Getting zapped by vehicle??

Submitted: Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 09:52
ThreadID: 41055 Views:3232 Replies:10 FollowUps:18
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Any good cures to avoid getting 'zapped' from the vehicle?? On these warm, low humidity days, when I get out of the Troopy I get an almost painful static electricity zap. Do those rubber straps work ??
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Reply By: Member - Mike DID - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 09:53

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 09:53
I touch the metal bodywork (painted) before putting my foot on the ground.
AnswerID: 214373

Follow Up By: equinox - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 09:55

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 09:55
Same here. After the first hundred times it becomes habit. Beats getting zapped.

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Follow Up By: Member No 1- Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 10:37

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 10:37
bloody wimps...lol
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Follow Up By: Member -Signman - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 10:50

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 10:50
Dunno about being a wimp- I think I generate enough static electricity to power a medium suburb....
No if only I could harness it and store it ????
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Follow Up By: Member No 1- Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 11:02

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 11:02
do what i do....share it with others first....(zap them instead of the ground)
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Follow Up By: Diver1 - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 12:55

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 12:55
Member No 1
Your becoming a fave of mine....your theory for everything is making me crack a smilee!! the sex v pizza and "zap" others first" - love it!!

Me? I rarely get "zapped" but when i have its been the trampolines fault!!!

Laura
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Follow Up By: GaryInOz (Vic) - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 13:27

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 13:27
"... Member -Signman posted this followup
Dunno about being a wimp- I think I generate enough static electricity to power a medium suburb....
No if only I could harness it and store it ????...."

I produce enough gas to power and heat an entire city.

LPG "Liquefied Poo gas"......
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Follow Up By: nickoff - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 16:14

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 16:14
Member No 1 posted this followup

do what i do....share it with others first....(zap them instead of the ground)

Yep, love that idea. Many years ago, on a flight from the UK to Oz, night flight, everone else was asleep. I carn't sleep on aircraft, so I was wandering around the cabin. Found out I could generate a massive potential if I dragged my crepe soles shoes on the woollen carpets (QANTAS Aircaft). Was fun poking my finger towards the stocking insteps hanging out over the chair arms and watching the bodies jerk across the seats as a blue flash jumped out.

Evil mind.........
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Reply By: Kiwi Ray - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 10:41

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 10:41
Hi. Yes they do work,not sure where you would buy one though.
Ray
AnswerID: 214385

Reply By: Scubaroo - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 10:53

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 10:53
Can someone PLEASE explain why a non-conducting rubber strap would have any effect when there's already 4 non-conducting tyres on the ground.
AnswerID: 214387

Follow Up By: Voxson - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 10:55

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 10:55
great point...
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Follow Up By: Member No 1- Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 11:04

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 11:04
cos its very high voltage...and when the strap gets dirty its the dirt that conducts
leather will work so i guess its gotta be something like this?
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Follow Up By: Mike Harding - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 11:08

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 11:08
I believe they are a carbon impregnated synthetic rubber and present a high impedance path to earth. Although static electricity may generate many (tens of) thousands of volts it's current capability is very low and almost any path will discharge it. I assume most tyres are very good insulators.

Mike Harding
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Follow Up By: Member - Mike DID - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 11:20

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 11:20
But if I touch the metalwork of the car I don't get a zap, so the problem isn't any voltage difference between bodywork and ground.

I believe it's the static generated between my body and the car as I slide out of the seat (even though they're leather !!!).
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Follow Up By: Mike Harding - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 11:37

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 11:37
Hi Mike

I believe the car will build up a static charge relative to earth as it moves through the air - often this will leak to earth via humidity, dirt etc but in dry conditions frequently will not and then discharges via a human, who is at the same potential as the car, when he steps to ground.

In addition a separate charge could well build up when you slide your synthetic trousers over your synthetic seat which would now put you, the vehicle and the earth at different potentials with resulting complex current flows.

I found the earthing strap worked quit well until it wore out and no longer reached the ground.

Mike Harding
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Follow Up By: GaryInOz (Vic) - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 13:31

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 13:31
Agree with Mike.

