Quite often, drivers and passengers are faced with a situation where they get an electric shock when getting out of the car or accidentally touching the body. Moreover, the discharge goes beyond the usual tingling and can bring much more painful sensations. A burning sensation appears, trembling and chills are felt in the body.
If the victim has an increased level of sensitivity to electrical current, the consequences can be much worse. What could be the cause of such electrical discharges and how to eliminate them?
Why does the car give an electric shock?
There is nothing supernatural here and everything can be explained by the laws of physics. This happens due to the accumulation of a charge of static electricity, and it is formed due to the electrification of such elements:
- car body;
- clothes;
- seat covers or upholstery.
In spring and summer, the car is electrocuted more often, since electrification occurs more intensely at low air humidity. Although such a discharge is not very pleasant, it is absolutely safe for a healthy person.
Static electricity accumulates on the car body due to its friction with the air. This usually happens while driving, but it also happens when parked under the influence of wind. When a person touches the body, for example, closing a door, the charges of the body and the body are equalized and an electric shock occurs. The reason for this may be clothing or covers. During their friction, a static charge also accumulates and the described process is repeated.
Another reason for this problem is a car malfunction. If the electrical wiring is damaged, the wires may become exposed and come into contact with metal parts of the body. The machine turns into a large capacitor and when touching its body, a person receives a noticeable electric shock.
Sparking does not cause increased voltage as long as no inductance is included in the circuit. It is dangerous when high-voltage wires, ignition coil windings and relays are exposed.
Video: why a car gives an electric shock
What should you not do?
There are a number of tips that not only will not give the desired result when a washing machine pinches a person, but can also cause real harm, namely:
- If there is no grounding, inverting the plug in the socket has no practical significance, since the washing machine operates on AC power and changing the polarity does not change anything for it;
- Laying a rubber mat near the washing machine does not solve the problem, since the potential does not go away, and a person can be hit when he touches the washing machine and the wall, battery, etc. with his hand;
- Disabling the surge protector - this element of the washing machine does supply potential to the body, but in normal mode the voltage is safe and should not be felt;
Figure 4: Connecting the surge protector to the chassis - Grounding the body of the washing machine to the heating system creates a threat not only to the residents of the apartment, but also to the entire riser; grounding can only be done using a special conductor.
How to solve a problem
There are several ways to effectively deal with electric shocks when touching certain parts of the car. When an electric shock occurs when you touch the external parts of the machine, for example, handles, body and others, then to eliminate the problem you must perform the following steps:
- visit the service station. Recommended in case of frequent and strong shocks of static electricity that occur due to electrical wiring faults. There they will carry out diagnostics, identify and eliminate the cause. If you have enough knowledge and time, you can independently check the serviceability of all wires;
- install antistatic strips. You just need to purchase them at any auto store and attach them to the rear bumper.
When an electric shock occurs when you touch the internal elements of the car, for example, the steering wheel, gear lever and others, then you must do the following:
- pay attention to the interior trim. The simplest solution would be to buy seat covers. They must be antistatic; if the interior is leather, then such problems do not arise;
- adjust your wardrobe. Try not to wear things made of fabrics that accumulate static electricity (wool, silk, natural fur, synthetics);
- if you don’t want to change your wardrobe, use special sprays to treat upholstery and clothing. They help minimize the chance of electricity buildup;
To minimize the risk of electric shock when getting out of your car, first touch any metal part with your hand before opening the doors and standing on the ground.
Video: what to do if the car is electrocuted
When a problem such as an electric shock occurs when touching a car, it is imperative to find the cause and eliminate it. It may seem like a small thing to some people, but it is very unpleasant for children, and in some cases, a spark that appears can even lead to a car fire.
Static electricity and the car
Everyone knows the effect of combing hair with a plastic comb. When the hair “stands on end.”
Or when taking off synthetic clothing, a slight cracking occurs. And if you do this in complete darkness, then small sparks-discharges will even be visible. The same thing happens inside the car with people.
Why does the car give an electric shock? There are many reasons for this. Let's try to identify the most common ones:
- Sometimes the person himself is indirectly to blame for this situation. The fact is that during movement, clothing rubs against the seat upholstery. The person himself begins to accumulate static electricity. This often happens if clothing contains natural wool or synthetic fibers. Without suspecting it, when leaving the vehicle, he hits the door or body and a discharge occurs. Answer to the question: “Why do you get electric shock when you get out of the car?” becomes obvious. It's partly our own fault.
- The car itself begins to accumulate a static charge. This can happen in different ways.
1. The car body receives an electric shock because during the trip the car moves in space and comes into contact with the air. Charge accumulates on it. The longer the movement time, the more accumulation occurs. Dry weather also helps increase the charge.
Of course, the person sitting inside tends to have electrical potential. The whole question is what significance does its charge have. If it's the same as the vehicle, then no one will feel anything. If there is a plus and a minus, then upon contact a discharge will occur.
2. In another case, when the car door is electrocuted, there is another reason. This is a machine malfunction. Due to various circumstances, its electrical wiring may be damaged. Under the influence of friction or chafing, or falling out of the fixing devices, they begin to rub against body parts. And the insulation in this place is destroyed.
The exposed section of the wire begins to come into contact with the body iron. A so-called “breakdown to ground” occurs. The machine begins to resemble a capacitor of appropriate dimensions and with a fairly strong capacity. And when the driver or passenger gets out and grabs the door or handle, they receive an electric shock.
