Static Electricity

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EF MAX

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I am getting some serious static shocks when I get out of my A2.

Have tried discharge tags to the ground,, mounted on the suspension leg which seems to be steel.

Have tried different clothes/shoes etc.

Have tried holding on to the door whilst putting my feet on the ground, this works sometimes but not all of the time.

Have tried closing the door with the glass but still if I forget and touch the car I get a shock..

I have never had this problem before and now I am getting scared to touch the car when I get out.

Looking for some help please..
 
hmmm I think it depends on the person... one of my friends get shocked by my car every time he gets in or out, whereas I only get shocked if I wear a very specific pair of shoes (that I thankfully wear very infrequently)...

So maybe YOU need a de-charging or de-stressing session!? :D

____________________________________________________________________________________
[img=left]http://image1ex.villagephotos.com/180225.jpg[/img=left]
2001 A2 TDI SE Crystal Blue with Open Sky, 6CD Symphony II, BOSE upgrade, DIS and HALF a winterpack!

iPAQ 3970 with Sat-Nav sleeve, rear cupholders, luggage net and floppy wiper!

http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/uk23.htm
 
With me it's definitely a specific pair of boots I wear with rubber soles. I get one hell of a charge, but if don't happen to touch any grounded objects on my out of/from the car the next object 'gets it'. Last night it was my cat's nose as she came to welcome me! [:0]

sig_ade.jpg
 
I agree - it depends on the footwear. Rubber soles on the carpet create the energy. Try different shoes to idebtify the cause. If your hair starts to rise when you're driving then I'd worry.

Could be worse you could have a puncture and have to wait a week for a tyre!

Regards - The Foghorn

2001 TDI SE Atantic Blue, Open Sky, 16" 6 spoke alloys, Satellite cloth & space box system. The "Dogs Twitchers"
 
Both my husband and I have the problem always with our A2. It doesn't seem to matter which shoes we have on ( and as a woman I have enough pairs to try out !). We have never had this problem with previous cars. Somebody told us that it could be the foot mats...as they are rubber ???


Michelle&Thomas
from Ireland & Germany
1.6 FSI
http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/europe16.htm
 
quote:Originally posted by thomas

Somebody told us that it could be the foot mats...as they are rubber ???
Click to expand...

... or perhaps that the entire car is aluminium and thus carries electricity differently... Maybe we should speak to Audi A8 drivers too?!

____________________________________________________________________________________
[img=left]http://image1ex.villagephotos.com/180225.jpg[/img=left]
2001 A2 TDI SE Crystal Blue with Open Sky, 6CD Symphony II, BOSE upgrade, DIS and HALF a winterpack!

iPAQ 3970 with Sat-Nav sleeve, rear cupholders, luggage net and floppy wiper!

http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/uk23.htm
 
I have the same problem. I think - as mentioned earlier - it's down to the clothes and particularly the sort of shoes you're wearing. My dad has an A8 but I don't seem to get a shock from it. Perhaps it just likes me more than the A2 does [:p]. There will undoubtedly be a difference between leather/material interior and carpet/rubber mats as well. The more friction created, the more likely you are to get zapped.

P.S. Something to amuse your kids with (or yourself) is to rub your shoes against a carpet and watch as your hair starts to stand up from all the static charge
 
If my hair starts to stand on end I would be very worried as it gets cut every 10 days to keep it very short.

The car has leather seats and rubber/wool carpets. I often wear either leather soled shoes or training shoes.. any excuse for a new wardrobe..
 
I get it worse in the A4. I have a particularly synthetic waffle fleece which sheds light 'fluff' at the best of times. In the A4 with my rubber bottomed boots on I find the seatbelt gets covered in fur. When I get out it is smothered so much I can almost shave it! It's definitely the boots for me. Same clothes and different shoes and I don't get the problem.

sig_ade.jpg
 
You know what they say - first the pleasure then the pain! Ouch the little beast has a big bite, has anyone felt the wings after a long run on a cold crisp day? They are positively crackling with static.

Andrew - 2003 1.4 TDI Silver Climate
 
My other half has the problem with the A2's static but I don't :)

I suppose I should get out the car first sometimes....

