Exiting my Fit, guaranteed static electric shock. Solutions?
Hi,
Enough is enough! Most every time I get out of my 2008 Honda Fit, I am given an electrical shock from the door or any metal area I come into contact with. If it is raining out, I am a happy camper, no shock.
I have tried:
1. Installing a grounding strap which drags along the road. This did not work, as well the dragging noise could be heard in the car when moving at a slow speed.
2. Closing the door by only touching the door window, nice finger prints all over the window. This has been the only solution really.
Any ideas for a workable solution? Short of moving back to the west coast of B.C. and the joy of rain?
Forget the hold your ignition key to the door metal when exiting. This worked in 1973 when all keys were all metal. Today we have plastics housing electronics for the locks and alarm. Using the key in this manner can actually cause the electronics in the key to fail.
Oddly, my wife never gets a shock exiting the passenger side.
the only ways that i know of are exiting with as little friction as possible (in hopes to minimize static buildup), and driving in the nude.
you may be able to avoid shock if you get one of those beaded seat covers, but i don;t think you want your car to look like a taxi either.
This is quite a dilemma. I will try to think of better ideas, but i seriously have nothing of great value to offer you at this time.
I am buying some anti-static spray today. You know the stuff the ladies spray on their dresses to avoid static charge. I saw an advert once with this image.
I have heard wiping the seat with a fabric softner sheet can do the trick. Have yet to try it as my eco-wife will not allow the buying of these "useless" items.
Nude, sitting on a beaded seat cover. Might work, never want to get out of the car...there is a solution.
In Googling about, I did not find that page. Is Amazon on every corner of the internet? This "solution" may work, will give it a try this afternoon and post the results.
Quote:
You are getting a static charge because you are putting your feet (or foot) on the ground and then touching the car as you get out of your seat. The shock comes when your finger or hand has almost touched metal in the car body and you are grounded. It is the spark that jumps from the metal to your hand that causes you to feel the shock, otherwise the amount of electricity is so small you wouldn't feel it. The trick is to firmly grasp a metal part of the car (the outside surface of the door for instance) before you put your feet on the ground and get out of the car. The electricity will travel over your body without causing a spark, and you won't feel it.
In Googling about, I did not find that page. Is Amazon on every corner of the internet? This "solution" may work, will give it a try this afternoon and post the results.
Well I tried the touching of metal on the door area before setting foot to the ground, it works! All day, no shocks.....so sweet. Was worried around the fuel pumps, not anymore. ElectroMan has left the building.
KK
Last edited by kamakurakid; 10-29-2008 at 01:23 AM.
I assume they are covered in leather? I am shock free now.
nope. they are this material called "black avus" whatever the hell that is. its some kind of cloth. they are recaros and i guarantee i make more friction on my seats when i get out because they are bucket seats. honda just made a bad choice on seat material with the fit.
I see, great comfort and no electrical charge. I almost bought a car a decade ago largely based only only the fact there were Recardo seats within.
On the downside, you now have two fewer airbags in the car as you know. With all the SUV and monster sized trucks in this neck of the woods, I would not be without those airbags. The Fit is highly rated in crash tests, but what most do not know is weight still wins when hitting objects. Basic physics. An SUV hitting a Fit, I know where my money would be on.
When I got the fit in November of last year the shocks were really pissing me off. I can't say why or exactly when but the problem just went away on it's own. I wasn't about to hang weird grounding strips of stuff off the car.
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