Aircraft have this problem, and that is why the have to earth the aircraft before refueling. It's related to the friction between two surfaces (same as lightning) They can generate a heap of static and produce quite an arc, sufficient to ignite fuel.
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Follow Up By: hoyks - Thursday, Jan 11, 2007 at 09:48

Thursday, Jan 11, 2007 at 09:48
Helicopters are bad for it too. I saw the burn marks on a guys hand from grabbing the winch cable before it earthed, he still had the scars 2 years later. Threw him into the bushes and he thought he was dead.
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Reply By: Footloose - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 13:31

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 13:31
In the old days (here we go again, yawn etc ) there were conducting rods set into the road as you approached the sydney harbour bridge. These discharged a vehicles static charge instead of the poor toll collectors getting zapped.
The trailing straps used to have metal chains impregnated in them, no doubt a better conducting medium is now used.
AFAIK they were also used to combat car sickness .
AnswerID: 214406

Reply By: Hairy - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 13:46

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 13:46
Ive always assumed they had something conductive through them much like a spark plug lead??????
Dunno
Cheers
AnswerID: 214412

Reply By: Mad Dog - Vic - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 14:08

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 14:08
some info here,

" target="EOF" class="lbg">Site Link
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Follow Up By: Mad Dog - Vic - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 14:10

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 14:10
and here

Site Link
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Reply By: Mike Harding - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 14:31

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 14:31
There is a more serious aspect to this too: although it hasn't been conclusively proven, in the USA, there have been a number of instances of fires occurring during petrol refilling of cars. It looks more than possible that these may have been caused by a static discharge. The situation seems to have worsened in recent years and may be due to the remote unlocking of fuel tank filler covers and the use of plastic tank caps these two factors mean that a person/vehicle/earth may not be at the same electrical potential and with petrol vapour floating about only the smallest spark is needed.

My practice, after open the fuel tank flap remotely, and before touching the fuel tank cap is to place the full flat of my hand on the vehicle paintwork, remove the plastic cap and then touch the metal of the pump - sounds more complicated than it is - this ensures all static is discharged.

As I said: there is no proven link but it's a simple process to avoid the risk altogether.

Mike Harding
AnswerID: 214428

Follow Up By: Member - Warren R- Karratha WA - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 15:05

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 15:05
It was also found that servo fires occurred way more often with women. It was because after filling up, they open the door to get the handbag & the door open light switch spark causes the explosion. Blokes wander in to pay for the fuel and the vapours have dissipated by the time they get back. Nothing to do with getting a zap...but interesting.
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Follow Up By: hoyks - Thursday, Jan 11, 2007 at 09:55

Thursday, Jan 11, 2007 at 09:55
I thought it was because they left the pump running and go and sit in the seat twisting to get the handbag and the synthetic clothes rub on the seat which recharges the static potential.
Then they go and grab the pump handle that has all the fumes around it and ....whoomph.
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Reply By: keepingitreal - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 15:10

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 15:10
Dont have static on my 100series ,but wifes car seems to accumulate it. Dont know if straps work, but available on eBay i see for about $5,and $4 postage! Regards Kirsten (NSW)
AnswerID: 214437

Reply By: joc45 - Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 20:26

Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007 at 20:26
It's all a combination of car seat material, clothing material and well-insulated shoes (non-leather soles). The materials generating the static electricity are an insulator, which also has capacitance. As one slides across the seat, static electricity is generated between oneself and the vehicle. Then as one slides off the seat and exits, the capacitance between one's body and the vehicle is significantly reduced.
Using the electrical formula Q=C*E, where
Q is the charge generated
C is the capacitance
E is the voltage,
it follows that as one draws one's self away from the vehicle, the capacitance drops, and therefore the voltage goes up to blazes, hence the zap.
As other members have said, grab something metal as you exit the car. This stops the voltage increasing and provides a discharge path for the generated charge. I usually grab the window ledge as I get out. Even an insulated metal object, such as the window ledge will provide sufficient protection, as the thin paint has quite a high level of capacitance compared with that of one's body relative to the vehicle, preventing the voltage from increasing any significant amount.
cheers
Dr Gerry
AnswerID: 214512

Reply By: Member - Doug T (W.A) - Thursday, Jan 11, 2007 at 02:36

Thursday, Jan 11, 2007 at 02:36
Signman
I get it too, was thinking about connecting myself to the starter and see if I had enough to fire the old girl up, I find if you keep your hand on the door until feet have made touch-down your ok , and those rubber strips ?????rubber is not a conductor, OK any of you oldies out there remember the Fuel Tankers with a chain touching the road......to make sparks. At least a chain will get rid of any charge

Doug
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Follow Up By: Member - MUZBRY (VIC) - Thursday, Jan 11, 2007 at 08:36

Thursday, Jan 11, 2007 at 08:36
Gday Doug n Dusty
I , when i do go to work, work with rubber. I cut and carry the rolls to the work bench, so if you carry 30 kg roll you have to lean back a little to keep balance, ok?
So which is the closest piece of the body to the steel bench,,? you guessed it , the old nether region and boy dose it give a bit of a thrill to be zapped through the old fella..I must get myself a static strap, but where to hook it is the question.
Muzbry
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