Does antistatic on a car help or not? The car is electrocuted, the reasons and how to eliminate them. Antistatic agents for cars. What danger lurks for a car and a person from a minimal discharge of electric current?

Quite often, motorists are faced with a situation where, when touching a car, they feel a fairly noticeable electric shock. It, of course, does not harm human health, but this feeling light blow or cramps are not at all pleasant. After such situations begin to become frequent, most drivers will be puzzled by questions - why is this happening and how to get rid of this problem.

Static electricity

Static electricity is a set of phenomena involving the accumulation and subsequent relaxation of electrical charges on various surfaces in dielectrics and insulated wires. The accumulation of static electricity can occur both on the human body and on his clothing (woolen or synthetic). We have all seen how hair becomes electrified and rises up; almost all of us, as children, showed a friend the sparks from synthetic fabrics that are visible in the dark. Many people remember simple experiments on static electricity in physics lessons.

Static electricity is generated by normal friction of clothing fabrics and seat upholstery, but on a car it accumulates during movement from the friction of air and dust particles on the metal body. This process inevitable.

The discharge of such electricity will be felt by a person as a sudden light prick or tingling. It is completely harmless to humans, but can cause a reflexive withdrawal of the hand and slight fear. Unfortunately, flick may lead to an accident, which is highly undesirable.

If such a discharge occurs in dark time days, it is quite possible to see a small spark, and this phenomenon can be completely unsafe. Particular care should be taken in case of frequent static shocks on the car at gas stations or when transporting lightly. There are no clear statistics on accidents in this area, but the danger clearly exists. It was precisely in order to avoid such problems that an antistatic agent for the car was invented.

Antistatic

Household antistatic agents are liquid, chemical composition which allows you to completely neutralize static electricity on various fabrics - both on clothing and on car seat upholstery. Such compositions are most often produced in the form of sprays. Before a trip, you can apply such a liquid and not worry about the accumulation of static electricity on your clothes due to friction. Sprays can also be used to treat the “torpedo” in a car to avoid excess dust accumulation.

Automotive antistatic agent

Things are completely different with cars. Treating the seats with a regular antistatic agent will not be enough. For these purposes, a special automobile antistatic agent or grounding electrode was invented.

Automotive antistatic is a special rubber strip with an insert made of a metal conductor placed inside it. This device allows you to remove static electricity from the car body using grounding, which is provided by the metal core. Outwardly, it is an ordinary rubber band or a beautiful special keychain.

Reasons why you should install a ground electrode:

the vehicle does not shock its owner and passengers;
refueling will be safe;
much less dust accumulates.

Rules for installing antistatic agents

Buy this device You can find it in almost any car store. They may have various sizes and slightly different in design. Before buying a ground electrode, it is necessary to take measurements - we will need information about the distance from the installation point to the ground + a margin of a few centimeters for friction on the ground.

The installation process itself presents absolutely no difficulties. This can be done in several ways.

at the back as it is made of plastic. We place antistatic agent on the bolt between the bumper and the body. Then we treat the area with an anti-corrosion compound and put the bumper in place.
If you don’t want to remove the bumper, you can bend the mounting plate on the rubber strip, unscrew the bumper mounting nut and insert it into the plastic recess for the bolt. Then put the washer back on and tighten the nut. When using this method, the nut and washer must be cleaned, and the bolt must be wiped with solvent.

With any type of fastening, it is important to remember that the automotive antistatic agent must be attached directly to

When driving, the car body accumulates static electricity. This electricity attracts small dust particles to the car. Also, no matter how strange it may sound, static electricity causes fatigue in car passengers (a person is a kind of dipole that negatively perceives the electrostatic field).

If you do not want to be shocked when leaving the car, first grab the metal part of the door and only then (without releasing the door) step on the ground. This is the only solution to the problem! No car antistatic agents will help here.

Automotive antistatic agent is sold in almost any store. I bought mine for 30 rubles. The antistatic agent is a rubber band with a metal wire inside. This wire conducts static electricity into the ground. The antistatic agent should be attached to any metal part of the car body. Automotive antistatic decals come in different lengths. Therefore, before purchasing, you should find a place to attach the antistatic tape and estimate its length (the tape should touch the ground).

Almost everyone thinks that a car antistatic agent will eliminate the problem of electric shocks, but this is not true (although the store will tell you that by installing an antistatic agent, you will not be shocked). Antistatic agents remove accumulated electricity from the car body, but not from you.

