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Static shocks... WTF!!!

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by irishpol, Feb 6, 2008.

  1. irishpol
    Joined: Jul 18, 2006
    Posts: 687

    irishpol
    Member
    from Texas

    Every time I get out of my daily driver I get very powerful multipul static shocks:eek:. I do not have this trouble with my 32 only modern cars? What the hell is causing this?
     
  2. premium
    Joined: Oct 2, 2006
    Posts: 393

    premium
    Member
    from Goergia

    i get this when im driving my 72 chev. id like to know what the deal is to. bump.
     
  3. 8flat
    Joined: Apr 2, 2006
    Posts: 1,392

    8flat
    Member

    All that plastic....
     
  4. SanDiegoJoe
    Joined: Apr 18, 2004
    Posts: 3,519

    SanDiegoJoe
    Member

    yeah - there was a Mythbusters about it. Carefull when fueling!
     
  5. VonMoldy
    Joined: May 23, 2005
    Posts: 1,562

    VonMoldy
    Member
    from UTARRGH!

    I think it is caused by a possible improper ground? Anyone know for sure? my car does this too.
     
  6. irishpol
    Joined: Jul 18, 2006
    Posts: 687

    irishpol
    Member
    from Texas

    How can I stop it?
     
  7. Crankhole
    Joined: Apr 7, 2005
    Posts: 2,644

    Crankhole
    Member

    Where rubber gloves.:D
     
  8. chaddilac
    Joined: Mar 21, 2006
    Posts: 14,062

    chaddilac
    Member

    Grab some metal from the door when you get out. it'll ground out the static.
     
  9. Gigantor
    Joined: Jul 12, 2006
    Posts: 3,818

    Gigantor
    Member

    I was told years ago that it has to do with the construction of modern cars as wells as the materials. I also heard that those grounding strips some people put on the bottom of their cars to cut static down for radio reception do the trick too. Of course, this is all heresay. I kind of like it when my truck shocks me.
    However, multiple shocks? I would think that you either drag your feet or VonMoldy has a point about a bad ground or something.
     
  10. jalopy43
    Joined: Jan 12, 2002
    Posts: 3,085

    jalopy43
    Member Emeritus

    You could use a grounding strap.or drag a piece of chain..?? Look at shopping carts, they have a ground strap...I intentionaly disable it,,when my wife pushes the cart...I like to watch her jump at the 'snap',,ha ha ha
     
  11. upzndownz
    Joined: May 26, 2006
    Posts: 297

    upzndownz
    Member

    nylon carpet and polyester leisure suit will do it to you every time
     
  12. DrJ
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 9,419

    DrJ
    Member

    "Old guys" usta put a ground strap on their cars to get rid of the static electricity.
    They looked like a strip cut out of a tire sidewall to me and they wore off dragging on the griund all the time, but some swore by them.
    They seemed to be most common on Black cars because they kept the static from attracting dust to the car's finish too.

    I always ground cars and parts when painting and ground them to ME too when sand blasting to keep the static down.
    I had a spark jump about 2" once while sand blasting...Ya have any idea how much voltage it takes to jump 2"??!!!!

    I also try to keep one hand on my car when reaching for the fuel nozzle at the gas station, and touch the pump before toudhing th part with all the gas drips on it.
    That's pretty automatic though because I have to slidr the card and push the buttons first...
     
  13. irishpol
    Joined: Jul 18, 2006
    Posts: 687

    irishpol
    Member
    from Texas

    Thats what I'm getting 2-3 inchs.... & it hurts like f***ing hell:eek:
     
  14. RadioFlyer
    Joined: Jan 13, 2007
    Posts: 162

    RadioFlyer
    Member

    Tire construction. Apparently the amount of carbon in a tires composistion determines how well it disapates any static buildup when standing still (caused by rolling down the road) and inversely, how prone it is to build static while rolling. Supposedly the "high mileage" tires are more prone to static than our typical sticky tires.

    Alex.
     
