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03-02-2004, 01:55 AM | #1 |
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static electricity?
Hi all,
Here is the situation: turning the engine off, get out of the car, trying to close the drivers door and constantly getting slight "current rush". Can see some sparks even when it's dark outside. And it's becoming pretty annoying... Is it just static stuff because of air drag ? Or may be I've got some wiring problems? Thanks!
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03-02-2004, 02:04 AM | #2 |
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Happens every winter....cold, dry air and static does not dissipate as well as warm, moist air.
Zap... I use Static Guard spray on the seats, floor mats, carpet , door cards, and headliner. It helps. You can also just make sure to be touching part of the door jam while getting out of the car as this will help. Some people touch the keyhole on the outside of the door with their key so it gets the zap.... DO NOT push the door closed by the window glass...it will eventually break the lift mechanism. |
03-02-2004, 02:05 AM | #3 |
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It's pretty common for Scoobs to have this problem (actually on most cars). Usually on clothed seats.
In a way it is indirectly tied to the wiring. The car is not exactly grounded, in literate terms. One may think the tires would do it, but the fact is the tires of today are compounded with silicon, in effort to reduce rolling resistance and noise. So basically your car is riding on 4 insulators. There are a few ways to remedy this effect. 1. (What I always do) After opening the door, before placing your feet on the ground hold onto a piece of metal or touch while exiting your feet onto the ground. I usually touch the bolt near the hinge lock on the frame (not the door). After your completely out of the car take your hand away and close the door without teh shockie 2. Get those rubber strip things that attach from your frame to the ground. 3. Buy the fancy pad-to-wire thing where you touch the pad on the way to exiting the car (basically the same thing as #1, only you don't have to touch the metal, a wire is mounted to the bolt you could touch and it connects to the pad where you may place it anywhere at your convience.) -paK +3 |
03-02-2004, 02:38 AM | #4 |
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basically I was trying to exclude wiring problems from the list of possible reasons. Static thing is much more easier thing to handle
Thanks for your answers guys! |
03-02-2004, 10:17 AM | #5 |
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I've read if you install a grounding kit it will reduce this problem if not eliminate it.
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03-02-2004, 12:55 PM | #6 | |
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03-02-2004, 03:51 PM | #7 |
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Uncle Scotty is right; the static has nothing to do with tires or the car, other than the seats -- it's your back 'n butt rubbing on the cloth seat. Any of the fabric anti-static sprays should help you out.
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03-02-2004, 04:02 PM | #8 |
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I heard people having good results with rubbing the seats down with one of those dryer bounce sheets.
Or you could just get out of the car like an old person (pull yourself out by the door frame) |
03-02-2004, 06:59 PM | #9 |
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Yeah man, I get them all the time. So tempted to leave my door open till I return ...
Jin |
03-02-2004, 07:09 PM | #10 | |
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LOL
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03-02-2004, 07:23 PM | #11 |
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I used to work as a radar technician in the marines... I learned from other folks there that MOST vehicles have this same problem. It has to do with static electricity the car naturally accumulates (environment, people, seats, etc...). What I did is connect some ground braid to a bolt underneath the car and allowed it to "drag" along the ground. This allows a path for current to it's home (ground ). I used the same crap the Marine Corps used, it was basically raw cable shielding for a 1" cable.
-Shane |
03-02-2004, 09:19 PM | #12 | |
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03-02-2004, 10:11 PM | #13 | |
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I haven't been zapped since I installed a ground strap as described by AzSandSlinger....happy zapping |
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03-02-2004, 11:24 PM | #14 |
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I'm sorry you got flamed Uncle Scotty.. I could have went into more detail for the electrically-challenged (like floating grounds, current flow, Ohm's law, Physics, etc...) to stray a little... current finds the path of least resistance to ground and if you allow it to flow to earth (ground braid), it will not go through a human (resistor). I'm glad I am not the only one who has done this with dramatic results. I know what I know of electricity and current flow, and I also know that what I did works!
-Shane |
03-02-2004, 11:39 PM | #15 | |
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My fix is a 2 foot piece of regular 6ga. copper power cable, with a soldered and crimped ring connector dragging on the ground under the car from a body bolt. I removed the insultion from the end about 8" and used some safety wire to keep it from fraying too much towards the end. |
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03-04-2004, 10:19 PM | #16 | |
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Not trying to flame anyone, my point was just as follows: We're dealing with 3 "bodies" here, the car, the driver and the "ground". Any one can in theory build up an electrical potential relative to any of the others. A spark will only happen between two bodies with very different electrical potentials. Since the main problem is people sparking when they get out of cars, they must have acquired an electrical potential vs. the car. This could happen in two ways: (A) by the car changing its potential and the driver, insulated from the car while driving, remaining the same or (B) by the driver changing his potential and the car, insulated from the driver while driving, remaining the same. The ground strap mod fixes (A), the anti-static fabric spray fixes (B). In my car (and many others, see for example http://autonet.ca/EdmontonDrive/stor...?storyID=11140), the problem is (B). There are a couple of easy ways to test if (B) is the problem in a given car: (1) when getting out of the car, be very careful not to touch on or near metal, so as not to discharge any electric potential; then go touch a different car's door, a metal pipe, etc and see if you get a shock. If so, it's case (B). (2) With the car parked, touch the metal on the door to discharge any potential, then rub yourself around on the seat for a minute or so. Touch the car door on your way out and see if you get a shock. If so, it's case (B), because the car wasn't on or moving or doing anything to create case (A). |
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03-04-2004, 10:45 PM | #17 |
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i get shocked almost every time i get out of my truck. ZAP
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03-04-2004, 11:06 PM | #18 |
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The ground is just that, and you can not develop a static charge between it and yourself.
armand1, I'm sorry that it is confusing, but If you ground the vehicle properly you won't get a spark. |
03-05-2004, 12:27 AM | #19 |
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"I've read if you install a grounding kit it will reduce this problem if not eliminate it."
No, it surely won't. |
03-05-2004, 02:08 AM | #20 |
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armand1
I agree with what you've said. I encourage others to read it more carefully. |
03-05-2004, 10:51 AM | #21 |
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Or ... get the Lambo door mod. Thunderhawk one sounds good too man!
Jin |
03-05-2004, 03:07 PM | #22 |
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I have an interesting/alarming video clip (from Conoco/Phillips) concerning static electricity and filling up at a gas pump...if anyone can host it for me. *s*
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03-05-2004, 06:02 PM | #23 | ||
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03-05-2004, 10:27 PM | #24 |
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Who said anything about GD lightning...???
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03-06-2004, 12:25 AM | #25 | |
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