Static Electricity Discharge / Shock when touching car's front door

Sam Kapasi · 1st April 2007, 10:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by angelfire

Hey just a thought guys...Wht if the ground wire of the battery terminal is upgraded to thick wire nd also if a second ground point is made to the body..Will this help in discharging static electricity??

What are you talking about? The battery terminal ground wire is super thick anyways. And is connected to the chassis of the car anyways.

GeekSrik · 20th April 2007, 13:56

sorry for opening up a long gone thread, but one way in which i discharge is to step out of my shoes ( i wear easy remove shoes) and put my leg on the ground, before i wear them again. this removes the problem.

but somehow i get this issue only with some cars and some shoes!

quadra · 20th April 2007, 17:58

One thing i noticed is that if a wear a shirt made of part nylon, i get a static charge.
Hope it helps

kph · 24th November 2007, 09:45

Is there a good reason why sometimes we get electrostatic shock from car when we get out of it touching the body? This happens even if we are wearing leather or shoes that are good insulators.
Or is there an interpretation that this might be because of any electric leakage in the car's circuit?
I am under the impression that this is due to static that builds up on our body from rubbing on the mats or seat. But this doesn't happen always and not with all cars.
Any comments?

Shan2nu · 24th November 2007, 11:00

Forget cars, yesterday i got out of my car, touched my dog on the forehead and got a jolt of static discharge.

So to be on the safer side, when ever i get out of the car, the first thing i do is touch my shirt to any part of the vehicle and then close the door.

Will drinking a lot of water help prevent static discharge?

Shan2nu

bblost · 24th November 2007, 18:27

i get more static when I wear my green socks than when I wear my brown socks.

I guess its because the green one's are dirtier and my dirt makes them more dynamic in nature.

bhogalrajnish · 26th November 2007, 13:51

Back home is Shimla even if you shake hands with people during the winter you get the spark !!!. People from mountains are charged...

anuragn · 26th November 2007, 14:50

Here at my office in Mumbai, when I touch the metal handles of the glass doors, I get static shocks. It happens during dry weather and only when I wear rubber-soled shoes.
I guess it happens with bad conductors as the charge accumulates on them and when it comes in contact with another object with some potential difference, it gets discharged , resulting in a jolt.

goandude · 29th March 2008, 09:56

Hi all, I would like to share a problem i have. After driving my Matiz during dry weather (esp winter in Bangy) when i get down and shut the door, i get a moderate shock when my hand touches the metal door. sometimes when i get down and immidiately shake a friends hand both of us get a shock. When dark I can sometimes can see a spark fly between the two of us. So now I close car door by pushing the window glass.Problem never there in wet weather.
Static is a problem in aviation too, so fuel tankers have an earth wire grounded whenever they refuel aircraft. Passenger Aircraft too heve these 3-4 black rods protruding from their wing trailing edges called static dischargers. Small aircraft like Chetak have a small chain dangling from the wheel hub touching the ground.
What I want to ask is do other members in this forum have had similar experiences? and if so what can be done about it. I am thinking of ataching a small chain to the underbody of my car (well away from the wheel) just touching the ground. Any Ideas folks??

narayan · 29th March 2008, 10:06

i face the same problem here in gurgaon. never experienced this earlier when i was in chennai..

but this is not just with the car, even when u get into a blanket u can see the sparks !!

as long as its not strong enuf to kill u its fine i guess...

dont even think of doing that chain thing !!

simplythebest · 29th March 2008, 14:28

I get these static once in a while after exiting my car and touching the lift button.

ONE REMEDY
If the first touch of a metallic object is with your knuckles (back of fingers) rather than the palm, the shock is a lot less.

I've now got into the habit of always touching lift, car etc first with the back of my fingers (almost like knocking).

I guess this is because the is moisture on your palms which cause a bigger spark, and also your palms are very sensitive and cause you to jump.

I got this idea when i see electricans always check to see if a wire is live by rubbing their knuckle on it first, and then trying to hold it.

Rehaan · 29th March 2008, 22:22

Note from Mod - Multiple threads on the same topic have been merged.

Do you wear a particular material everyday (eg. the same jacket?) That can sometimes be a large part of the cause.

Quote:

Originally Posted by goandude

I am thinking of ataching a small chain to the underbody of my car (well away from the wheel) just touching the ground. Any Ideas folks??

Fuel /flamable liqued tankers on the highway also have the same thing. I wonder how well it works...?

Just beware that the chain will probably get very hot and be causing sparks as it drags across the road - in terms of getting attention as well as the possibility of igniting something!

Quote:

Originally Posted by narayan

i face the same problem here in gurgaon. never experienced this earlier when i was in chennai..

Humidity is a large factor in the buildup/transfer of static electricity - the lower the humidity - the more the static discharge.

Quote:

Originally Posted by simplythebest

I got this idea when i see electricans always check to see if a wire is live by rubbing their knuckle on it first, and then trying to hold it.

JEEZ! what kind of electrician doesnt have a curent tester thing (the little light in the handle of the screwdriver) its the most basic electricial tool!!!

Here is some more info for those interested :

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=re...rYmT1TJCXFiHUA

cya
R

simplythebest · 30th March 2008, 12:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rehaan

JEEZ! what kind of electrician doesnt have a curent tester thing (the little light in the handle of the screwdriver) its the most basic electricial tool!!!

Thats normal in india

Thad E Ginathom · 30th March 2008, 13:32

Five pages... apologies if this has been said before!

Static jumps from/to a point, and I used to get shocks from my car in London daily, until I got in the habit of touching it with the full flat of my palm first, rather than reaching out my fingers towards the door handle. The electricity must still pass, but, spread out over a wider area of skin, I didn't feel it.

