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Model specific boards => Golf mk5 => Topic started by: Steve78 on 10 October 2008, 13:04

Title: My car keeps electrocuting me!
Post by: Steve78 on 10 October 2008, 13:04
Ok, this will sound bizarre!  Quite often I’ll get out my car after a trip and I get a quite painful static shock when I put my hand on the door to fling it shut.  Anyone else had this?  And how can I stop it from happening?
Title: Re: My car keeps electrocuting me!
Post by: 182_blue on 10 October 2008, 13:06
do you have material seats ?
Title: Re: My car keeps electrocuting me!
Post by: topher on 10 October 2008, 13:07
It's the static in your body, usually generated from the friction in your clothes and shoes. Stop wearing polyester :tongue:

I get it all the time too, car doors, taps, door handles, printers.. regardless of which clothes I wear. Suppose I could see if it still happens in the nude.. not sure that would go down too well in the office.
Title: Re: My car keeps electrocuting me!
Post by: Teutonic_Tamer on 10 October 2008, 13:09
It is static.  Stop brushing your hair so much!  :tongue:  :grin:

In all seriousnous, this is very common, and as 182_blue indicates, can be caused or aggravated by some man-made materials in "cloth" seats.
Title: Re: My car keeps electrocuting me!
Post by: Steve78 on 10 October 2008, 13:09
do you have material seats ?

Yeah, but it's only been happening in the last month and I've had the GTI for a good 6 months now...
Title: Re: My car keeps electrocuting me!
Post by: Steve78 on 10 October 2008, 13:10
It's the static in your body, usually generated from the friction in your clothes and shoes. Stop wearing polyester :tongue:

I get it all the time too, car doors, taps, door handles, printers.. regardless of which clothes I wear. Suppose I could see if it still happens in the nude.. not sure that would go down too well in the office.

So in short, drive nude!  Cheers!  :grin:
Title: Re: My car keeps electrocuting me!
Post by: mad man gti on 10 October 2008, 13:23
get it a lot when i have me football tops on :cry:
Title: Re: My car keeps electrocuting me!
Post by: Russ.C on 10 October 2008, 14:01
All you need to do is hold onto the metal ring where the door mechanism locks onto as you get out the car, if you do that you never get a shock when you shut the door.  Not sure why, my missis showed me ages ago, but it works! Give it a go!  :smiley:
Title: Re: My car keeps electrocuting me!
Post by: topher on 10 October 2008, 14:05
You're earthing the charge when you do that, doesn't always work though.
Title: Re: My car keeps electrocuting me!
Post by: Greenouse on 10 October 2008, 14:07
I seem to remember in the late 70's early 80's a lot of cars used to run with earth straps which were basically a rubber strip hanging down from the back of the car. Might be worth seeing if there still available?  :huh:
Title: Re: My car keeps electrocuting me!
Post by: john_o on 10 October 2008, 14:12
Might be worth seeing if there still available?  :huh:

I REALLY hope you are joking  :grin:
Title: Re: My car keeps electrocuting me!
Post by: Greenouse on 10 October 2008, 14:25
Might be worth seeing if there still available?  :huh:

I REALLY hope you are joking  :grin:

Depends how much he likes being electrocuted?? See what you mean though  :grin: Maybe you could hang it somewhere a bit more discreet?  :huh:
Title: Re: My car keeps electrocuting me!
Post by: bobotheclown on 10 October 2008, 15:02
This used to happen me in my Saxo. What I did, when I get out of the car, open door, touch the back of the leg against the bottom of the car (back of your calf to the bottom of the door frame). You get a little tingle but there are less nerve endings in your calf than in your fingers.
Title: Re: My car keeps electrocuting me!
Post by: Steve78 on 10 October 2008, 15:03
All you need to do is hold onto the metal ring where the door mechanism locks onto as you get out the car, if you do that you never get a shock when you shut the door.  Not sure why, my missis showed me ages ago, but it works! Give it a go!  :smiley:

Will give that a try, cheers  :smiley:
Title: Re: My car keeps electrocuting me!
Post by: Saint Steve on 10 October 2008, 15:04
i had this problem with the full leather in the normal GTi, ed30 has no issue.
Title: Re: My car keeps electrocuting me!
Post by: Top Cat on 10 October 2008, 15:12
You need one of these.
 (http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm104/tomashandmilly/static_electricity_eliminat.jpg)


or you end up like this.  :laugh:



(http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm104/tomashandmilly/static_electricity1.jpg)
Title: Re: My car keeps electrocuting me!
Post by: Horney on 10 October 2008, 15:17
CHanged your shoes recently? I got this with a cheap pair of Tescos work shoes but once the soles had warn off the shiny coating normal service was resumed.

Nick