Static Discharge

No, it has nothing to do with the electronics, HV battery, or any of the hybrid system. Static build up is a result of moving through the air. Depending on the tires and other conductive paths, some cars discharge this better than others. My Hondas were always very bad in this area.

Tom

 

Sliding one's butt across that microfiber can build up a *lot*
of voltage. Heed the warnings about this at the gas pump...
.
_H*

 

Cold dry air makes it more likely that the charge will build up on the car or on you. As Tom said, it has nothing to do with the electronics in the car. It has more to do with relative humidity, the type of tires on your car and the interaction of the fabric on your seat and the pants you are wearing. (You are wearing pants, correct?)

 

Ditto dogfriend.

Static discharge makes it important to stay at the pump when refueling. Do not start the pump, get into the car, and return to the pump, or you risk this:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3x-8tj49ac]YouTube - Gas Pump Fire[/ame]

And, yeah, I got zapped a lot on dry days until I learned to grasp the door frame before starting to slide out.

 

Those gas station videos are classic. An uncle of mine was a private pilot, and at a young age I learned to discharge myself and my vehicle by touching the - hopefully - grounded pump, before opening the cap and removing the nozzle

I also get a zap from my FJ too: no less or no worse than off my Prius

 

BTW if the gas vapor should ever ignite on you, never EVER try to yank the nozzle out! EVER!

By law, every pump island is supposed to have a Panic Button. This kills power to the pumps. There is also a panic button inside near the till. If you can't readily find the panic button, run inside and tell the cashier to kill the power

 

She would have been ok if she had shut the door and discharged the electricity at that point, correct?

 

Probably so. Sliding off the seat created a charge separation, and thus a voltage difference, between her body and the car. Touching exposed metal on the car far from the pump nozzle and its vapors should have prevented the problem. But finding unpainted metal between the door and the fuel pipe may not be easy, and a discharge through painted metal may not be complete.

 

She was fiddling with her jersey. That didn't help. She did have the sense to shut off the hose. Could've been nasty

 

I'm glad you brought it up first. What a nice jersey! Although it did seem uncomfortably tight on her ....

 

Another ditto on the sliding fabric interaction between clothing and seat, and that it varies with weather. There is also a difference with footwear, my Teva sandals preserving a strong charge while other shoes bleed it off better.

I don't even have a Prius yet. A long-departed Ford with relatively little electronics was my worst zapper.

 

So, we can all agree that cute but tight wool jersey's are a bad idea? But also a *good* idea?

 

She should have taken it off before refueling. It's always safest to refuel in the nude, especially if you are an attractive female.

Tom

 

I propose we draft that as a new law. Might be a wee bit uncomfortable in cool weather. I can only imagine the conversations at the gas pump ...

"Is it cold outside, or are you happy to see me?"

 

You know...be careful what you wish for. Where I live...that may not be such a good idea. The percentages for a positive outcome are fairly low in my neck of the woods. Now So-Cal or Arizona might be another story!

And back on topic here...i got zapped a couple of times today...I was pissed the second time and thought about what might be happening for a split second. But it has been very dry here over the last couple of days.

 

When I've been drinking, I *never* think about what might be happening!

 

I don't recall ever being zapped in my Prius.

Could be that during the 2 odd years I've owned my Prius I've always worn cotton pants, sneakers or flip flops (except for the occasional wedding or funeral), I have a sheepskin cover on my driver's seat and/or my memory stinks.

 

I have microfiber seats with no covers, and I get zapped every time. I touch the door with my elbow to dissipate the charge. It's pretty annoying.

Tom

 

I rarely get zapped by the Prius (leather seats), but used to get zapped regularly in the winter when getting out of the Toyota truck we used to own (cloth fake velour). With the truck, I would touch the tip of the key to the door frame to avoid getting zapped when I knew it was a bad static day.