How to stop static shock from my new car

[johnpost]

@J-P_L

What would be the impact of doing this with a chip enabled key or a key that is integrated with the remote to unlock the vehicle? Would the static electricity flowing thru it have a detrimental effect?

do it with a dumb key like your house key.

[wombattver]

My in-laws were really having a problem with this when they bought their new car. The shocks were VERY painful - my kids didn’t want to ride with them. We are in very hot, dry AZ. They eventually bought one of those static strips - it hangs down from under the car - we call it the “tail” - and it has stopped the issue completely.

[AaronX]

@johnpost

drive naked.

the clothes and the seat make static as you slide out. touch some metal in the car as yo get off the seat.

1. Open door
2. Place hand on metal car frame
3. Get out
4. Remove hand

I like to put my hand on the roof edge, you can also use it as a handle to lift yourself.

[standingwave]

@White SIFL

I just got a new 2013 Honda CR-V, I’ve had it about 3 months. It creates a tremendous amount of static charge for the occupants. Enough that its uncomfortable. Every time I get out of my car I can expect a shock. Same thing for the passenger.

I occasionally ride in other vehicles and I have a second auto which I drive frequently as well without this problem. What’s causing this and is there anyway to prevent static build up?

Well, on the farm, we had this problem with our wheat combines. Imagine pneumatic tires and straw brushing against the metallic underside of the harvester. The charge could build up to the point where the shock would be extremely unpleasant. My father’s solution was to drag a length of chain behind the combine.

I can’t say what this would do to the mileage you presently enjoy with the Honda.

[Ms_Boods]

(Deleted)

[Fridgemagnet]

There was one particular car I had that gave me nasty shocks when I got out and touched the door to close it. I didn’t know whether it was my body or the car that was charged up, so I did an experiment by getting out of the car very carefully and touching a lamp post. The subsequent belt revealed it was me that was buzzing with static, not the car.

I eventually improvised a workaround with a leather key ring fob - when I parked up and got out, I was careful not to touch metal areas of the car (even painted metal areas), then I would close the door with the leather fob between my thumb and the car. The moisture content of the leather was enough to make it slightly conductive; not so conductive that it would produce a spark, but enough to be static dissipative. Worked every time.

I think there were two reasons why that car charged me up so well: In the driving position I was effectively insulated from the car chassis, and the car had no aircon, so in the summer I was in the habit of blasting air at my face, and the airflow over my hair would charge me up. A static dissipative seat/steering wheel/pedal rubbers would have helped. Using hair conditioner or similar might have made me a less efficient human Van der Graaf generator too.

[Learjeff]

@kaylasdad99

Why don’t car companies start putting curb feelers on cars again? Those could ground the static charge when you stop (if you stop next to a curb, of course).

And why did they STOP putting curb feelers on cars?

I don’t believe the manufacturers ever did put those on; they were aftermarket.

They’d certainly be bad for highway gas mileage. That’s why manufacturers got rid of drip rails. Plus it’s just plain embarrassing to drive a car that has them!

A light chain in the back would be better – the kind we often see on trucks or trailers. That would still have a mileage penalty, but it would be more effective and less inefficient than curb feelers.

Less embarrassing, too!

[JerrySTL]

@engineer_comp_geek

That actually made me laugh.

I can’t comment on whatever specific video you’ve seen, but on average static discharge does cause about half a dozen pump fires per year in the U.S. There are a few of these incidents on youtube and other video sites. When you consider how many millions of people stop and fill their cars up every day, the risk of static causing a fire is admittedly pretty low. But it does happen and quite a few of these incidents have been caught by gas station security cameras.

Hydrocarbon fuels, like gasoline and jet fuel, can create static electricity just sloshing around. Years ago the Ford Escort, I believe, came out with a plastic gas tank which was not grounded to the frame. There were a few fires started when refueling the car. They recalled the cars and put a ground strap from the filler neck to the body.

When I use to refuel aircraft, we hand a ground wire from the aircraft to the ground; aircraft to the fuel truck; and the fuel truck to the ground. 5,000 gallons of jet fuel could create a lot of electricity!

[johnpost]

drip rails were great for mounting car top carriers. where are you going to put your dog now?

chains or static straps are needed for safety on hazardous cargo. if every vehicle had them it would be a problem with links falling off and becoming road missiles.