My Versa shocks me!

[xu_chen]

Just a minor inconvenience but I get a static shock every time I get out of my Versa and touches the door. Not sure if this is because of me rubbing the suede seats (I have S) or if there's an electrical problem with the car... Anyone else experiencing this?I always intentionally touch the body of the car with my leg first now before reaching for the door.

[Althalus]

I highly doubt it's an eletrical problem, prob just static as you said.

[audtatious]

Just static. During fall/winter, my Maxima has shocked me since I bought it in 2k2.

[proxim2020]

This is pretty common with all types of cars with cloth seats across the board. You can build up a charge just from driving and making slight movements. It's the same effect as rubbing a balloon on your hair to make it stand up. You will start to see it happen when you move to the cooler drier months, which is right around now for you since you're up in NY. During the winter time, I get shocked constantly getting out of my truck, but not during summer months. Have you been getting shocked on rainy day? Static electricity doesn't conduct well through humid air. If you're still getting shocked, you may have a more serious problem.

When you get out, grasp the metal part of your key. If you look in your door jamb there should be a hook that your door catches to close. Touch the end of the key here and you will discharge through the tip of the key. If it's strong enough, you may be able to see a little blue spark. And no more pain .

One more thing, being shocked works to your benefit when going to gas stations. PLEASE make sure you touch an unpainted surface every time before grabbing the pump. You can charge back up from just going back to your car to sit for a second. If you don't, you can discharge through the tip of the pump when it touches you filler neck. That can cause one of those big fires you see on CNN every winter.

[Elmojo]

Agreed. Dry weather=zap!I just grab the metal door frame before moving out of the seat. If I remember to do this, I never get shocked. It seems to work even through the paint.Maybe it's my magnetic personality but I build up so much static that if I forget to grab the door frame before getting out of the car, I can sometimes hear the spark *snap* when I get out. Not fun. Elmojo

[proxim2020]

Oh yea, one more thing. Sweaters and shaggy clothing help build up a charge even better. That's another reason we start to get shocked more often during the winter.

[xu_chen]

Have you been getting shocked on rainy day? Static electricity doesn't conduct well through humid air. If you're still getting shocked, you may have a more serious problem.

Yep, I've been shocked in the rain. The part that baffles me is just that I get shocked EVERY TIME. In fact in two instances this week I've been shocked TWICE! (Pulled my hand back after the first spark and got sparked again!)

[proxim2020]

That's strange. When you touch, you should be fully discharged. Being shocked twice or during rainy conditions is a little abnormal for electrostatic. Check inside of your engine compartment to see if there are wires exposed or touching the body of the car. Check to make sure all of the wires grounded to the frame are tight. If you don't see anything out of the ordinary, take the car into the dealer and have them verify the grounds.

You may also want to go poking around your car. If you're standing outside of your car and you get shocked twice on the hood, you can probably rule out static electricity.

[OKVersa]

Nothing new. My Ford F150 and my former Jimmy did the same thing (cloth seats ) in the winter.

[cireecnop1]

My friend always says it shocks him when he gets out of the car. but I have yet to experience this. Just luck i guess

[Ever Victorious]

My cars (any of them) shock me when I get out, during the winter time. I've learned to lean into the door with my shoulder first to discharge (my shirt helps protect me from the zap).

But getting zapped in the rain sounds like a possible bad ground to me.

You can also try getting one of those ghetto grounding straps that hangs below your bumper, and seeing if that helps.

[XterraVersa]

Stop wearing silk panties!!

Didn't you watch the exploding gas station episode on Myth Busters?

[proxim2020]

But they are so soft

[Caddy65]

You could save yourself a lot of time by checking some bare metal on your car for voltage. Just get a voltmeter and put one end on the spot you get shocked from and put the other on a ground (not the car because if the ground on the car has voltage you will get a 0v reading) preferrably the negative side of a car battery if the cable lead is long enough. If you take it to the dealership they probably wont look at it. They will park it in the back for a couple hours and then call you back telling you everything is fine. it's probably static- it usually is. It simply takes too much DC voltage for a human to get shocked on the hand and feel it.

[BillStrong]

Just a minor inconvenience but I get a static shock every time I get out of my Versa and touches the door. Not sure if this is because of me rubbing the suede seats (I have S) or if there's an electrical problem with the car... Anyone else experiencing this?I always intentionally touch the body of the car with my leg first now before reaching for the door.

weird. Mine shocks me as well. 3 times now. As I go to grab the door handle from the outside. BANG! Good zaps too!My 1991 Toyota MR2 and the 2002 Dodge Dakota don't do that.

Just a minor inconvenience but I get a static shock every time I get out of my Versa and touches the door. Not sure if this is because of me rubbing the suede seats (I have S) or if there's an electrical problem with the car... Anyone else experiencing this?I always intentionally touch the body of the car with my leg first now before reaching for the door.