It seems that every time I get out of my car and grab the door to shut it I get zapped. OOOOHHH. Yeeeeoooooowwww.

Well, after talking to the dealer to no avail, they suggested that I call the number in the owners manual.

So I called customer service and talked to someone who had the same car and experienced the same problem.

What happens is with the carpet floor mats installed, they react just like the carpet in your house. When you move your feet across the carpet and touch a light switch. ZAP !

The Honda does the same thing. If you move your feet while driving it creates static and when you jump out and grab the metal door, ZAP !

They suggested rubber floor mats to stop the problem.

Well, there goes another 100 bucks for custom floor mats.

Hope this helps.

 

This would happen up in Maine with the dry winters. It is a pain and nussense all at the same time. They actually have grounding straps that you can put on the car to keep it from zapping you, it is kind of tacky looking though.

 

So THAT is why i kept getting zapped in my car... i took out the carpet floormats for the supper(and cause they were from a GM) and i havent gotten zapped since. i guess it is cause my feet are always on the rubber part now

 

Thanks guys! I was wondering why I always get zapped in my other car. Now I know.

Once again, HCF came through!

 

might work just flipping the mats over so the carpet side is down and the rubber side is up?

 

This is a problem with most cars, my wife's Monte Carlo will smack the crap out of you when you get out all year round,.....my Chevy Truck does it in the winter time.
I've learned that when I'm gettin' out of the vehicle and my foot hits the pavement, I do my best to not touch anything on the car with my hand. I usually nudge the door shut with the side of my shoe. Of couse I did that on a sheet of ice one day and busted my *$$,.....screwing my back up for a few days!

Sometimes I just use my elbow (with a coat on) to shove the door shut.

I remember seeing those straps hanging down off the bottom of a lot of family cars back in the 60's.
You're right,...they look pretty tacky!

Oh and by the way,....it's not just the floor mats, it's more a problem with your butt sliding around on that seat. I wonder if leather seats cause the same thing....

 

Ok, I just spent some time digging around and found out a few things.

The static is built up by the friction of the seat and your clothing, the only way to discarge it is to ground the car. That means connect the car to the earth somehow, either with your body, a strap mounted to the car that hangs down and contacts the pavement, or unfortunately for some; a fuel-hose at the gas station.

Most of the time it's "your body". So either don't make contact with car and the earth at the same time, or discharge it some other way. (preferably NOT with a gas hose)
I did see a little gadget called a "StopZap" or something that attaches to your key ring, that you touch the car with after you get out, but like I said; it's kind of a pain the butt to try to get out without touching anything metal on the car. I used to do that with my keys,......I'd get out without touching anything and then reach around and touch the car with my key, but you STILL get get zapped,....the only advantage to that meathod is you KNOW when it's coming.

 

this has never happened to me in my lifetime.
i do remember those static straps in the '60 cars though.
were they ever ugly.
they had real axles. think i would have rigged it to hang off of the axle - no one could see it then.
think i would rig it under if i had to do it now - underneath where no one could see it.

 

this happened to be every once in a while as well, lol. it was annoying because it was always when i would go to close my door so i would always use my foot or knee or something to close it in order to not get shocked, lol. seemed to be mostly when it was really cool and dry out.

 

The reason it happens more when it's cool and dry out is because your skin is dried out which is more condusive of creating static.
At work we have to wear these uniform pants that suck up and literally cling to your legs in the winter time on account of the static,....which never happens in the summer.

Most of us have to rub on some kind of skin conditioner, which imediately solves the problem.

(I like to use sun-tan oil.....because the smell reminds me of summer!)