Shock Tactics

I've just gotten an Astra Mk 4 and I don't think it likes me. Virtually
every time I get out of it I get one hell of an electric (I assume static)
shock if I touch the door frame. It's not a little tickle either... I still
know about it half an hour later. I've had lesser belts off ignition
systems. Nobody else seems to suffer. Are the furnishings in these known to
generate high static levels of could it originate elsewhere?

It's getting rather tiring doing a little dance as I get out to avoid
touching anything metal and gingerly getting hold of the plastic door
handle.

Would one of those little grounding straps that hang down underneath help or
would that just give it another route to earth me through?

Yours, tingling with something - if not excitement....

Vin

 

got seat covers?
try just as a test, a loop of bare wire right across the seat & put it to
the seatbelt bolt.

and yes those hanging things do work a treat, but it won't stop it if it is
'you' that is charged & not the car.
as you say, i will just give a better path!!!!! bang.

nasty i know, but does anyone else suffer this when locking your car?
worth a try.

i would say nylon knicker don't help, but the lsat time i suggested this, i
got told that she didn't wear any!

shame she was in glasgow, i would have liked the proof!

"mike

 

Nope. Just the standard fit velour seats.

I did consider putting a metal touchpad through a 10 Mohm resistor to ground
into the blanking plate where the electric mirror switch would be fitted -
thus giving me a controlled earthing point. As I just joined this newsgroup
though I thought I would tap the brains of others first.

Only had it a couple of weeks and only two of us usually use it and only I
drive. Her on the nearside has not experienced it. Me. I'm getting wary of
touching anything. Aversion therepy I think it's known as.

Once, in my pre-teens, I was forced to try on my cousin's bridesmaid dress
for size as we were both, then, of similar body size and shape. That's the
limit of my cross-dressing though. It could be clothing related - will have
to see if certain items of clothing have a greater or lesser effect. Only
trouble is that testing involves likely getting a few more whacks. :-(

Thanks for the input.

Vin

 

right well you seem to be talking my language...
electronics that is not cross-dressing!

have you tried discharging yourself first?

sadly not a vauxhall, but on another car that i fitted a pmr radio to, the
owner complained that the his little infra red sensor on a custom fit alarm
in the drivers door stopped working once i had fitted the radio.
long long fault-find, but it turned out that the door had no link to the
rest of the chassis, it was totally isolated! quick check with a megger
confirmed this, one quick earth strap cured it...

worth a try?

mike

 

Ooooerrrr Missus.....

No. The car usually gets to me first. Today however I got away with it.
Noted that I wasn't wearing the usual jacket I drive in - so maybe it is
connected to that. Will have to experiment further. Had no trouble before
with my now deceased Carlton (RIP) - or any other of the Vauxhall/Opels I
have had over the years. Probably a much better quality velour in the
Carlton than in this Astra.

Haven't used one in years. Not since we used to wire up 50p pieces to one
and wait for some poor sod to try and pick it up.... Would be a bit
reluctant to use one on a modern car as there is too much expensive
electronics to fry unless you know exactly what you are doing. Will do a
continuity check with an AVO though but would have thought there was a path
there as it is biting me.

Regards,

Vin.

 

but would have thought there was a path

well no in a way........if there is a path to earth then it must be you that
is charged.
if it is isolated in anyway, even around the handle etc, then there is your
culprit.


not really something stupid like the metal key hole getting back emf from
the central locking coils?

as you have an avo, how about doing a voltage check on the bit that does
bite you.
might reveal something.

mike

 

Hi Mike,

Where doea a car get its path to ground from? I know on aircraft the
nosewheels are often conductive but I doubt car tyres are made that way. So
surely cars are pretty well isolated from ground unless a path is provided
(me in this case).

A couple of things I considered today after getting another belt (without
the previously refered to jacket on):

1. Cars nowadays have more plastic panels. Could airflow over these
generate a static charge that would build up until released somehow.

2. Could air conditioning generate a static charge as it flows over a body?
I had the a/c on today and got a belt. Yesterday it wasn't on and I didn't.
Not had a/c in a vehicle before so this is a new factor in the equation as
far as I am concerned.

From comments made earlier I gather you have an electrical background. My
roots are in aircraft mechanical engineering but only basic electrics. So
what think you on the above?

Well no.... I don't lock it with the key. I get the belt closing the door
if I touch the frame.

Clear day tomorrow so I will attempt some of your suggestions and see what I
can suss out. If you never hear from me again I've probably been zapped!!!


Vin.

 

i think your day spent with the avo will sort this out as such.

it would be nice if you had a digital meter though (no loading effect)

the avo will probably have too lower ohms per volt because it is coil driven
(see on the backplate for info)
thus it will drain the voltage away.

just stick the neg lead into some wet ground, put the pos probe on the
chassis.

ofcourse the movement of air will create static, but then it would be a mass
problem with all this model, it is not, so something is a miss in your case

shame others are not joining in.

mike

 

ooppss read 'higher' ohms per volt...........

well it is late...hic

mike

 

I do have one somewhere. One of the old Sinclair ones - the ones in the
calculator case.

chassis.

What should I be ranging on? Is static charge high voltage - low amps or
high amps - low voltage?

Had a quick go this morning ranging on DC volts 25v FSD but got nothing.
Proved continuity between the door and the rest of the bodywork though and
checked the three main earth straps. It was a damp and drizzly start to the
day though so probably not the best time to go looking for a static charge.
Will await better weather and a suggestion on ranging from you. Trouble is
that once the charge is gone, by whatever means, you cannot troubleshoot
further until it has been generated again. Plus, you can't be sure it is
there in the first place. This could be a long running saga.....

case

Well - I have waylaid a few other owners and asked them and some experience
the same thing, albeit to a lesser degree.

Yes. I had hoped for a broader input. Maybe it is an indication that the
problem is not that common.

Vin.

 

http://homepages.pavilion.co.uk/jeremys/home.htm#nuisance

http://www.amasci.com/emotor/zapped.html#scar

http://www.jci.co.uk/Carseats1.html

should help understanding

mike

 

Thanks for the links. Only had a brief glance so far but looks interesting.

Went and got one of those anti-static dangly things today. Thought it
couldn't hurt having an extra route to ground as I was getting zapped anyway
and thought it might just soak off some of the charge - whether on me or the
car.

As the problem seems pretty unique to me and I have never suffered it before
I wonder if they valeted the car with something before I got it and that is
creating (I was going to say 'generating' but thought better of it) the
problem.

I'll leave you in peace for a bit but I'll let you know if I get it sorted.
Thanks for all your input. Much appreciated.

Regards,

Vin.