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

vivekiny2k · 29th March 2007, 20:26

just one clarification from my own observation. it happens in winters because we tend to wear lots of warm clothes, mostly fur (wool or otherwise). If you don't wear those, there are less chances of getting a shock even if it's winter.

I hate those, so irritating, at one time i had to start using my elbow to close the door. one of my friends in NY had a big beary fur coat and she used to give static shock to everybody all the time.

wolfinstein · 29th March 2007, 20:51

I always get static jolts during winters and occasionally during summer nights, The best way is that I open doors wide and then Step out, Touch the car body with my backside.

When the space is limited and cannot open doors wide, I just touch the road or ground when I park.

SLK · 30th March 2007, 00:48

its actually funny.... we all know that the shock would be minor and won't even hurt a bit. BUT still we take so much care not to touch our doors or other metal parts.

I for one have now got a permanent habit of pushing on the window glass.

But again probably thats why they call it a shock!.... no matter how small/ or expected its always a SHOCK!!

benbsb29 · 30th March 2007, 13:53

I used to get these shocks a lot when i was wokring at my previous company. Happened when i used to touch the metal parts of the cubicle.
I thought maybe it was some force telling me it was finally time to move on to a new company... LOL ..!!

navdeep · 30th March 2007, 13:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by benbsb29

I thought maybe it was some force telling me it was finally time to move on to a new company... LOL ..!!

I will take this as my inspiration ..

bikefreak · 30th March 2007, 17:00

I've been getting this for years, so much so, that sometimes visible and audible sparks jump from my neck to the corner of the car door if I pass too close to it, even without touching it !!

Yes the rubber sole does make it worse, as do dry hair and cold weather.

Some guys have mentioned that they experience it only in some cars and not in others.
The possible explanation is the upholstery. If the seat cover is cotton or leather, less static is developed as compared to synthetic covers or stock seats in many cars.
The cover of the steering wheel (if any), over which you frequently glide your hand also contributes. I presume a pure leather steering wheel cover will decrease the incidence of static.

vivekiny2k · 30th March 2007, 19:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolfinstein

I always get static jolts during winters and occasionally during summer nights, The best way is that I open doors wide and then Step out, Touch the car body with my backside.

so you prefer the shock on your back side?

filcord · 30th March 2007, 20:37

I used to get this on my earlier Ford. This had fabric seats, and the act of sliding your butt off the seat generates static electricity.
Finally I made a habit of first touching the metal part of the door and holding on to it before sliding out of the car

wolfinstein · 30th March 2007, 20:49

Ya..! Lol

Usually the intensity of the static discharge in my case is pretty high, Not only does it make itself audiable but also a proper " Chat " wala Blue spark is visible..!

elf · 30th March 2007, 21:09

I'm thinking maybe we should plug you monkeys into the National Power Grid, since it seems that we're running out of electricty these days.

Psst! Wanna make a quick buck?
I'll feed you, clothe you (in nylon only) AND give you 25 bucks a day during this summer.
Gotta coupla 3 ton air-conditioners, some fans, a water pressure booster & a microwave I'd like to run off of you.

DRC · 30th March 2007, 21:42

Static charge is a common problem in dry and cold areas/season.
I have a sofa in my house which gets heavily charged and gives a severe jolt.
In a car the problem is more if you have a fabic seats, with leather the problem is less.

It was painful when I was in California. Solution I found was to wear antistatic footwear. My company used to pay for such shoes. But they never looked good ;-(

Another solution is to get down from the car while holding the metal frame of the door not the plastic door handle. Sounds counter-intuitive, but works (technically same as using keys)

binz · 30th March 2007, 22:43

Saw this on Opera.This static thing started a fire at a petrol bunk.IT happens when your clother rub against the seat;especially synthetic stuff.

srikantans04 · 31st March 2007, 17:54

yeah read an article about that too. Its more for the developed markets, where one has to fill fuel by themselves (no attendant!). People step out of the car carrying tons of static charge and while filling fuel t- fuel vapors are emitted in good quantity. Many a times, the static charge fires off and bang! fuel catches fire.

Scary thought. Thank god we havent reached the stage where we have to fill our own fuel.

arun_moorthy · 31st March 2007, 18:10

Static devlop when the Seats have synthetic upholstery and clothes rub against the upholstery. The discharges whenever our body touches any other medium with a lower Potential . You can also experience this Phenomena when you sit on PVC moulded chairs

angelfire · 1st April 2007, 09:56

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??

