Ok, lately my car has been shocking me when I get out of it. Not just a little either, enough to make me jump. I now have to get out and instead of just shutting the door, have to push on the door handle so I dont get zapped. Anyone know why this is happening? could it just be the dry air? This even happens if i'm just sitting in the car with it running a while, not even moving.

Doh! Just realized I posted this in engine/drivetrain, thought I was in general. my bad.

 

I have that problem in my car too very anoying they need someway to ground that stuff out

 

You can buy those hanous rubber bands that ground the car to the road better.

 

I was just commenting on that when I went with a couple of friends to lunch yesterday...
Because all three of us like got shocked at the same time!!!
Although it's annoying I think those "hanous rubber bands" are out of the question...

 

My car hasn't shocked me since I put in my metal couterweight shift knob. Interesting.

 

Probably just a coincidence. When you are in the car, you are about the same voltage. The only time you normally get shocked is when you are touching the outside ground and then touch the car at the same time. When you are touching the ground, you are at ground voltage, and the car is insulated by its rubber tires, so the most direct path to ground is through your fingers.

I have one of those ugly grounding straps but I haven't had a chance to put it on.

 

Metal shift knob it is!!!

 

HERE is the reason you get shocked. You are sitting/moving around on a cloth seat. Your *** picks up electrons from the seat. You (plus your ***) is now slightly positive. The electrons in your body naturally want to leave so that you are back neutral. You will get a shock the next time you touch something metal and grounded. The metal shift knob? It is grounded to the battery, through the linkages, through the body, to the main ground, to the battery. You are holding this until just before you get out of the car, you don't have much chance to pick up electrons. THAT is why you don't get a shock anymore. The car door? It is grounded to the battery.
Dry air makes a shock more noticable. The electricity has a tendency to want to "jump" in dry air. Moist air you don't usually get a spark, the charge in you goes into the door slowly so you don't get a spark.
Here is what you can do. Next time you are going to get out, touch a metal part of the door BEFORE your *** leaves the seat, then get off the seat while you are still touching the metal part. You will note that you probably didn't get a shock. BTW a car body IS grounded. Grounded doesn't HAVE to mean it is connected to the ground. The car body is attached to the battery's ground. Thus it is grounded.
All I do to lessen the spark is throw my hand at the door fast, it still sparks, but I hit the door really fast, most of the spark happens when I am touching the door, instead of in the air between my hand and the door so I don't feel it.

 

Any scientific-like explaining that uses "***" in it is huge in my book...

 

So thats why I get zapped in my wife's all plastic neon. I need to find metal in that thing...

 

Just touch your key to the door before you put your hand on it to shut it...it shocks the key and you can't feel it.

 

Ahhhh... that's good stuff...
people will ask me, did someone key your car...
no, I just don't want to deal with getting shocked!

 

This has nothing to do with Engine Tech. Moving to Newbie Forum.