Many people experience shocks when they get out of their car. Often they believe that the car is charged - but this is not normally so.
Sitting in the car, electrostatic charges are generated on the car seat and the person's body, due to contact and movement between the clothes and the seat. When the person leaves the seat, They take half of this charge with them. As they get out of the vehicle, their body voltages rises due to this charge - a voltage of 10,000 Volts is not unusual.
When they reach to touch the vehicle door, the electrostatic discharge and shock occurs as their hand approaches the metal door.
The voltage build-up can often be avoided by holding onto a metal part of the door frame as you leave the seat. This provides a return dissipation path for the charge on your body.
If you have forgotten to hold the metal door part as you leave the seat, a shock may often still be avoided by touching the glass window before you touch the metal door. The glass may be conductive enough to dissipate charge, whilst preventing the rapid discharge which is felt as a shock.
If you have your keys in your hand - let the spark discharge through the keys not to your fingers, and you won't feel anything!
To avoid shocks when getting out of the car -
HOLD the metal door frame before you get out
KEEP HOLDING as you get out, until you are fully out of the car.
Many people experience shocks when they get out of their car. Often they believe that the car is charged - but this is not normally so.
Sitting in the car, electrostatic charges are generated on the car seat and the person's body, due to contact and movement between the clothes and the seat. When the person leaves the seat, They take half of this charge with them. As they get out of the vehicle, their body voltages rises due to this charge - a voltage of 10,000 Volts is not unusual.
When they reach to touch the vehicle door, the electrostatic discharge and shock occurs as their hand approaches the metal door.
The voltage build-up can often be avoided by holding onto a metal part of the door frame as you leave the seat. This provides a return dissipation path for the charge on your body.
If you have forgotten to hold the metal door part as you leave the seat, a shock may often still be avoided by touching the glass window before you touch the metal door. The glass may be conductive enough to dissipate charge, whilst preventing the rapid discharge which is felt as a shock.
If you have your keys in your hand - let the spark discharge through the keys not to your fingers, and you won't feel anything!
To avoid shocks when getting out of the car -
HOLD the metal door frame before you get out
KEEP HOLDING as you get out, until you are fully out of the car.
There, that's the answer.
It might be static built up from cutting through the air as you reach a certain speed, like the speed of lightning or so, in a high humidity atmosphere.
I haven't been able to get out of my car without getting shocked as I close the car door for weeks!
Someone suggested getting a spray can of static guard and I picked one up tonite. Hope it helps.
Another fellow says he just closes the door with his foot. If this is such a common problem, why can't car makers address it?
Any other suggestions to keep from getting static shocks?
Regards,
Keith
Keith, Perhaps you are sooooooooooooooooo full of energy that it sprews out from you all the time but you feel it when you have become ungrounded ( as in your car) and you reconnect (getting out of the car).
but wait I saw that photo with your naptop ,,opps I mean laptop.
nevermind........................................
do you have vinyl seats or leather seats?
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I stopped to get gas yesterday and opened the van door to receive several shocks. Almost afraid to pump the gas after hearing so much about static shocks and not to pump gas etc...lol
We have one gas station in town that has a hand print on the front of the pump asking you to place your hand on it before pumping to get rid of any static first.
Is this really a huge concern or just something new? I certainly don't remember anything said about this problem years ago at gas stations. How often does a flare up at the gas station happen due to these little shocks?
My old car used to shock me all the damn time. I bought a new car with leather seats a couple weeks ago, and I think I'm still a little shocked about the price, but I don't recall any ESD shocks lately.
I used to build computers, and we wore wrist straps that were plugged into a workstation or the computer to ground out any static shocks. We also wore special smocks and shoes that would dissipate any static before it built up.
Treating your seats and floormats and doors with static guard should help.
FACT: It takes around 3 to 5 thousand volts of electrostatic discharge (ESD) to even feel it. A good sparker is probably more than 20,000 Volts!
Some electronic equipment can be damaged with far less ESD voltage.
Ijust saw a page about this in a Popular Mechanics magazine. They recommend using an antistatic treatment every few months or when needed. They mention that it is mostly a problem in drier weather. They show a picture of a hand, holding a can of STATIC-GARD, ready to spray a car seat.
Another fact: Synthetic clothing and fabrics(nylon, rayon, polyester, etc.) generate much more static electricity than natural fiber.
OK...if none of the fore mentioned remedies work, just shoot the car, and get one like Foragist has.
Maybe spittin' and swearin', and a good swift kick !? :lol:
I remember reading this thread back when it first was posted......thought to myself......glad I dont have a car/van that is shocking me
Well, the past few days it has been. So I finally found this thread and am going to try the advice here.
Well, all except shooting it ~ LOL. I need to be able to get to customers house's.
Carol
Swearing usually happens after the shock! Doesn't prevent future shocks, but it seems to help.
Another thing that can help reduce static buildup is using fabric softener in your laundry....and now that I think about it, using conditioner in your hair reduces static, too. Skin lotions too....and getting enough liquids in your diet also helps.
No, Brain, this is not an endorsement for drinking and driving!
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