Static Electricity

Everytime I drive my 02 Intrepid I get shocked when I exit the car. This is
very annoying. Does anyone know how I can stop being shocked everytime I
drive the car?

 

I had the same problem with one car I owned. What I did was make sure I
grabbed hold of something metal on the car door before starting to slide
across the seat. That worked for me. Might be able to find a spray
treatment for your seat cloth th help as well, but for me grabbing the
door frame was a cheap and easy solution.


Matt

 

Depends on where the charge is.

If your being shocked when you step on the ground outside then touch
something metallic on the car, the problem is your car tires are acting as
an insulator and the earth ground is at a different potential than the body
of the car. You step on the ground (probably with leather-soled shoes
not rubber boots) and when you touch the door you complete the circut
and zap. The voltages involved here are in the hundreds of thousands of
volts and a few layers of paint are no object. (but they have exceedingly
weak currents, thus don't kill you)

In this case you can try dangling a lightweight chain, like a light switch
chain, off the rear bumper set to have about a quarter inch of the chain
on the ground when the car is unloaded. This is the same trick they use
with the gasoline tanker trucks to drain off the static charges.

Otherwise if it's caused by sliding across the seat, then wear cotton and
avoid wool and 100% polyester, sometimes the sprays can help, also
you could cut down an anti-static mat (available in any computer store)
to a floormat and ground that.

Ted

 

To minimise the unpleasant feeling touch whatever it is you are touching
with your KNUCKLES first.

There are far fewer nerve-endings in your knuckles than in your fingertips.
This obviously works in all kinds of situations, e.g. when touching a door
handle after walking across a carpet with a substantial synthetic fibre
content. Tap the handle with the knuckles first.

DAS

 

Go to electronics store (or radioshack) and ask for
anti-static spray. Spray this on all of the seats
in the car and wipe a bit on the dash. It may not
eliminate ALL static, but it will spread it out
and reduce the pain (spark voltage at your finger).

It is designed to be sprayed on carpet. So be sure
to use it on the car mats as well.

Rick
Merrill

 

This could be caused by your tires. The absence of certain compounds needed
to conduct electricity can cause a charge to build up on the body. Either
get a grounding strap to hang down from the body to the ground or change to
different tires.

Richard.

 

Right. SPray the whole body and the tires with anti-static while
you're at it.

 

I had a go at posting earlier but it hasn't shown up in my newsreader so, at
risk of being boring, here it is again:

Touch whatever it is with your knuckles.

Fewer nerve endings in knuckles than in fingertips.

Works a treat after, say, walking on a synthetic-fibre carpet.

DAS

 

I don't have this problem as it never gets cold and dry enough where I
live. Coldest it would ever get here is 55 degrees once every other
year.