My VS keeps ZAPPING me!!!!

[AttaBoy]

Hi guys,

Most of the time after a drive to and from work, when I get out of my car and when I touch the upper area of the drivers door, it gives me a zap of current /electricity!!!! Other times is worst and its not nice!!

Does anyone had this sort of problem?? Cos they sometimes get nasty and give me a bad zap.
I heard that it could be the static build up created when a rush if air/wind passes your car when driving. I kinda doubt that would be the cause.

[vy_storm]

Your car is not grounded to earth while it is sitting on tyres alone. When you get out of the car, you make contact to earth thereby discharging any static buildup to ground. You generate huge amounts of electricity each and every time you sit on the seat, there is no way to discharge this without making contact to ground. Some people use one of those static straps underneath the car that grounds the car before you get out.

I have a bit of knowledge/background on this as I work in a facility where the employees and equipment are grounded permanently throughout to prevent static discharge and damage to componentry.

[AttaBoy]

Thanks for the quick reply vy_storm. I though it might have something to do with the ground wires/connections in the car.
Is there any other ways to stop this apart from that static strap hanging out of the car?? I never liked those things hanging out.
Looks like I gotta live with it.

[Harvs82]

I've found it also has a lot to do with what you are wearing too, in particular your shoes and what they are made of. I often get zapped from my VS, to the point where I had a little spark come off my finger, which really hurt.

One way to get around it is to close the door by pushing on the glass, not the frame, and when getting out make sure your leg doesn't touch the car.

Also, don't swivel in the seat when you get out, I've found that also generates a lot of static...

Sometimes I can go days without getting a zap, and other times I cop a ripper every time I get out.... quite annoying.

[dufus]

These sparks are not uncommon, on a episode of Mythbusters they were investigated when the were testing the myth of mobile phones causing petrol to ignite at petrol stations. It was stated that these electrical discharges are more likely to start the petrol station fires than mobile phones. Unfortunately i don't remember if they said how to prevent these static discharges.

[hako]

You can easily 'drain' any buildup of static electricity by earthing yourself as you exit - as you swivel yourself in the seat and throw your legs to the ground, momentarily touch the door lock striker on the door pillar - this will discharge the buildup as it is being generated. Actually any metal part of the car will do but most are covered with plastic or paint and the door striker is handy and an excellent earth.

[Patrio7]

i get the most static on windy days but a strap sounds like a good idea, i've got a granny mod car anyway so it wont look out of place

[vy_storm]

Just to note, it is also strongly advised to fill up petrol/jerry cans on the ground as they too build up a static charge whilst traveling in the car. My ute tray liner even has a bold warning sticker on the side to advise against the practice.

[jacko]

I used to get zaps a fair bit, i find that when you put your feet on the ground next to the car to get out, hold a part of the car until you get out. This was probably why my old man didn't get shocks when he was in the car with me, as he leaned on the door to get up.

[Johnsy]

It happened in my VX all the time but never in my current VZ sedan or wagon !

Go figure....

[kopper69]

Do you have sheepskin seatcovers? They are pretty bad for it. If not, what material are your seatcovers made of? I have never had this problem in my VR, but my folks get it really badly in their VT, which I put down to their sheepskin seatcovers.

[immortality]

i never have a problem with static but my missus suffers it with all the cars we have owned, especially her VS. some poeple are more effected then others by this problem. sometimes a bad earth in the car can cause this problem. as mentioned above, the simplest fixes are not to touch any metal from the car when getting out, letting someone else get out first (they get the shock) or to touch something metalic on the car before touching the ground. static generation is effected by many variables including the types of cloth/clothing worn/in the car etc, shoes. i have this jumper made from acrilic type material, if i take it off at night with no lights on you can see the static that it generates as i take it off. i never get a zap though?

[AttaBoy]

mmmm... looks like I'm not the only one suffers.
What I don't get is that I wear thick rubber boots most of the time as required for my job so how would the static get to me and towards earth??? I mean its like the car sitting on rubber tires??? Weird.

[vy_storm]

Will move this topic to general, as it is obviously a widespread phenomenon, not just model specific.

[Patrio7]

attaboy, i'd say you would be releasing static into your chair as you drive and the cars body remains static free so when you get out your all charged up and the static wants out

[greenfoam]

Seems VS's are bad for this?, I get this all the time in my mums AU so much that I allways close the door in that car by pushing the window I also used to get hammered by the Magna my parents had but I haven't ever been zapped by my VN or VP

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

If you dont like the look of the anti static strap hanging off the back of the car mount it to the body underneath. The only time you see it is when you're a bit behind the car or following it. I've got one mounted to a screw that holds the fuel line and I can't see it unless I'm about 20m away from the car or looking under it of course. Never been zapped either.

[evil_monkey]

im slack and i ussually grab the rubber on the top corner of the door to avoid shocks works most of the time unless i make contact with the metal

[veclubby]

yeh ive been getting this lately on the vu, i think it might be my seat covers building up all the static....it also seems to do it more when im wearing thongs.

do u guys have seat covers?


cheers
ryan

[AttaBoy]

No I don't even put seat covers, I wanna know if owners with cars that have leather seats get static discharge??
Its getting hard to get into the habit of closing the door by touching the glass, I kept forgetting it and always being zapped by touching the doors,
Gonna have to write a note reminding me to touch glass and stick somewhere so I can see it when I get out!!!
You should see how funny when I waited till my girlfriend get out first, and screams when she got zapped.
I tried not to laugh!!!!

[Fu Manchu]

Just hold on to anything metal as you get out. Then you won't get zapped!
If you wait till you are out to touch the metal then you will get zapped. It is that simple

[BOGANV8]

I also too get zapped heaps i found its only when im wearing ugg boots and track pants and then get out bang big zap but wearing any other clothes nothing happens

Maybe its sumfin to do with ugg boots

[veclubby]

also found that if u touch your car key on the metal bit of the door it wont zap u either.....the key cops it instead...

[evil_monkey]

No I don't even put seat covers, I wanna know if owners with cars that have leather seats get static discharge??

come to think of it, i havent been zapped from my stato and that has full leather i will keep you guys up to date if it happens

[katana]

I have a vz acclaim, same problem,I get zapped nearly every time, getting scared to shut the door. I think i will try the rubber strip. cheers