GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

I know, weird subject, but I noticed almost everytime I get out of my '05 Vibe and touch the metal on the door to close it, I get one of those static electricity shocks. Does anyone else experience this? Just wondering if maybe I have a short or something. Hopefully, I'm not driving around in a lightning rod, I haven't driven in any electrical storms yet.

I always get shocks from my cars - all my cars. Must be me. I've got an electric personality.

Hello and Welcome to Genvibe! I have the same thing happen to me. I'm pretty sure its just like when you wear socks on a carpet and touch something you ground to it and ZAP! You build static electricity up in your body from the seat. When you get out and touch your door or anything else that's metal, the electricity discharges. It's also a good thing to touch metal on the outside of your car to discharge the static electricity before you fill up at the gas station. This has known to cause fires when filling the tank so it's said.

Quote, originally posted by Hava_Tampa74 »almost everytime I get out of my '05 Vibe and touch the metal on the door to close it, I get one of those static electricity shocks. Does anyone else experience this? I have an 03' and it happens all the time. its just your charged personality, thats what i tell myself anyway.

Thanks for the replies, at least I'm not alone. I feel better knowing that Vibe owners all over the globe are getting shocked when they get out of their cars.

The Vibe is by far the worst car for shocks that I have ever seen. I get zapped so hard you can hear the crackle. I try to remember to touch the metal with my arm first so it doesn't hurt as much as a finger tip. I'm going to try Static Guard spray. I have noticed that it is worse now than it was in the winter which is opposite of what you would expect.

Welcome, there is a very easy solution to this, it does not get rid of the static but it will not get you shocked. Hold on to a metal piece of the door before you get out and don't let go until your foot hits the ground. This happened to me all the time. I still forget sometimes to hold on but it does prevent you from getting shocked if you remember.

I agree my '03 Vibe is the worst shocker I have owned. Depends somewhat on what shoes you wear, but my Mazda had a slightly-conductive pad on the door grip that seemed to eliminate most shocks. If anyone finds an easy fix, I'm interested!

Fabric softener in the washer. Really. If I dont use this in the dark loads (the GF always does), we know it. Zzzzzappp!

I always use fabric softener. I'm still shocking.

Yes, I don't ever recall getting shocked so much with other cars, especially in dry weather. Sliding on the seat upholstery as you get out, and with all plastic on the door, it is easy to build up quite a charge.Once when I was in Arizona I went to buy gas, as I slid my credit card into the pump, got a bad shock on the pump, I think I killed the processor chip in the pump, got gibberish on the display and it would not work, reset or anything.

Same for me,no wonder why the vibe is so special,he can electrolyse.Maybe he don't want us to leave them,he want to be drivin for ever.

It's become a habit - touch the door metal with the back of my hand when getting out...

How many of you guys are running low profile tires? Sounds strange but the tires can make a difference. I haven't had this problem with my Vibe. However, my 97 Bonneville came with 225/60-16's from the factory. I upgraded to 245/45-17's and started getting shocked every time I got out of the car. Never had that problem with the old tires. Since then, I have talked to others who have had the same problem when they went to a lower profile tire. It probably also makes a difference as to who makes the tire, what the tire compound is, etc. Just thought I would add my experience with this.

>I don't know, I've had 4 sets of tires on my Vibe already and I still get shocked the same. I've always used the stock 16" size so far. And I always use fabric softner in every load of laundry (dryer sheets--I hate having to wait at the washer to add the liquid for the rinse cycle, I have better things to do than babysit the washer).I've got WeatherTech 100% rubber floormats in my Vibe and that may help a little. I noticed today that the shock I get from my Vibe is far less than the one from my g/f's RSX. The interior plastic seems to generate a lot of static in the Vibe. I can feel it lifting the hair on my forearms when I rest my arm on the window ledge on the driver door or on the center console armrest sometimes. I'll have to try the trick with holding on to the metal of the door until my foot touches the ground. But I think I've had this problem with every car that I've owned.

I too get shocked almost everytime I step out of my car.

Static builds up when your clothes slide across the seat fabric when you get out.Solution:Get a full leather seats including a suede floor and headliner....or you all can save time and money and just TOUGHEN UP

Quote, originally posted by Mase »...or you all can save time and money and just TOUGHEN UP I kinda like the shock. It wakes me up in the morning when I get to work.

i get some good zingers from my vibe, much more so than i did from my previous cars. It is worse in winter, i got some sparks that hurt even through my winter glovesi read recently that tires can cause static buildup. i have the eagle rsa's. i think the seat fabric is part of the cause though. it is worse in dry weather.i was planning to try static guard... i think it's worth a shot.

do those 'anti-static' strips they sell in the check out line at Autopart stores worth it? You know those rubber/metal stip things you attach to the underside of your car an it drags on the ground?i get the nasty shock too...more than any other car. it has come to the point now where i flinch pavlovian whenever i get out of ANY car!

welcome to genvibe!I don't get many shocks from the car, but I used to get them very bad at work until they changed the carpet to a less static prone brand.If the VIbe is more static prone than other vehicles, it could be the material in the interior. When I bought my 2003, there were two color choices for the interior, mine is the darker one. Is there any correlation between interior color and static shocking?

all the time especially in the warmer seasons

first of all... I dont get zapped too much in my vibe.That statics spray does not smell plesant at all.Allways "ground" yourself before fueling... Static is way worse than celphone use at the pump "MYTHBUSTERS"I had someone tell me once that tire compostion had an effect on static build up. Actually the static not being discharged by the tires so its not till you get out and and have a foot on the ground that you get zapped.

Damn, I tell my friend about this site after I go with him to purchase his vibe...and what does he do.... he starts a static electricity thread. I am soooo ashamed. LOL!!!! Damit it Nosaj!! YOU'RE Fired.