RE: Is it a short or is it static?

["LeDuc, Eugene A." <LeducEA@utrc.utc.com>]

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From: Quattro-owner
To: Quattro
Subject: Is it a short or is it static?
Date: Friday, September 29, 1995 12:48PM


> I'll have to check my 5ks in that area for possible damage too.
>  But I don't think that a wiring fault would manifest itself as giving a
> shock (when touching metal).  That is most likely static charge.  My 5ks
has
> cloth seats and now that the weather is cooler (dryer is the enabling
> factor) I get a GOOD ZAP getting out (not entering) this baby would draw 
an
> ARK !!!
>                Gene L

HMO..   At first I thought it was just static too, and my friend and
I would wait for the other to get out first (to absorb the shock) but
then it kept getting us both anyway.  It was bad enough that I would
see arks too and even bad enough that when I put my key in to lock
the door it shocked me so bad that I dropped my keys.  Could this
much of a shock come from just static electricity?

Cindi

I'll be the first to admit that the quantity of charge is some what ... 
awesome.  But I don't see how the battery could build up a charge on the 
surface (as static does) and also if there were a short to the metal from a 
12 v source it would draw current (a closed circuit)  It would not just 
"charge up" and there is the fact that the car is an isolated supply not 
referenced to earth so there would not be a closed circuit path through the 
battery when standing on the ground (earth) But hey it does light up my 
life!

Eugene A LeDuc HAYAH
United Technologies Research Center leducea@utrc.utc.com