toyota static shock

mkosem · Mar 15, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by XS650:

quote:

Originally posted by mkosem:
I was having the same problem on my matrix. It ended up being solved by replacing the stock continentals with a set of yokohama tires.

--Matt

Click to expand...

I've know acouple of other people that had the same problem on high MPG cars and the problem went away when they bought normal tires.

I'm having trouble understanding what that has to do with sliding across the seat, but there seems to be a connection.

Oddly, even though my Yokohama Avid V4's aren't low rolling resistance, I did not notice any decrease in my fuel economy. All I know is that those Continental ContiTouring Contact CH95's were terrible! They were toast after 12k miles and had terrible traction!

--Matt

seotaji · Jun 19, 2004

i've got a grounding strip on my car that touches/drags on the ground every so often.

i got it when i was overseas.

those kooky asians, who knows what they'll come up with next.

moribundman · Jun 19, 2004

Just get one of those key fobs that prevents you from getting zapped. You touch that to a metal part of the car before touching the car itself. Costs a few dollars. Or you could mount a static wick, a static dissipator, which is what aircraft use.

[ June 20, 2004, 02:59 AM: Message edited by: moribundman ]

Robbie Alexander · Jun 20, 2004

Mee too, but on all cars. No matter what clothes or what shoes or what weather IT happens to me.
Well not as bad as when I was younger, but I still can't wear many watches either, I kill them.

Anyway, I still forget, but what I do is touch the inside shifter knob and the door (outside and inside) then I get out without letting go of the door... if I forget and remember before I close the door... I just touch the back of the cab first or I grit my teeth and bear it... often times the edge of my truck bed with the palm of the hand...

PS
I' get in the habbit of doing this before pumping gasoline... discharge... I still forget sometimes and see blue sparks in daylight and for a split second get worried near gasoline.

TallPaul · Jun 20, 2004

I bought a pair of those anti static strips that hang off your car at a garage sale last year. The package looks like it dates back at least to the 70s. Never got around to installing them.

I read somewhere that Ben Franklin was playing around with building a Leyden jar (early type capacitor) and could not get it to collect a charge. He was using a pointed terminal and the charge would bleed off to the air before he could build it up. He put a blunt terminal and the jar worked with shocking results. So I am wondering if we file our (metal) radio antennas to a sharp point would if help bleed off the static from our cars?

moribundman · Jun 20, 2004

quote:

http://images.google.com/images?q=t...ue_a_theorique/science/images/static_wick.jpg

I've seen smaller versions on car trunk lids and spoilers.

motorguy222 · Jun 20, 2004

The shocks are caused by static buildup between the cloth/cloth like seat material and clothes.Use Static Guard or something similar to get rid of the problem.The shock sometimes goes away in the summer because the air has more moisture in it,depending on what part of the country you live in.I have had this same problem in the winter.The winter or cooler weather is when this problem is usually at its worst because the air is so dry.Try the Static Guard,it should work.

[ June 21, 2004, 01:14 AM: Message edited by: motorguy222 ]

VaderSS · Jun 20, 2004

Hot dry days and rubber soled shoes with the A/C running are guaranteed to give me a good shock, no matter what brand of car. My Olds did it, my Mazda did it, and my Impala does it as well. The Impala has leather so it's not just a cloth seat thing.

motorguy222 · Jun 20, 2004

Cloth seats are the ones in question.A balloon that is rubbed on someone's head will cause static electricity,it will make your hair stand up.There are many things that cause static electricity.I do question the shoe and carpet idea causing static.Shoes should not touch the carpet enough to build up static,unless the car doesn't have floor mats,or the floor mats are carpeted.In the case of carpeted mats,try finding a nice set of rubber mats to replace them.Rubber mats are really nice to have in the winter,they don't soak up all of the water and snow like a carpet mat does,plus they are very easy to clean.The Static Guard or something similar should help in stopping the static shocks.

VaderSS · Jun 21, 2004

quote:

or the floor mats are carpeted.

Bingo.

quote:

In the case of carpeted mats,try finding a nice set of rubber mats to replace them.

Um, no. I like my carpeted mats.

I might try the staticguard though.

seotaji · Jun 21, 2004

connect a small chain from your tailpipe or other metal part on your car and have it long enough to touch the ground.

it's cheap and works well.

D Stewart · Jul 2, 2004

A Michelin engineer told me it relates to what is not in cheap tires. I had the same problem with my new Corolla with Goodyear Integrity (crap) tires. I corrected it with a set of Michelin Harmony tires.

Robbie Alexander · Jul 3, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by D Stewart:
A Michelin engineer told me it relates to what is not in cheap tires. I had the same problem with my new Corolla with Goodyear Integrity (crap) tires. I corrected it with a set of Michelin Harmony tires.

Explain how.... Materials? what?

I have several MIllion miles OTR experience with TIRES, so I can safely claim I have tried a lot of popular brands, including the Big M (whom I like BTW), and they all do it to me no matter if I wear Cotton or Wool.... Rubber or Leather sole shoes.... It wasn't until recently that I could even wear a watch for more that a few weeks, now at least I could wear one for a few years maybe, but I choose to use my Cell phone or pager clock... anyway... the only car I can remember it NOT doing it to me was an OLD 57 CADDIE that had leather seats and was a heavy hunck of metal.

Chris Desjardins · Jul 5, 2004

I have a 2004 Camry, and I seem to get a lot more shocks with it than any car I owned before. It seems kind of crazy to have to try all these things (Toyota should have come up with a fix by now) - would improving the grounding wires help at all?

VaderSS · Jul 6, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by D Stewart:
A Michelin engineer told me it relates to what is not in cheap tires. I had the same problem with my new Corolla with Goodyear Integrity (crap) tires. I corrected it with a set of Michelin Harmony tires.

Scratch that one. I've had it happen with both good and bad tires...

Keep in mind that a car is basically a big capacitor, with tires insulating a large amount of metal from ground.

D Stewart · Jul 7, 2004

quote:

Originally posted by VaderSS:

quote:

Originally posted by D Stewart:
A Michelin engineer told me it relates to what is not in cheap tires. I had the same problem with my new Corolla with Goodyear Integrity (crap) tires. I corrected it with a set of Michelin Harmony tires.

Click to expand...

Scratch that one. I've had it happen with both good and bad tires...

Keep in mind that a car is basically a big capacitor, with tires insulating a large amount of metal from ground.

He simply stated that some tires have additives inserted into the manufacturing process that enhance conductivity and discourage static buildup.

VaderSS · Jul 7, 2004

Then it has nothing to do with good or bad tires, but something that is added to specifically do that job. I'm guessing that that's not a priority in performance and rain tires, since that is what I tend to buy, and they are all top-line and hardly cheap.

SWS · Jul 9, 2004

I get shocked A LOT by static electricity when exiting my Camry, but all 3 of my cars do it to me to some extent. Different shoes make a difference, with my notched rubber-soled shoes being the worst.

Several years ago when I got a digital cell phone that I wear on my belt, the shock factor also increased!

About a year ago I saw a news item on TV that said that cell phones, esp digital ones, can be a fire hazard when filling up your car with gas due to increased static charge on your body. It is especially risky if the phone rings while you are filling-up. Since then, I have always taken my phone off my body when I get gasoline.

SWS

seotaji · Jul 9, 2004

it depends on how much silica and rolling resistance the tires have.

toyota static shock

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