what's up with my z? every single time i get out and touch the door I get a HUGE static electricity shock. i'm talking sparks flying! this happening to anyone else? i rode in two other cars today and nothing happened!

 

That happens to me too. I thought I was the only one.

 

same here, especially recently with it being really dry

 

This used to happen in my last car, almost on a daily basis. I never noticed a problem with the Z until about 3 days ago. I'm starting to hesitate when closing my door in anticipation of getting zapped. I guess I'm moving around in my seat too much.

 

I have the same problem...noticeable enough to create a subconscious behavior modification, i.e., flinching before i touch the door handle.

 

dry air. and although it may sound a little femmy, do you use fabric softener?

 

Just dryer sheets.

 

That won't work, I have leather and have the same problem. I saw a Cadillac with a small pad inside that you touched before exiting the car and it would discharge the static on you to ground. You could make one easy enough for the Z. Actually, just repaint the interior door handle with a metallic conductive paint, then run a wire with a series 1M ohm resistor from the door handle to ground. Done.

Or another place to do it would be the small aluminum insert on the shift ****. Just connect that to ground (anything conductive that is connected to the unibody) with a resistor in series. You still discharge, but the resistor slows it down to a point that you can't feel it.

 

Yeah me too, now im scared to touch anything. Watch out when u pump ur gas because this lady had a static charge and when she touched the gas pump handle it had some gas on it and she went up in flames!!!!! I hate it though

 

Same here... I guess it's the coating on the handle or something?
Cause none of my previous cars had this problem...

 

me too

 

Well, if you read about some guy blowing up in flames in his Z while pumping gas, refer back to this thread and contact the family. I bet this is the basis for a big lawsuit if this car is emitting excessive static elecicity and it sets off an explosion during pumping gas. I have thought of this issue several times when I am pumping gas. Actually, it is scary. Can someone reassure me this is not an issue. Maybe some of you are thinking I am over-reacting but if you got shocked a majority of the time you touched your car, you might think diffferently.

 

Well, it is possible to blow up while filling up gas, but the chances are remote. I mean, the Air fuel ratio in the fumes has to be just perfect. Just touch something metal before you touch the gas pump handle and it will never ever happen.

The people who have blown up while filling gas got back into their car after it was already filling up, built up a static charge, and then went over and touched the pump handle without touching the metal or anywhere else on the car.

It happens to women a large majority of the time because they have a tendency to get back in their car after starting to pump gas and rummage around in their purse or whatever. Most guys don't get back in their cars, they just hang around outside until it's done filling up.

 

I would literally find the next shuttle to the moon and get off this planet if anyone were able to sue over static discharge and win!! Cars can build up static charges in a variety of ways, few of which are preventable. I have owned several cars (all with cloth seats) and every one of them has given me a jolt at some time or another. My cavalier is far worse on jolts than the Z.

This is not an issue when filling up at the gas station. First, most people have to get out of the car to get to the pump handle. As soon as your shoes hit the ground, most of the static charge will dissipate (since your shoes are not as good of insulators as the rubber tires). The reason you get zapped is that your body loses its charge when you step out, but the car's body doesn't; so when you reach for the door handle, the car will discharge through you! Second, gas pump nozzles have to be grounded to comply with federal law. Likewise, the fuel neck in the car also has to be connected to the vehicle ground. As soon as you touch the nozzle to the fuel neck, any static charge from the car gets bled off by the nozzle. Likewise, the car will remain grounded until the nozzle is removed.

I think most gas pump related fatalities are from other causes: smoking and cell phones being among the top of the list.

As far as the shocking part: I've just gotten used to getting zapped by my cars. If it bothers you that much, do what some others have suggested here. The trick is to get the car's body to touch mother earth before you do. Hmmm, maybe those bump-stop-riding Hondas are on to something here...

 

It happens to me too.

 

Cell phones causing problems is a myth and it has been proven many times, unfortunately the gas stations have bought into the internet rumor.

http://www.snopes.com/autos/hazards/gasvapor.asp



Static electricity causing gas station fires however, is true

http://www.snopes.com/autos/hazards/static.asp

 

I get the major shocks every time I get out of my z in the wintertime. The best solution I've found is to touch the metal part of the key to the metal on the door panel before I cose it. It doesn't kill it completely, but it heps.

You're right about the cell phone issue being a myth. However, the thought of a static fire is really creepy. Simplest thing you can do here is not get back into the car under any circumstances while filling, as mentioned earlier. To be extra careful, I also make sure to touch something metal (fender, edge of the pump, etc.) to discharge whatever electricity is left.

 

I usually close the door with my leg, that way the static charge discharges down there. It's less painful.

 

Ive heard that a grounding kit will completely solve this problem...lol just kiding