Lee and Sheridan,
TDI SE, Build 11/01, Dolphin Grey,
50% Brighter Bulbs : Original Audi 6 CD Changer (Fitted in proper location by me) : Rear drinks holder : Floppy Wiper : Centre Tray - Nearly : Elasticated Belt System - Nearly.
http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/uk18.htm
 
As this is occuring for many poeple, maybe it's the either the seat material or the carpets ? As this never used to happen to me in my last car. Maybe the carpets are made fom Nylon or something ?




2002 TDI SE - Silver - Open Sky System
 
EF MAX,

I too get bad electrical shocks from my A2. My other half, who also has an A2, (very twee) doesn't seem to suffer nearly as badly. We both run the cars with CC on all year round, but it definitely seems to have got worse over the past month.

When I lived in Canada, during the winter, you got used to being zapped, both in the house and car. To avoid being zapped directly, I used to hold onto the key, then touch it on the door catch plate, used by the lock, which is attached to the chassis, then step out. You still got a shock, but it didn't hurt as much. :D

However, as the A2 has electronics in the fob, I'm not sure about how easy it could be to zap the components.

I have rubber mats in the car (ooer!) rather than carpet, as does the other half.

BTW I assume you are in the Reading area, did you get your car from Aston Green Audi?

Cheers,
Paul.
 
Most of the times its dry air that allows a build up of statical electricity. The dry air acts as an isolator so that the car can build up a nice charge. One of the things that can shed the charge is an antenna. Since the charge on the antenna is the same but the size is smaller this means that the intensity is a lot higher. So that the charge can be shed even in dry air. Airplanes have tiny antennas that point backwards to shed static buildup.

I'm convinced it's the car building up static not the driver in the car. The car is isolated on rubber tires and has a flow of air around it. This can cause static to build up.

Some cars have those things on the rearbumper that touch the ground to reduce car sickness. One of the side-effects (or perhaps the main reason) is that it also creates a way to shed off the electricity.

I don't have a problem with it, I used to have it sometimes with my old steel vauxhall but only on really dry days. Maybe the people who have this problem can try to attach such a thing to the car. It doesn't have to be in sight in the rearbumper, somewhere centrally under the car will also work.

Static surely always freaks me out...


Dennis de Held

Amulet Red 1.4 Tdi
 
I can't think of any friction that would charge the driver.. With me it used to be the car, touching the car would result in a shock, touchinh anything else wouldn't. Sometimes I even drew a small spark...

My A2 is equipped with a rather large pointy antenna.... and I don't experience any shocks (besides taxes). That fit's into my theory quite nicely.. but it's still just a theory...


Dennis de Held

Amulet Red 1.4 Tdi
 
quote:Originally posted by psampson

BTW I assume you are in the Reading area, did you get your car from Aston Green Audi?

Cheers,
Paul.
Click to expand...

You have to be joking,, they didn't really see me as a serious potential customer so I took my business elsewhere,, saved myself an absolute mint,, got all the toys that I wanted and all for £16.1K
 
This is interesting!!
I get loads of shocks also,it really gets up my nose ( well, only the ends of my fingers actually ) I never know when it's going to zap me, and I get it whatever I touch, ie rubber or bodywork. If I remember in time, I close the car door via the end of a water bottle. Sometimes if the car does'nt get me the garage door handle does!!! I've had shocks from other cars as well. Mind you it never ceases to raise a colourful expletive!
Regards JohnW. Electric 2002 TDI SE.
 
I shave my head so you don't notice my hair standing on end!.

I get shocks too-bad in the A2-awful in the Corolla. I have a new pair of POD trainer type shoes which have dropped the shock a great deal-my POD work shoes give me a shock of my life.

Now I hold onto the car when I step out and that does the trick for me.

The worst bit for shocks is when I push myself out of the car, if my hand is near the headrest metal prongs that go into the top of the seat-woooooooooooo pain!.

Steve - 2002 1.4SE petrol, Silver, black/black interior, Then an identical replacement 2003 A2. Now a Toyota Corolla 1.6 T-Spirit
 
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