getting an electric shock on occasion when closing car door

I too, asked about the plasmacluster, but saw no response on this thread, or the one other I asked.

One thing that i have since noticed is that no one on this thread reporting the static discharge are reporting that they drive a Prius IV or V. Seems this is only happening on those of us with cloth seats. While chose leather (Prius V, Nav), I have not been shocked. When I drove my old car, a ford with cloth seats, I would get shocked weekly.

Recently went for a ride in a friend's Prius II, and got shocked getting out.

So I will ask, has anyone been shocked from this in a Leather Seated Prius?

 

I used to get this too! Turned out to only happen when i was wearing my wrist-watch - tried not wearing it for a week and noticed it never happened again - strange!

 

If folks are getting static shocks now January should be a real treat.

 

I have never been shocked with my Leather seats. Used to happen a lot of the time in my Honda Civic Hybrid with cloth seats. But so far not in the New Prius with Leather...

 

It happens to every car. When you go to get out you slide across the seat creating static. Discovery Channels Mythbusters did a test on will gas pumps blow up with your cellphone or some thing like that but they found out that sliding out of you car creates static and hence the shock. if you statically "charged" and go to pump gas for example then it will ignite the gas and well the obvious boom.

 

Haven't had a shock since I changed my tyres. The shock is caused by a static charge in the body shell caused by movement of the vehicle through the air. Fit an earth strap or hold the door frame firmly while you put your foot on the ground.

 

Both of these posts are correct. Airflow over vehicles will charge the entire vehicle. Aircraft are notorious for this phenomenon. Some tires will conduct the charge to ground, which minimizes or eliminates the problem. Other tires, especially most low rolling resistance tires, are good insulators so the vehicle remains charged.

Some seat materials are very good static generators. Sliding over the seat to get out charges the occupant. When the occupant touch the door to shut it, bang, they get a shock. You can spray the seats with an anti-static compound, or learn to live with it.

Tom

 

Hi Fuzzy:

Thanks for posting that video. You performed a great service for all of us. As the video illustrated, far too many people just do not have a clue about how dangerous static electricity can be around gasoline.

That lady was very fortunate that the incident did not escalate into a deadly and tragic gasoline conflagration.

What to do to eliminate static electricity? Ground yourself by touching a metal part of the vehicle - like the door or another part of the vehicle that is far away from the refill opening - BEFORE touching the gasoline nozzle. If you get back into your vehicle while the gasoline is being pumped, ground yourself again before handling the nozzle again.

By the way, it is probably illegal to leave the nozzle unattended, and for good reason.

Jim

 

I should have mentioned in my previous post that I have a IV, but sit on a wedge so maybe that counts as cloth.

Rich N.

 

That static electricity is typically generated when you slide across the seat to exit the vehicle, and is produced by the friction of rubbing two dissimilar materials together.

as was stated before, touch something metalic as you depart the car. Especially before you open the Fuel Door to add GASOLINE!

David (aka Blind Guy)

 

With the heat on this past week or so I've gotten some nasty shocks upon exiting...

 

The better precaution is to stay at the pump at all times while refueling, and with your hand on the nozzle if possible. Then you will have no opportunity to create a static charge between your body and the car, and if anything else goes wrong (pump does not shutoff, etc.) you will be there to deal with it immediately.