Re: Static shocks

[Burl Vibert <bvibert@mercury.kosone.com>]

>> Now that the dryer weather is starting here in the UK, I have started
>> getting static shocks off my car.  Whenever I get out, I get a shock
>> off the door and sometimes it makes quite a crack, followed by a yelp
>> from me.
>
>> On previous cars I have tried the rubber strip underneath but these
>> never seemed to work.
>> Any ideas how I can stop this ?
>
>I actually tried that "rubber strip" underneath the car (with lotza 
>people rolling down the windows telling me something is hanging down from 
>me car). But you do know that it's just not only a rubber strip? It's the 
>conductive metal wires inside them that makes the whole darn thing work.
>
>First, check the tires. Honda has official notes regarding some tires 
>that lack in something or other that would retard the conductiveness of 
>electricity of tires. I also found those cheap tires (especially OEMs) 
>have tendency to make a car statically charged. Solution here is get a 
>better set of tires (preferably something at least HR).
>


The tires Honda is referring to have a silica based tread compound rather
than Carbon, I believe they are Michelins. Because carbon is a much better
conductor of electricity  than silica, it discharges the static charge
faster. Apparently toll operators and drivers were getting zapped all the time.
As for getting better tires, generally high performance tires have a lower
percentage of carbon, so they may conduct worse. There are probably soon
going to be high performance tires with silica based tread.(I think that
there may be some already) They are supposedly a good rain tire.
 
OEM tires aren't cheap, they are probably the best tire for your car as they
were tuned for your car. If you want a "better" tire, that choice would
depend how you define better. Although I agree there are some dogs out there. 
It does seem like somehow Audi's give more shocks than other cars, BTW my
Coupe is worse  for shocks than my 5000?

Burl Vibert
83 Coupe 
87 5000CSTq