  15. InPrimer
    Joined: Mar 10, 2003
    Posts: 778

    InPrimer
    Member

    I have never gotten a shock in NY, when I come out here in Az for the winter it happens all the time. I noticed it' s more prevalent when the wind is blowing and its extremely dry here, maybe the lack of humidity has something to do with it.
     
  16. Gigantor
    Joined: Jul 12, 2006
    Posts: 3,818

    Gigantor
    Member

    2-3"!??! That seems a lot more serious than static build up!
     
  17. junk yard kid
    Joined: Nov 11, 2007
    Posts: 2,717

    junk yard kid
    Member

    just drive in reverse, right
     
  18. BJR
    Joined: Mar 11, 2005
    Posts: 11,171

    BJR
    Member

    Back in the 1930's that's how they caught the bootleggers when whiskey was illegal. They would bring bottled whiskey back from Canada in gas tanker trucks, and forget to attach the grounding chains to the tanker truck. The revenuers caught on to this and would bust them.
     
  19. zues
    Joined: Jun 30, 2005
    Posts: 187

    zues
    Member

    Before you grab the door handle touch the car with your shoe.
     
  20. zbuickman
    Joined: Dec 9, 2007
    Posts: 465

    zbuickman
    Member

    It has to do with the Tires your running. different tires do it more than others... Michilens being worst and BFG's being best. IMO:)
     
  21. 35Chevy.com
    Joined: Nov 27, 2007
    Posts: 542

    35Chevy.com
    Member
    from New Jersey

    [​IMG]
    Works great

    Gary
     
  22. It's those velvet pants you're wearing.

    But you could drag some of those grounding straps under the car. I think they're graphite impregnated rubber. They probably sell them at places truckers hang out. Big tanker trucks that haul flammables have to use them. They might sell them in the J.C. Whitney catalog or a local car parts place.

    Yeah, it's a lot more of a problem when the air is really dry.
     
  23. irishpol
    Joined: Jul 18, 2006
    Posts: 687

    irishpol
    Member
    from Texas

    What part of me do I spray it on?:confused:
     
  24. bretcopsey
    Joined: Feb 22, 2007
    Posts: 48

    bretcopsey
    Member
    from DAYTON, OH

    It seems to happen to me in the winter time. I guess due to the dry air. Anyway, I take the key from the ignition and touch it to the door/window frame before opening the door. The static discharges through the metal to metal contact and I don't feel it.
     
  25. Shifty Shifterton
    Joined: Oct 1, 2006
    Posts: 4,964

    Shifty Shifterton
    Member

    Try some good rubber floormats, not carpeted. I use the truck kind with deep grooves for water retention, but it also gives em some mass so they conform and don't scooch around. The vehicle's shockiness seems to drop real fast. If you think about it, an OEM carpeted mat is sort of a static generator the way it ends up being carpet on top of carpet, isolated by a rubber sheet (the mat's backing).
     
  26. I just touch the back of my hand to the door when I get out. The ends of your fingers are much more sensitive than the back of your hand. Zap! discharged. I do it out of habit now. I guess negative reinforcement therapy doesn't work on some people!:D
     
  27. Mercmad
    Joined: Mar 21, 2007
    Posts: 1,383

    Mercmad
    BANNED
    from Brisvegas

    Really common here in OZ because of the heat,humidity etc. You can by mettalic earth strps for car here easily but ther main to check is that vee belts are all tight and not slipping ( hot weather aircon use seems to make it worse) .Static electricity is caused by the rubbing together of things to create positive charges,so if the belts are slipping the car becomes charged and is in effect a large capacitor.
    The equipping of the car with a strap to ground it stops this happening.
    getting tazered by your ride aint fun...:eek:
     
  28. ditz
    Joined: Nov 11, 2005
    Posts: 140

    ditz
    Member

    I worked in a paper mill many moon ago. I saw a nice blue spark jump about a foot off of a large roll of paper that was coming off of the paper machine and it knocked a fella on his ass.
     
  29. slamdpup
    Joined: Apr 27, 2005
    Posts: 1,094

    slamdpup
    Member

    have you guys noticed it only does this in the winter time...what i do is when gettin out of the car or truck is put my finger on the arm rest screw till both feet are on the ground
     

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