shocking problem

[jrt67ss350]

my Civic would do that to me too. Kinda annoying. My cousin says her Jetta does the same thing. Not having that problem anymore is one advantage to leather or leatherette.

Well, I've got leatherette, and I get shocked pretty frequently. I do think it is definitely worse with fabric seats, though.

 

[sketch]

It's almost certainly the seat fabric and clothing you are wearing.

Just be careful at the filling station. There is a proven, documented hazard that has caused fires:
- Get out and start filling the car
- leave the nozzle in the filler neck
- get back in the car leaving the door open
- get out (door is open so you don't touch anything to discharge)
- grab the gas handle that is still in the car
- static discharge thru the handle to the filler neck - BOOM!!

this is good to know, i should tell my girlfriend this because she sometimes goes back in the car while fueling up.

 

[BMWdude]

Bahahahahah, thats pretty funny problem[fake]

 

[carcus]

Cant you get a grounding strap that connects to the fram and drags along the ground while you drive, getting rid of all the static electricity?

Yep, that is exactally what I was going to suggest. Should solve the problem and just a couple of bucks.

 

[Abdoman]

I almost never get shocked by a car that has leather seats, but if I'm in a rental with cloth, I always get shocked.

 

[Steve Neu]

Prove it...

Try this www.hcdoes.org/airquality/GDF/static3.htm

Steve

 

[Kirby]

From the above link:

" But even with the new tires, the vast majority of the static electricity that cars generate is still dissipated through the tires as the car rolls along. "

The static that is generated by the car is due to the air that the car moves through. "Dissipated" means that the static is "bled off" or discharged through the tires.

IMHO, this seems to actually support that the static finger zap is likely from a source other than the tires, which would be clothing & vinyl seats.

 

[Kirby]

For those that are interested in the different materials & why vinyl causes static but leather doesn't. Leather would be similar to human hands for the purpose of comparison.

============
The following table shows you the triboelectric series for many materials you find around the house. Positive items in the series are at the top, and negative items are at the bottom:


Human hands (usually too moist, though) Very positive
Rabbit Fur
Glass
Human hair
Nylon
Wool
Fur
Lead
Silk
Aluminum
Paper
Cotton
Steel Neutral
Wood
Amber
Hard rubber
Nickel, Copper
Brass, Silver
Gold, Platinum
Polyester
Styrene (Styrofoam)
Saran Wrap
Polyurethane
Polyethylene (like Scotch Tape)
Polypropylene
Vinyl (PVC)
Silicon
Teflon Very negative
(The above list is adapted from Nature's Electricity, by Charles K. Adams.)

The relative position of two substances in the triboelectric series tells you how they will act when brought into contact. Glass rubbed by silk causes a charge separation because they are several positions apart in the table. The same applies for amber and wool. The farther the separation in the table, the greater the effect.
=========

So if you wear nylon clothing and rub against vinyl seats, there is a great difference in charge. The nylon will strip free electrons from the vinyl. Now your body has free electrons. Touch the metal car, which is neutral, and the electrons ZAAAAAP from you to the car.

The full article discussing the above material list is HERE

 

[epj3]

EXCELLENT link kirby!!

 

[usherjackson]

Hold the door (metal part) when you're getting out, while still in the seat, with your feet still on the floor. Since I've been told to do this, I get shocked no more.

 

[xLibelle]

if someone thinks its one thing or the other is an idiot.

everyone pointed out all the components, humidity and clothing to seat(=friction)
together in the right amount can be trouble

i have a company vehicle, so i admit (this is gay), ive been trained how to pump. (cant belive i said that) before you touch the gas handle while in the car, always put your hand to the car to discharge/ground.

 

[sketch]

For those that are interested in the different materials & why vinyl causes static but leather doesn't. Leather would be similar to human hands for the purpose of comparison.

============
The following table shows you the triboelectric series for many materials you find around the house. Positive items in the series are at the top, and negative items are at the bottom:


Human hands (usually too moist, though) Very positive
Rabbit Fur
Glass
Human hair
Nylon
Wool
Fur
Lead
Silk
Aluminum
Paper
Cotton
Steel Neutral
Wood
Amber
Hard rubber
Nickel, Copper
Brass, Silver
Gold, Platinum
Polyester
Styrene (Styrofoam)
Saran Wrap
Polyurethane
Polyethylene (like Scotch Tape)
Polypropylene
Vinyl (PVC)
Silicon
Teflon Very negative
(The above list is adapted from Nature's Electricity, by Charles K. Adams.)

The relative position of two substances in the triboelectric series tells you how they will act when brought into contact. Glass rubbed by silk causes a charge separation because they are several positions apart in the table. The same applies for amber and wool. The farther the separation in the table, the greater the effect.
=========

So if you wear nylon clothing and rub against vinyl seats, there is a great difference in charge. The nylon will strip free electrons from the vinyl. Now your body has free electrons. Touch the metal car, which is neutral, and the electrons ZAAAAAP from you to the car.

The full article discussing the above material list is HERE

wow, my topic turned into a science lesson

good info though and again, thank for the help guys

 

[aNoodle]

I have leather and I get shocked all the time...but it depends. It hardly ever happens in the summer. But spring and fall...it's wierd.