Why am I getting shocked when I exit the car?
 

I've owned my '07 since december but for about a week now when I exit the car and touch the door to close it, i get zapped.

love the car, averaging 38 - 40 mpg in cold ny weather. When it was warmer 45- 50 mpg.

Re: Why am I getting shocked when I exit the car?
 

I use it to see which passengers are not paying attention when exiting the car (or, I don't touch the door but touch my friend first and surprise them). I've had this every time I exit the car since Aug '06. At first it was annoying but now it makes me wake up after getting out of the car <smirk>.

Re: Why am I getting shocked when I exit the car?
 

My guess is that static is building up because it is dry. Chances are that it has nothing to do with your car being a hybrid. See if this still happens in the wet spring.

PS be careful when filling your car with gas. Ground yourself before touching the pump. Do not get back in your car during the fillup because this can recharge the static on your person.

They did a study shown on Mythbusters and young females are the most likely to get burned up because they tend to re-enter their car and get a static charge on them. When they touch the pump the spark ignites the gas. Men tend not to get back in the car and old people tend to grab the car (to give themselves a boost) safely discharging the static...

Re: Why am I getting shocked when I exit the car?
 

Partially correct - it was only discovered that the women were more "dangerous" in the MythBuster's study because they often get back into the car for their purse or cell phone or tissues or gum or anything while the men usually have their wallet with them, their cell phone with them, etc. Also, my previous car had leather seats and this is cloth so I know that is a difference as well. I get shocked from August to March in dry weather and rain and snow and just find it as an undocumented feature of the car.

Oh my!
 

This is electrifying news. I got a real jolt reading about this and was shocked to find that it is a current problem:zip: .

Re: Why am I getting shocked when I exit the car?
 

Orient Express
Your post is pretty revolting and groundless. There is ample evidence to infuse this story with a lot of staticistics and earthiness. Watt do you think?
Isaac Newton

Re: Why am I getting shocked when I exit the car?
 

That was my first thought too. I also get zapped everytime I close the door after getting out. But my Prius and two other cars don't zap me. My work car, which is full of electronic gadgets doesn't zap me. I've gotten used to it so now I hold my house key and watch the arc when it gets about 1/2" from the door. It's actually pretty cool at night.

Good point made about grounding yourself prior to fueling. A 1/2" arc at the tip of the nozzle can certainly make for an interesting fueling.

Re: Why am I getting shocked when I exit the car?
 

Rest your hand on the door as you slide out of the seat.

This will provide a path for current to continuously discharge.
Even though current will be flowing you won't feel it because it will be a relatively small amount of current.

This will prevent the original complaint in which a large voltage built up and discharged all at once when he finally touched the door.

Re: Why am I getting shocked when I exit the car?
 

I get zapped too. I get zapped in all my vehicles, though.
But more so in the hybrid. It *might* be because it has cloth seats, while my 3 most-recent other vehicles all have/had leather.

Re: Why am I getting shocked when I exit the car?
 

Interesting, I used to get zapped all the time in my old 95 Camry. So far I can remember I've only been zapped once in my hybrid. Kenny might be on to something as the Civic is lower to the ground than my old Camry such that I use the door to lift myself up and probably grounding myself that way.

Re: Why am I getting shocked when I exit the car?
 

I seem to recall some aftermarket accessory from years ago which was to help this condition. It was some type of strip or wire that would drag on the ground to discharge the static. Don't have a clue what it was made of, though I'd suspect some type of mylar film which would "fly" above the ground when the car was moving but touch ground when stopped. I also have no idea if it worked! Can't imagine it would last long enough (from wear in touching the pavement) to make it worthwhile.

Re: Why am I getting shocked when I exit the car?
 

Flash why am I "Partially correct"? How is what you said any different from what I already said? Seems to me we agree.

Re: Why am I getting shocked when I exit the car?
 

I wanted to make it clear that we aren't saying the females are causing fires simply because they get in and out of the car (the Mythbuster's test was to try and create sparks with nylon on seat and sweatpant material being rubbed on a glass rod and such) but none of this really created any hazardous situation. The folks came to the conclusion that in reviewing the video from gas stations that the females were getting back into and out of the car more often than not for their cell phone and purse and things. I've gotten back into the car to get some paper to write down my FE numbers, get out of the car to check the oil, get back into the car, get back out of the car, and have never made a fire. The issue is when you get in the car, grab the phone, get out of the car without touching the door, and grab the gas handle and I think the conclusion was that folks on the phone don't ground themselves first. We said the same thing but it isn't purely because the females re-enter the car.

Re: Why am I getting shocked when I exit the car?
 

As a fellow NY'er, don't worry. We've had our HCH2 for almost a year now, and the static will go away in the summer. (Strangely, it always seems worse for the passenger.)

Re: Why am I getting shocked when I exit the car?
 

I can't believe that I have never added to this post before. This zapping stuff has bugged me since I bought the car last October. I, too, thought it would go away...but it hasn't. And it looks like I am not the only one experiencing this. I sort of think Honda should figure out what is making this happen, and correct it.

The way that I have gotten used to dealing with it - is in the way I exit the car. When I begin to stand up, I rock my lower leg until it touches the bottom of the door well. I have done it sooooo many times now, that it has become second nature. The jolt doesn't seem to be anywhere near as strong as the ones that make you jump when you get it on the hand.

Anyway, glad to see that I am not loosing my mind and that I haven't somehow become super-charged. :confused: