Truck keeps "Zapping" me!

[Turbo1Ton]

try some dryer sheets when you wash your clothes. . and wear less polyester.

Well, I can tell you it doesn't work for me. I always use dryer sheets and pretty much only wear cotton.



I am seriously considering the chain idea. I saw a car yesterday that had what looked like a ground strap hanging from the rear bumper and touching the ground. I should have gone and gotten a closer look at it but I am sure that this is what it was for.



Jeff

 

[HLewallen]

Sometimes I can feel the ESD several times as I slide out across the seat. The funny thing is moast of the time people don't know how many thousands of volts those shocks are, especially if it is large enough to see! 5000+ volts is probably about the threshold for "visible". I have actually numbed a finger for a second with this truck.

 

[EEdmondson]

Does this happen with rubber floor mats? Anybody out there getting or not getting shocked with rubber mats? I have the stock carpet mats and am thinking that rubber might help.



Maybe a grounded sleeve attached to the grab handle to touch as you slide off the seat would help. I tried Scotchgard which seemed to work, but only for a short time. IMHO, dryer sheets are worse than the shock.



Another solution, attach this to a ground on your door and then to your wrist. Remove from wrist after getting out of your truck. http://www.cpustuff.com/estore/product.php?productid=110

 

[Agandy]

Try Factory Canvas Seat Covers

I used to have that problem with my Toyota (velour seats. ) My '05 has seat covers over the velour and I have never had a shock.

Remembering the constant shocks from my old Toyota just gives me another reason to love my CTD.

 

[DMcGalliard]

Hello to all that get zapped :-{} ,

Before I got leather in all my wheels I would carry my key with fingers on the metal and let the current discharge thru the key by touching metal with the tip of the key. I would do this getting in or out. If you do lots of sliding around(for what I would not know) on the cloth seats the charge can be real be high and you can feel the flow thru your fingers and hand. Leather seats will fix the problem, also that a real good way to know leather seats, they do not build a static charge. :-laf One reason to get leather??



Not sure the leather seats help if you are not ready to trade, but the key does work. Oo.



DMcG

 

[PPeterson]

Hold your ignition key or other metal object and touch metal on the truck. You won't feel anything but you get to see a nice "light show" as the spark leaps between the key and truck! Try scootching around a bunch before trying it, heh heh.



Pete

 

[lumberjack98]

I touch the side of the truck door as i exit and it dosen't allow a charge to build and zap ya . it seems to work for me. hth

 

[Dieselnerd]

That's one of the things I like about my new truck with the leather seats. I don't get zapped. My last Dodge had cloth seats and when spending the winter in AZ I always tapped the door with my key as I got out. I was still doing it out of habit with this truck when I noticed no spark.

 

[DieselFiend]

I don't think the extra dryer sheets and anti-static spray is going to work. I've even been shocked through the seams in my steering wheel. Here's my theory. When the air is cold and dry, your truck builds static as it passes through the air. At first, you're not polarized to it until you touch something metal on the truck. It's been driving me nuts. You could have lit a cigarette with the charge that came off my finger last night. CRAZY!

 

[EMurillo]

i thought i was the only one getting that shock treatment

 

[Suprmn]

I touch the side of the truck door as i exit and it dosen't allow a charge to build and zap ya . it seems to work for me. hth

ditto. works every time. Just have ahold of the metal part of the door before your foot hits the ground. :-laf

 

[Eric_77]

I cannot find the link but the low rolling resistance of current tires makes them less conductive and the simple motion of a vehicle through the air builds up a static electirc charge that had been conductd to the ground by the tires but is no longer as effective with newer tires.



Gas trucks have a grounding strap that grounds the truck directly to discharge this static eleectric buildup. You could add one or keep using yourseelf as a discharge to ground.



To verify it is vehicle and not you that is charged try touching a polee or other metal object after getting out of truck no zap right? the truck is what is energized.

 

[cestaggs]

Ditto here also, just touch some metal before you move your butt and everything will be fine. I haven't had a prolem with my 06, but I could touch the head of a screw in the bottom of the hand on my 99 to solve the problem. Just don't move your finger away then back again..... yyyeeeeooooowwwww!!!! :{

 

[HPetrat]

I have the same problem with my 98 in regard to static build up. The drier the air the worse it is.

I would agree with a previous post that the static charge is built up by the truck moving and not by your moving across the seats.

For myself, I have found that the shock is also very dependant on what type of footwear I have on.

With workboots on I don't seem to get zapped,- runners or day hikers, I very often see the pretty blue arcs.



My . 02 worth

HP

 

[DieselFiend]

Static building up on your vehicle, then being transfered to you, has a remedy. Where I work, vehicles that are used in static sensitive enviroments have straps that drag on the ground under the vehicle. They are bonded to the frame of the vehicle. It kind of looks like a strip of a steel belted radial dragging under the vehicle. I'll consider one when my fingers turn black and I can't feel them any more. Or maybe it could come in handy if I ever had a heart attack. I could just defibrilate myself by driving around for 5 minutes then getting out.

 

[MMcClane]

To prevent that static build up buy a can of Static Guard. Just spray a little on the seats. It will last quite awhile before you need to re-spray. It won't hurt the seats. My wife taught me this little trick. She hates to get shocked.

 

[TurboCanScoot]

ZZZaapp!

I noticed the same thing on my 2005 3/4 5. 9. I don't have the same issue with my 2006 3500 5. 9. I owned the 2005 from last May til December. and it didn't matter whether it was summer or winter. I would still get zapped.

 

[goose1029]

I touch the side of the truck door as i exit and it dosen't allow a charge to build and zap ya . it seems to work for me. hth

This is by far the simplest method here and cant believe it took so long before mentioned! I have been using this for quite a while. Its just natural now in winter after the first buzz sets off my minds programing.

 

[wcjp]

Does this happen with rubber floor mats? Anybody out there getting or not getting shocked with rubber mats? I have the stock carpet mats and am thinking that rubber might help.



Maybe a grounded sleeve attached to the grab handle to touch as you slide off the seat would help. I tried Scotchgard which seemed to work, but only for a short time. IMHO, dryer sheets are worse than the shock.



Another solution, attach this to a ground on your door and then to your wrist. Remove from wrist after getting out of your truck. http://www.cpustuff.com/estore/product.php?productid=110

Never been shocked with my 06'. Immediately after buying the truck I changed out the floor mats. I bought some Extreme Duty rubber floor mats. I also don't have any static problems with my Jeep. It rolls on TSL Swampers. There's very little to no silicone in the tires to help build a static charge.

 

[GFrance]

This thread is funny. My wife complains when our chocolate lab sitting in the back seat gives her a shock when he touches her. They both get zapped & I just laugh. I've been meaning to get the rubber strips that hang off the frame & touch the ground because I know that works, we have them on our delivery fuel trucks.