Electric Zap

[King.w]

Why do I receive a small electric zap every time I exit my motorcar?

[SteveD]

Because you generate a charge of static electricity as a result of your clothing rubbing on the material of the car seats.

 

When you fill up with petrol, do not get back in the car with the nozzle still in the tank.  When you get back out again and grasp the nozzle, an electric spark could ignite the petrol vapour.  Somewhere on the Internet there is a video clip from the CCTV camera of a petrol station showing this happening to a driver.  (Maybe someone will be able to post a link to this).

 

It is for this reason (danger of creating a spark) that you should not use a mobile phone on a petrol station forecourt.

[SteveD]

I found the video here:

 

http://www.compfused.com/directlink/330/

[kernowman]

nylon underpants?

[Hippy]

I always knew it takes very little to spark off a woman.

[barneysdad]

The reason you are getting a small zap is that you are earthing yourself out on the floor as you get out of the  car.The car has generated static electricity by moving along.The airflow over the cars body whilst moving causes the static charge.You would not get a shock if you stayed in the car!!

[Ralph]

Sorry for jumping in here so late. It is a build-up of static electricity caused by the wheels rolling along the road, look up a Van De Graaf generator in a search engine. Your main problem though is your footwear. If you have conductive shoes, when you step out of the car, you are providing a route for the charge to run to earth, which cannot go through the insulating tyres. Some shoes do it and others don't, I can't be more specific than that. I have stopped wearing some shoes I have owned because I was getting fried everytime I stepped out of my car and I started to feel stupid closing the door with my elbow!

You could get some of those black strips that you see on some cars that attach to the car body behind the car bumper and trail along the road, so earthing the car at all times.

[Ralph]

That was supposed to say car body behind the back bumper.

[knowall]

I'm not sure if anybody has suggested this yet....but if you get out of the car holding on to the metal of the car door and not let go until you are out of the car...this should solve the problem. Try it and let me know if it helps...it works for me. Cheers.

[Loraxxx]

 or shut the door again by touchin the window, pushin the windows to close the door