This may be contradictory to simplythebest's experience, but it worked for me.

I don't feel it here at all. Maybe this is to do with high humidity.

wolfinstein · 30th March 2008, 15:41

The best way is to touch the ground before you move out of the car, or open the door wide, and rub your back to the car, that ways no static shock..!

20th April 2007, 13:56	#62
GeekSrik Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,281 Thanked: 22 Times View My Garage	sorry for opening up a long gone thread, but one way in which i discharge is to step out of my shoes ( i wear easy remove shoes) and put my leg on the ground, before i wear them again. this removes the problem. but somehow i get this issue only with some cars and some shoes!
	() Thanks

20th April 2007, 17:58	#63
quadra BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Blore Posts: 553 Thanked: 68 Times	One thing i noticed is that if a wear a shirt made of part nylon, i get a static charge. Hope it helps
	() Thanks

24th November 2007, 09:45	#64
kph BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Manali Posts: 156 Thanked: 13 Times	Electrostatic shock from car Is there a good reason why sometimes we get electrostatic shock from car when we get out of it touching the body? This happens even if we are wearing leather or shoes that are good insulators. Or is there an interpretation that this might be because of any electric leakage in the car's circuit? I am under the impression that this is due to static that builds up on our body from rubbing on the mats or seat. But this doesn't happen always and not with all cars. Any comments?
	() Thanks

24th November 2007, 11:00	#65
Shan2nu Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Hubli - Karnata Posts: 5,533 Thanked: 127 Times View My Garage	Forget cars, yesterday i got out of my car, touched my dog on the forehead and got a jolt of static discharge. So to be on the safer side, when ever i get out of the car, the first thing i do is touch my shirt to any part of the vehicle and then close the door. Will drinking a lot of water help prevent static discharge? Shan2nu
	() Thanks

24th November 2007, 18:27	#66
bblost Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 11,295 Thanked: 17,979 Times View My Garage	i get more static when I wear my green socks than when I wear my brown socks. I guess its because the green one's are dirtier and my dirt makes them more dynamic in nature. Last edited by bblost : 24th November 2007 at 18:28. Reason: typo
	() Thanks

26th November 2007, 13:51	#67
bhogalrajnish BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 215 Thanked: 67 Times	Back home is Shimla even if you shake hands with people during the winter you get the spark !!!. People from mountains are charged...
	() Thanks

26th November 2007, 14:50	#68
anuragn BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Navi Mumbai Posts: 192 Thanked: 51 Times	Here at my office in Mumbai, when I touch the metal handles of the glass doors, I get static shocks. It happens during dry weather and only when I wear rubber-soled shoes. I guess it happens with bad conductors as the charge accumulates on them and when it comes in contact with another object with some potential difference, it gets discharged , resulting in a jolt.
	() Thanks

29th March 2008, 09:56	#69
goandude Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Mysuru Posts: 1,769 Thanked: 1,298 Times	Shock from static build up Hi all, I would like to share a problem i have. After driving my Matiz during dry weather (esp winter in Bangy) when i get down and shut the door, i get a moderate shock when my hand touches the metal door. sometimes when i get down and immidiately shake a friends hand both of us get a shock. When dark I can sometimes can see a spark fly between the two of us. So now I close car door by pushing the window glass.Problem never there in wet weather. Static is a problem in aviation too, so fuel tankers have an earth wire grounded whenever they refuel aircraft. Passenger Aircraft too heve these 3-4 black rods protruding from their wing trailing edges called static dischargers. Small aircraft like Chetak have a small chain dangling from the wheel hub touching the ground. What I want to ask is do other members in this forum have had similar experiences? and if so what can be done about it. I am thinking of ataching a small chain to the underbody of my car (well away from the wheel) just touching the ground. Any Ideas folks??
	() Thanks

29th March 2008, 10:06	#70
narayan Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Singapore Posts: 3,132 Thanked: 2,488 Times View My Garage	i face the same problem here in gurgaon. never experienced this earlier when i was in chennai.. but this is not just with the car, even when u get into a blanket u can see the sparks !! as long as its not strong enuf to kill u its fine i guess... dont even think of doing that chain thing !!
	() Thanks

29th March 2008, 14:28	#71
simplythebest BHPian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Coimbatore Posts: 121 Thanked: 11 Times	I get these static once in a while after exiting my car and touching the lift button. ONE REMEDY If the first touch of a metallic object is with your knuckles (back of fingers) rather than the palm, the shock is a lot less. I've now got into the habit of always touching lift, car etc first with the back of my fingers (almost like knocking). I guess this is because the is moisture on your palms which cause a bigger spark, and also your palms are very sensitive and cause you to jump. I got this idea when i see electricans always check to see if a wire is live by rubbing their knuckle on it first, and then trying to hold it.
	() Thanks

30th March 2008, 13:32	#74
Thad E Ginathom Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Chennai Posts: 11,439 Thanked: 29,987 Times	Five pages... apologies if this has been said before! Static jumps from/to a point, and I used to get shocks from my car in London daily, until I got in the habit of touching it with the full flat of my palm first, rather than reaching out my fingers towards the door handle. The electricity must still pass, but, spread out over a wider area of skin, I didn't feel it. This may be contradictory to simplythebest's experience, but it worked for me. I don't feel it here at all. Maybe this is to do with high humidity.
	() Thanks

30th March 2008, 15:41	#75
wolfinstein BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: New Delhi Posts: 994 Thanked: 20 Times	The best way is to touch the ground before you move out of the car, or open the door wide, and rub your back to the car, that ways no static shock..!
	() Thanks