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Car Problem

chadded

Not striking since 2004
Joined
Oct 24, 2003
Messages
5,896
Location
Portsmouth
Now as you may be aware, I love my pocket rocket of a Fiat Punto, and it can easily out pace almost every car on the planet when I'm behind the wheel.

However, everytime I go to get out of the beast, it gives me a minor shock of static electricity. Naturally, being harder than a coffin nail and twice as sharp (yeah right :D) this doesn't hurt, but it's starting to get on my tits. Can anyone explain why it might have only recently started doing such a thing?
 
My Dad's car does this, so I'd also be interested to know what's going.

The last time I went to get in his car, the electric shock blew my chewing gum halfway across the road.
 
yeah my car does this quite a bit, really really ****es me off. apparently its good to just touch the door with the key before touching it but i always forget and get zapped!
 
Now as you may be aware, I love my pocket rocket of a Fiat Punto, and it can easily out pace almost every car on the planet when I'm behind the wheel.

However, everytime I go to get out of the beast, it gives me a minor shock of static electricity. Naturally, being harder than a coffin nail and twice as sharp (yeah right :D) this doesn't hurt, but it's starting to get on my tits. Can anyone explain why it might have only recently started doing such a thing?

This takes discipline, and you'll be bound to forget, but I'm told it works.

After you open the door, reach up and firmly grasp the roof of the car. Then step out. Then let go of the roof and close the door.
 
You are one surface, and the car seat is the other. The contact between your clothes and the seat's surface causes the electrical charges within atoms of the material to transfer between the surfaces. One surface ends up with more negative charges than positive, and has a negative charge-imbalance. The other surface has fewer negatives than positives, so it has a positive imbalance. While driving, you're rubbing your entire back, bottom and legs on the car seat surface. Nothing happens as long as you remain seated. However, when you open the car door and step outside, you take just one polarity of charge along with you, while the car seat has the opposite polarity. At the same time, the charged-up car seat causes the whole car to become charged. As you step out of the car, the voltage between your body and the car builds up, to 10,000 or possibly even 20,000 volts. Your shoes are probably acting as insulators, so the charge has no opportunity to ground. You touch the car door and get zapped. The opposite polarities rejoin by leaping through the air while giving you a tiny, deep burn on your fingertips.

Prevention

a) Ensure that you maintain contact with the metal part of the car door when you are getting out of the car.

b) Rub your seats with a fabric softener sheet.

c) Drive naked.
 
I get this in mine, have taken to closing the door by pushing on the window now, kind of an instinctual habit more than anything!
 
Last edited:
Now as you may be aware, I love my pocket rocket of a Fiat Punto, and it can easily out pace almost every car on the planet when I'm behind the wheel.

However, everytime I go to get out of the beast, it gives me a minor shock of static electricity. Naturally, being harder than a coffin nail and twice as sharp (yeah right :D) this doesn't hurt, but it's starting to get on my tits. Can anyone explain why it might have only recently started doing such a thing?

Get a car with more class!!:D :D
 
Now as you may be aware, I love my pocket rocket of a Fiat Punto, and it can easily out pace almost every car on the planet when I'm behind the wheel.

However, everytime I go to get out of the beast, it gives me a minor shock of static electricity. Naturally, being harder than a coffin nail and twice as sharp (yeah right :D) this doesn't hurt, but it's starting to get on my tits. Can anyone explain why it might have only recently started doing such a thing?

Blame Tesco
 
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