ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZAP !.......and then cursing.

[JackLikesTrucks]

Evertime I get out of the car, an electric blue arc jumps from the door I'm closing to my fingers and makes me happy for several seconds.

Oh Joy.

What is causing this and what can be done?

I have cloth interior and am running BFG Traction TAs and I've foud nothing about rolling resistance problems with these tires like I would expect from 90K mile tires.

Maybe a capacitor to the body?

 

[Jason]

My Ranger does the same thing. I hit the door with my arm first. I don't notice the shock to the arm much.

 

[doorgunner]

attach a flexible metal strap to the lowest part of the vehicle frame so that a couple inches of it drags the ground releasing static electricity there instead of your fingers...

oh, yea....just be sure you don't have a leaky fuel line

 

[AngloSaxon]

Happens with my truck everytime, at night you can actually see a blue spark

 

[CJREX]

Hold your keys in your hand and touch the keys to the truck first.

The key takes the Zap, not you. You may still feel it, but just barely if at all.

 

[doorgunner]

beats crawlin under to put a strap on(old school, anyway)

 

[srteach]

check your body-to-frame grounding strap. Make sure there is good contact between both.

In low humidity, a static charge can build up.

 

[superdave1984]

My daughter's car did that. I sprayed the interior with that static spray for laundry and then febreeze. Problem went away.

 

[GMWIGGS]

Just hang on to the door, (on metal part), somewhere as you get out of your seat. If you are already grounded to the frame while getting out of the truck, the static shouldn't build up. Works for me anyways!

 

[Chance]

For me, it depends on what pants I'm wearing. Back when I had my desk job and I was wearing dress slacks, I would get shocked every time. But when I'm wearing my jeans or my shop pants, I have yet to get shocked. I think that's because I kinda slide out of my seats though.

 

[RustedRanger]

Ground strap is a good idea. I don't think bad body grounds cause this. My truck does it,My moms 99 Sable does it and my wifes 07 Impala also does it. I took to touching the door really fast(a little smack) so it doesn't arc but I bet it would work to hold onto the metal until on the ground. Ive got enough of a jolt that you could hear the snap and it made me jump. I got electrocuted one time so I really don't like getting zapped!

 

[Mark_88]

Car pool with someone and touch their earlobe before they get out...works really well if they happen to fall asleep during the ride...

Aside from that...the anti-static spray worked for SuperDave so you might try that if you can't find a victim, er, passenger...

 

[cocoasranger]

Some shoes have conductive rubber soles which drain any charge and eliminate the problem. They wear them in electronics mfg. plants.

 

[TSpring3]

I generally notice it a lot more when the humidity is low (aka winter months). But if you got the rain in Akron the last couple days that we've had here in Columbus then the humidity should be plenty high enough.

I just do what Jason does and bump the edge of the door with my forearm as once my feet touch the ground.

Also, holding onto the door the whole time as mentioned by GMWIGGS works great until you realize you're holding onto plastic and you touch the metal screw holding your door panel, those shocks feel worse than getting one through the metal of the body. Ouch!

 

[LearjetMinako]

Try being a mechanic that has to get in and out of customers vehicles all day. After a while, my left hand hurts. And on the rare times, loss of muscle control for a few seconds. Not matter what I do, I still get shocked. But now that it is the warmer months (more humid), I don't get shocked. At least till winter again.