This may be trivial, but I noticed that every time I get out of my Xa, I touch the door and get a pretty strong static zap.

All the other cars I drive don't do that. Is it the seats, the grounding, or me? Anyone else notice this? Can it be avoided?

 

every car I have ever owned that had full window frames has shocked me...I think it may have something to do with humidty...or the lack of humidity...when it is really dry here is when it gets bad...if we have some humidity it isn't so bad...BTSOOM

 

it also has to do with what type of sole you have on the bottom of you shoes. if there is one pair of shoes that does it try anyother pair.

it also has to do with humidity and lack of it.

 

Check out the tech section for Mikochu's write-up on his "uber" ground wire upgrade. It's cheap, easy to install and eliminates the "Shock". And if you get cool wire colors. . . It looks good too!

 

I thought it was just me. I don't remember this happening in my Corolla S.

 

I use to always get a static zap when i first got my xA, now it has gone away.

 

might be humidity?

 

I got a set of grounding wires installed months ago to try and stop the static charge
but it's still happening with or without the wires..

 

It's got to be the humitidy. Whenever it's really dry here like 30% humidity, I get out of the car and POP! I walk away shaking my shocked hand...

One time at night I got out of the car, touched the door and it made the loudest static pop I have ever heard. My wife who was standing about 50 feet away said she heard the pop and even saw a blue flash between my hand and the door. Now that's something I want to happen at the gas station... NOT.

I'm not sure they have these in the US, but in Japan, a lot of cars have a small rubber strip connected somewhere under the rear of the car that would drag along the street that I guess would stop the static zap...

 

I don't know what ground wires will do for static. . . especially since the car is already grounded (to the neg terminal on the battery). Grounding actually isn't "ground" on a car. . . every electrical component has it's negative wires on the chassis, and the neg terminal on the battery is connected chassis. . . that's how the circuit is completed.

I have ground wires, and I still get shocked (it has more to do with the type of shoes you wear, your pants, and shirt, which rub on the fabric in the interior). The only thing that MIGHT help, is an ugly plastic anti-static strip.

 

Yeah, I wore one pair of shoes, didn't do it, got a new pair, and it did...weird that it has an issue with shocking though...

 

I'm not sure, but after I installed the groundwire kit... I stopped getting shocked.
But. . . it may have just stopped on its own and just be a coincidence.

 

I get shocked...not a big deal.

 

I noticed getting shocked at the door too! It only started happening recently.. maybe within the last month or so?

 

rub that thing u put int he dryer, those bounty sheets over the cloth material in ur car to prevent further shocks...

 

And you'll get the extra benefit of that 'ol so sweet fabric softener smell...

 

Wow, my girlfriend and I have been wondering about this for weeks!!! I figured it has something to do with the lack of humidity here (she's been complaining about dry skin :p), but it's weird cause it doesn't happen in her Accord... Yeah, it's crazy to see those sparks fly at night! Good thing i dont have a pacemaker lol

 

to stop from getting shocked is you still have to break in your seats i think there is a theory to that one i think but i stopped getting shocked after awhile

 

Use fabric softener when drying your clothes...especially thick fleeces and such. Also, make it a habit to touch the the frame (metal) of the car before getting out of it. This will ground your body with the car...no zap!

 

That's happened once to me with the xA. I just thought it was strong static electricity and nothing more. It happens.

I'd try to wear clothes with more natural fibers at times when it seems to be more of a problem. That polyester just seems to love Static Electricity.