Gotta remember to ground myself before I touch the pump handle

[XJ Dreamin']

Funny thing with my '97 ZJ (as everyone knows from my avatar, my '93 XJ was killed last November)...

There is so much plastic moulding inside the ZJ that I am completely insulated from any conductive components. I can get as far out of the rig as having both feet on the ground, reach to close my door and get a nasty little "pop" off of the door's outer skin. I'm remembering a study of gas station camera footage that showed pump fires were most commonly caused by static sparks from people who sat in their car during fueling. That is not my habit, even in winter, so there is not much chance of me sparking a fire. It's just that I've never had a vehicle before that was so completely insulated. The humidity has to be down around 30% or 40% to get a good spark, but lately I've learned to grab the A-pillar on my way out. That way the gap is at my boots, instead of my fingers. My right-hand birdie-finger was gettin' mighty tired of being zapped all the time.

[XJ_Vikings]

deffinatly not a bad habit to get into, you dont want to ruin your clothes by incinerating them.

[XJ Dreamin']

deffinatly not a bad habit to get into, you dont want to ruin your clothes by incinerating them.

Yeah, I would pop the door handle (plastic), use the armrest (plastic) to get out, and then as I walk away reach back with my right hand to throw the door closed - zap!

Now that I think about it, if I was all that insulated from the body, the A-pillar should shock me as well. The difference is that I'm not standing on the ground at that point. I seem to be grounding the vehicle when I get a foot on the ground. It's not a potential between me and the rig, it's that I become the conductor between the rig and the ground. Grabbing the A-pillar on the way out puts the spark gap at my boot sole, instead of my finger.

So, I'm not insulated from the rig - the rig is insulated from the ground. But then, why has no other vehicle ever shocked me like this one? Weird.

[Jeff in VA]

I have a Ford Escort (my DD) that zaps me when the weather gets colder and the humidity drops. It sucks. It's much closer to the ground than the MJ, so I keep one hand on the door rocker panel and "push" my way up out of it when I get out.

Either keep one hand on something metal, or use your key to complete the circuit (touch it against the door before you close it).

Jeff

[RichP]

So, I'm not insulated from the rig - the rig is insulated from the ground. But then, why has no other vehicle ever shocked me like this one? Weird.

Must be your electric personality :D

[bjoehandley]

Maybe you should consider a job with one of the local railroads, you'd make of one hell of a conductor.

[Speed_racer]

*Drum roll please*

*buh* *dum* *chih*

Nice, bjoe, nice. lol

[UNCC_99XJ]

*Drum roll please*

*buh* *dum* *chih*

Nice, bjoe, nice. lol

LOL!!!:roflmao:

Aint it fun gettin zapped in the winter? Doesn't happen as much when I drive my Jeep, but anytime I get out of the KJ man do I get a nice little wake up zap.

[Ray H]

As soon as you touch the pump handle you will harmlessly discharge any static you may be harboring, and there shouldnt be enough fumes at that point to do any harm because you havent started pumping yet.
The problem starts when/if you get back in your Jeep and then back out while the pump is pumping fuel, and then grab the handle while fuel is flowing or shortly after. Thats when people blowup.
Simple solution is to not get back in your vehicle until you are finished pumping gas, which is a good practice anyway.

Remember those strips you used to bolt under your bumper that grounded your car? They use them on industrial equipment also. Maybe you need one of those.

[Begster]

For a good period of time, I kept getting shocked when getting out of my XJ, no matter where I was. Everytime I would brace for it as I went to grab my door, cause I knew it was iminent. I kept getting mad but I didn't bother to think about any alternative ways of getting out. If that starts happening again, I'll start grabbing the A-Pillar as I get out then.

[Ray H]

For a good period of time, I kept getting shocked when getting out of my XJ, no matter where I was. Everytime I would brace for it as I went to grab my door, cause I knew it was iminent. I kept getting mad but I didn't bother to think about any alternative ways of getting out. If that starts happening again, I'll start grabbing the A-Pillar as I get out then.

You guys must be super young.
As you get older, getting shocked will become the least painful thing about getting out of a vehicle.

[bjoehandley]

*Drum roll please*

*buh* *dum* *chih*

Nice, bjoe, nice. lol

Thanks, I know there was a railroad joke in there somewhere:looney:

[XJ Dreamin']

As soon as you touch the pump handle you will harmlessly discharge any static you may be harboring, and there shouldnt be enough fumes at that point to do any harm because you havent started pumping yet.
The problem starts when/if you get back in your Jeep and then back out while the pump is pumping fuel, and then grab the handle while fuel is flowing or shortly after. Thats when people blowup.
Simple solution is to not get back in your vehicle until you are finished pumping gas, which is a good practice anyway.

Remember those strips you used to bolt under your bumper that grounded your car? They use them on industrial equipment also. Maybe you need one of those.

Yeah, no threat before pumping, and I don't leave the hose unattended so it's no threat during pumping. It's just funny that the ZJ is the only vehicle that's ever done this to me.

Not that a car has never shocked me. I took a direct shot from the coil on a friend's '70's Ford stationwagon. That felt good. My whole arm ached for a couple of hours after that one. And then the time I forgot to disconnect the battery before removing the alternator. I disconnected the leads from the back of the alternator and then started wrenching on the hinge bolt when the batt lead fell between my finger and the wrench. It made a perfect, full circle donut-shaped blister.