Watch a useful video on how to detect a current leak on a VAZ 21102:
A trifle, a trifle?! No matter how it is!
Although at first glance it may seem that static discharge will not cause much harm, it is worth considering this problem more seriously. When the body of the machine receives an electric current, a micro-discharge occurs. A good example, but of a different nature, is a piezo lighter.
What if, for some reason, there are vapors of gasoline or other flammable substances in the cabin? This micro-lightning can ignite them, and the consequences can be the most tragic.
The question: “the machine is electrocuted - what to do?” should be resolved immediately.
There is one more important circumstance to this. While driving, the driver constantly performs a number of important functions - this is his job. Controls the car, turns on and off various functional devices - windshield wiper blades, direction indicators, side lights, high and low beam toggle switches.
Constantly changes gears if the car has a manual gearbox. And if at this time a shock of static electricity occurs, then from surprise it may well not be able to cope with control. With all the ensuing consequences.
The main causes of electric shocks from the car body
There are several options for storing charge on the driver or on the car. Let us say right away that the version popular on the Internet that the charge is gained from air friction on the car body is false. This theory states that the dirtier your car, the more static charge it will pick up as you drive. Most likely, the myth was invented by some car wash owner, since the degree of contamination of the car does not in any way affect the build-up of static charge.
The real reasons that can cause such a charge to accumulate and subsequently be released onto your fingers are quite simple. And it won’t be difficult to eliminate them either. Typically, car owners face the following problems in this case:
- the driver's clothes rub against synthetic covers, a static charge appears on the driver;
- the electrical system in the car is faulty, there are breakdowns in the body that cause static current discharges;
- there is no discharge of static energy using antistatic tapes and other tools.
How to properly install an antistatic device in a car?
The first option for protecting against electric shock in a car is a regular antistatic agent that needs to be sprayed on the seats and clothing. By doing this, you will reduce the likelihood of charge accumulating directly on the driver or passengers. If this does not help, you should move on to the next steps.
It would also be a good idea to check the car's electrical system. A charge can be given to the engine by faulty spark plugs, which spark directly onto the engine body, as well as broken high-voltage wires. It is worth keeping the engine itself clean, because the charge can be transferred through a layer of adhering liquid. But the main method of getting rid of static shock in a car is to organize the following protection options:
- special antistatic tapes to remove static charge from the body;
- for large cars with an increased risk of fire or explosion, antistatic chains made of metal that conduct current well are used;
- sometimes a ground wire is used as an antistatic agent, which is attached with a terminal to the body, and the second edge is cut off, allowing the wires to drag along the ground.
Of course, the most convenient option is to use antistatic rubber strips, which are attached to the rear of the car and do not spoil the appearance. But their production requires expensive conductive rubber. This makes the cost of the tapes quite high, which is why there are a huge number of fakes on the market. To avoid such counterfeits, choose expensive rubber antistatic tapes from well-known manufacturers.
Many drivers buy rubber bands with wire inside. This way out of the situation helps to get rid of static charges only for a certain time, because the wire quickly rusts or oxidizes and ceases to perform its functions. It is also important that the tape is not screwed to the bumper, but rather to a metal part of the body. In this case, the paint at the fastening site must be stripped down to metal.
True, there are tips in the “life hack” style from Internet users, as in the following video:
What not to do
Before you start repairing, you need to familiarize yourself with what not to do.
Flipping the fork
Some people recommend turning the plug over when connecting equipment. However, this should not be done, as this will not solve the problem, and the machine will still electrocute when connected to a power source.
Rubber mat
If the washing machine is electrocuted, people decide to lay a rubberized mat under it. However, using such a floor mat will not help get rid of the problem.
Disabling the surge protector
Many experts advise turning off the power filter of the washing machine so that it does not direct an electric discharge to the metal body.
Grounding conductor
A common method of solving the problem is to place a grounding conductor to the radiator or riser. However, such grounding is considered dangerous, since it is unreliable and does not protect a person from electric shock.
Output of a separate PE wire
Some people decide to remove a separate ground wire from the panel, but this is contraindicated. To organize proper protection, you need to remove the three-wire wiring and connect a new socket to it to connect equipment.
Let's sum it up
You can remove the unpleasant effect of static current discharges from your car with your own hands, without spending a lot of time and money on it. It is important to ensure that the vehicle's electrical system is fully operational and then ensure that the accumulated energy is dissipated through antistatic tapes. To do this, you need to purchase high-quality devices that will actually discharge the charge, and not just drag along the asphalt behind the car.
By applying all the above tips, you can forget about the fact that the machine is electrocuted. Have you had similar situations in your life, and how did you solve a similar problem?
Electrical appliances
The car stalls while driving reasons
Some readers are probably interested in the question: what to do if an electrical discharge passes in close proximity to the vehicle’s electrical appliances. Despite the insignificant impact force, under unfavorable circumstances the devices may fail.
First of all, this applies to automotive devices. A sprayed aerosol increases air humidity, improves well-being and protects devices from accidental failure.
At first glance, the loss of a device is not as bad as the ignition of a flammable substance sprayed into the air. However, disruption of the correct operation of the vehicle device leads to unpleasant situations, including a possible loss of control over the vehicle.