29th March 2007, 20:26	#46
vivekiny2k Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: cincinnati, jabalpur,chennai Posts: 1,264 Thanked: 209 Times View My Garage	just one clarification from my own observation. it happens in winters because we tend to wear lots of warm clothes, mostly fur (wool or otherwise). If you don't wear those, there are less chances of getting a shock even if it's winter. I hate those, so irritating, at one time i had to start using my elbow to close the door. one of my friends in NY had a big beary fur coat and she used to give static shock to everybody all the time.
	() Thanks

29th March 2007, 20:51	#47
wolfinstein BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: New Delhi Posts: 994 Thanked: 20 Times	I always get static jolts during winters and occasionally during summer nights, The best way is that I open doors wide and then Step out, Touch the car body with my backside. When the space is limited and cannot open doors wide, I just touch the road or ground when I park.
	() Thanks

30th March 2007, 00:48	#48
SLK Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: DL XX XX XXXX Posts: 1,634 Thanked: 1,011 Times	its actually funny.... we all know that the shock would be minor and won't even hurt a bit. BUT still we take so much care not to touch our doors or other metal parts. I for one have now got a permanent habit of pushing on the window glass. But again probably thats why they call it a shock!.... no matter how small/ or expected its always a SHOCK!!
	() Thanks

30th March 2007, 13:53	#49
benbsb29 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Brisbane Posts: 9,968 Thanked: 13,209 Times View My Garage	I used to get these shocks a lot when i was wokring at my previous company. Happened when i used to touch the metal parts of the cubicle. I thought maybe it was some force telling me it was finally time to move on to a new company... LOL ..!!
	() Thanks

30th March 2007, 17:00	#51
bikefreak BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Mumbai Posts: 276 Thanked: 67 Times View My Garage	I've been getting this for years, so much so, that sometimes visible and audible sparks jump from my neck to the corner of the car door if I pass too close to it, even without touching it !! Yes the rubber sole does make it worse, as do dry hair and cold weather. Some guys have mentioned that they experience it only in some cars and not in others. The possible explanation is the upholstery. If the seat cover is cotton or leather, less static is developed as compared to synthetic covers or stock seats in many cars. The cover of the steering wheel (if any), over which you frequently glide your hand also contributes. I presume a pure leather steering wheel cover will decrease the incidence of static.
	() Thanks

30th March 2007, 20:37	#53
filcord BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: goa Posts: 996 Thanked: 67 Times	I used to get this on my earlier Ford. This had fabric seats, and the act of sliding your butt off the seat generates static electricity. Finally I made a habit of first touching the metal part of the door and holding on to it before sliding out of the car
	() Thanks

30th March 2007, 20:49	#54
wolfinstein BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: New Delhi Posts: 994 Thanked: 20 Times	Ya..! Lol Usually the intensity of the static discharge in my case is pretty high, Not only does it make itself audiable but also a proper " Chat " wala Blue spark is visible..!
	() Thanks

30th March 2007, 21:09	#55
elf BANNED Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Bombay Posts: 1,039 Thanked: 13 Times View My Garage	I'm thinking maybe we should plug you monkeys into the National Power Grid, since it seems that we're running out of electricty these days. *Psst! Wanna make a quick buck?* I'll feed you, clothe you (in nylon only) AND give you 25 bucks a day during this summer. Gotta coupla 3 ton air-conditioners, some fans, a water pressure booster & a microwave I'd like to run off of you.
	() Thanks

30th March 2007, 21:42	#56
DRC BHPian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Cockpit Posts: 911 Thanked: 64 Times View My Garage	Static charge is a common problem in dry and cold areas/season. I have a sofa in my house which gets heavily charged and gives a severe jolt. In a car the problem is more if you have a fabic seats, with leather the problem is less. It was painful when I was in California. Solution I found was to wear antistatic footwear. My company used to pay for such shoes. But they never looked good ;-( Another solution is to get down from the car while holding the metal frame of the door not the plastic door handle. Sounds counter-intuitive, but works (technically same as using keys)
	() Thanks

30th March 2007, 22:43	#57
binz Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,306 Thanked: 431 Times View My Garage	Saw this on Opera.This static thing started a fire at a petrol bunk.IT happens when your clother rub against the seat;especially synthetic stuff.
	() Thanks

31st March 2007, 17:54	#58
srikantans04 BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: bombay Posts: 62 Thanked: 0 Times View My Garage	yeah read an article about that too. Its more for the developed markets, where one has to fill fuel by themselves (no attendant!). People step out of the car carrying tons of static charge and while filling fuel t- fuel vapors are emitted in good quantity. Many a times, the static charge fires off and bang! fuel catches fire. Scary thought. Thank god we havent reached the stage where we have to fill our own fuel.
	() Thanks

31st March 2007, 18:10	#59
arun_moorthy Newbie Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Chennai Posts: 14 Thanked: 0 Times	Static devlop when the Seats have synthetic upholstery and clothes rub against the upholstery. The discharges whenever our body touches any other medium with a lower Potential . You can also experience this Phenomena when you sit on PVC moulded chairs
	() Thanks

1st April 2007, 09:56	#60
angelfire BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Mangalore/Chicago Posts: 251 Thanked: Once View My Garage	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??
	() Thanks