As an EE I rather like electricity. I take it you are not a big fan of violet wands? This site has some nice violet wand photos (not work safe, but not terribly graphic either): http://home.earthlink.net/~violetwanda/wands.html Tom
My Prius III with cloth seats has the same problem: chronic static shock when exiting the car and touching the metal on the door. It has happened consistently and regularly. The service people at my local Toyota dealership say they aren't aware of the problem. I treated the fabric with spray fabric protector and have a theory that is the problem. Did you do that by any chance?
We test drove a Prius III with cloth seats before going with the V we bought (primarily due to the leather + heated seats). I can totally believe that the cloth creates a significant static charge from what I saw of it. Especially when the weather is dry. I also see an increase in static shocks I get when I wear my polartec-like fleece jacket.
We use a commercial anti-static spray for electronics areas. It should work better than fabric softener, but you will want to test it on your fabric first to make sure it is safe to use. Here is a link to a distributer: https://webvia.techni-tool.com/VIA/viaImagePageIndex.jsp?row=0&pgName=viaListProducts.jsp&searchText=anti^static^spray&modifier=SEARCH&reqTitle=TITLE_VIASEARCHRESULT&newWindow=Y Tom
The vapor collection system is supposed to have a flame arrestor to prevent explosion. Like how an acetylene torch doe Speak for yourself. Personally I find it quite .... tingling Oh yes yes yes YES that looks like naughty fun
Quick advice to avoid shocks while getting out of the car: keep a hand on the door frame (on a metal part of course) while you put your foot on the ground, remove your hand when you are out of the car.
Yea! maybe I can get my prius retrofitted with a key, in stead of the SKS ... for than once in a great while static issue. For me, it's not the Prius . . . it's those dang freezers at costco. Something about them that invariably zaps me. .
I agree 100% with Tom. (I'm also an Electronics Engineer.) Octavia, if I said something nasty about not liking electricity, my mother would wash my mouth out (or these days - my hands and keyboard) with soap and water. Keith
Another easy fix is to make sure your wife/husband/significant other, etc. gets out of your car first! Prius III w/ cloth seats, ScotchGuarded, and lots of static here too....
Don't get too excited. She's probably talking about touching the tip of her tongue to a 9V battery. Tom
We picked up our 2010 III on Sep 11th, before the cold dry snap of weather here in northwest Washington State, but it started right away shocking my wife. It didn't seem to make any difference what she wore nor whether she were driving or in the passenger seat. And it never shocked me. The dealer had no ideas but did suggest a static strip to drag. We added one but it didn't seem to help. She has tried wiping the seats with a Bounce clothes dryer sheet and also a static spray for slips, etc. Those do help but it doesn't last. She now will push the door closed with her coat covered elbow, which helps. Until she touches whatever the next piece of metal is & then she gets zapped. I have told her that she is just an electrifying woman.
She was lucky. Grabbing the nozzle and pulling it out of the tank filler neck while there is an ongoing flash fire is about the worse thing you can do. Obviously that nozzle had auto stopped or she would have been standing there holding a flame thrower. AS far as cell phone usage there is not one confirmed incident of a cell phone causing a static discharge and causing a fueling fire. http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/12/10/sparks_can_fly_at_the_pump/ Now, what about cellphones? During my last trip to the gas station I jotted down the warning about mobile phones. "FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE WARNINGS COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH," it read. "TURN OFF CELLPHONE AND OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES." Sounds fairly convincing, but it turns out that Massachusetts does not have a single law against using your cellphone at the pump. Here's an even bigger surprise: The fire marshal 's office says such warnings are unsubstantiated and can be ignored. "That is such an urban legend," said Jennifer Mieth, spokeswoman for the fire marshal's office. "I don't know how this took off. Our research is that although static electricity is a concern while fueling . . . the cellphone itself does not have the ability to create a spark. It's out there from a lot of people who should know better."
This is an easy one. Use Bounce sheets in your drier. You listed the main cause in your first post. Your sweaters are heavily charged. They probably shock you taking them out of the drier. If one sheet does not do it try 2 or 3 and use only Bounce brand not the store brand. I'm an Engineer too and if I don't use Bounce in my drier in the winter I can get blue arc's off my hands when I touch a rack.
