

 

[theknight571]

glen,

No...although I would if I could get away with it.

I drive a large, green, gas guzzling, haul the family and all their crap, SUV.

- TK

 

[Way Cool Jr.]

I have leather seats and it still happens to me. I got in the habit of shutting the door by pushing the window.

 

[FrontlineWarrior]

i close the door by pushing on the window. glass in an insulator so you won't get those shocks.

 

[theknight571]

Wouldn't you then just postpone the shock until you got to the front door...or the next metal object?

 

[StageLeft]

been happening to me the past month or so too