Electric shocks occur because you have a different potential from the car, and not because the car is electrified (you are the one who is highly electrified). Try to go out barefoot, not in slippers or boots. In this case, you should not be shocked (all your charge will go into the ground).

Conclusion

Automotive antistatic does its job perfectly. It removes static electricity from the car body. Car antistatic does not protect against electric shock.

Sometimes a spark would pierce a two-centimeter layer of air between me and the body of my car. And to penetrate 1 centimeter of air, a voltage of 30,000 volts is required! That is, every time I was shocked by only some 60,000 Volts.

Many drivers have encountered the problem of an unexpected “charge of energy” from the car when leaving and touching the door. Palms and fingers receive unpleasant charges of static current, which accumulates on the driver himself or on the car. This problem causes certain inconvenience, because it is impossible to avoid touching the body when closing the doors. Sometimes drivers simply start closing the door with their body or even their feet, which can cause unpleasant consequences for paint coating.

It is worth considering the most popular reasons why a car is electrocuted, and how you can deal with such unpleasant situation. Often, the car owner is able to remove this effect on his own, without contacting a service station with a request to diagnose or repair electrical equipment.

The main causes of electric shocks from the car body

There are several options for storing charge on the driver or on the car. Let us say right away that the version popular on the Internet that the charge is gained from air friction on the car body is false. This theory states that the dirtier your car, the more static charge it will pick up as you drive. Most likely, the myth was invented by some car wash owner, since the degree of contamination of the car does not in any way affect the build-up of static charge.

The real reasons that can cause such a charge to accumulate and subsequently be released onto your fingers are quite simple. And it won’t be difficult to eliminate them either. Typically, car owners encounter in this case with the following problems:

the driver's clothes rub against synthetic covers, a static charge appears on the driver;
the electrical system in the car is faulty, there are breakdowns in the body that cause static current discharges;
there is no discharge of static energy using antistatic tapes and other tools.

Even if the covers in your car are not synthetic, the clothes are made of natural materials, and the car’s electrical system is fully operational, a build-up of static charge is possible for other reasons. Even wheel rotation and contact brake discs with the pads create a certain charge. So it is necessary to ensure that the car has a certain discharge path.

Any car must be equipped with an antistatic agent. Specialized specialists face special requirements for this type of protection against charge accumulation. cargo vehicles, which transports explosive substances. But such protection will not hurt a civilian car either.

How to properly install an antistatic device in a car?

The first option for protecting against electric shock in a car is common remedy antistatic agent that needs to be sprayed on seats and clothing. By doing this, you will reduce the likelihood of charge accumulating directly on the driver or passengers. If this does not help, you should move on to the next steps.

It would also be a good idea to check the car's electrical system. The charge can be given to the engine faulty spark plugs, which spark directly onto the engine housing, as well as punctured high voltage wires. It is worth keeping the engine itself clean, because the charge can be transferred through a layer of adhering liquid. But the main method of getting rid of static shock in a car is to organize the following protection options:

special antistatic tapes to remove static charge from the body;
For large cars With increased danger in case of fire or explosion, use antistatic metal circuits that conduct current well;
sometimes a ground wire is used as an antistatic agent, which is attached with a terminal to the body, and the second edge is cut off, allowing the wires to drag along the ground.

Of course, the most convenient option is to use antistatic rubber bands that are attached to the rear of the car and do not damage appearance. But their production requires expensive conductive rubber. This makes the cost of the tapes quite high, which is why there are a huge number of fakes on the market. To avoid such fakes, choose expensive rubber antistatic tapes famous manufacturers.

Many drivers buy rubber bands with wire inside. This way out of the situation helps to get rid of static charges only for a certain time, because the wire quickly rusts or oxidizes and ceases to perform its functions. It is also important that the tape is not screwed to the bumper, but rather to a metal part of the body. In this case, the paint at the fastening site must be stripped down to metal.

True, there are tips in the “life hack” style from Internet users, as in the following video:

Let's sum it up

You can remove the unpleasant effect of static current discharges from your car with your own hands, without spending a lot of time and money on it. It is important to ensure full functionality electrical system car, and then ensure the removal of accumulated energy through antistatic tapes. To do this, you need to purchase high-quality devices that will actually discharge the charge, and not just drag along the asphalt behind the car.

By applying all the above tips, you can forget about the fact that the machine is electrocuted. Have you ever encountered similar situations in your life, and how did you solve them? similar problem?

An antistatic grounding conductor is a special strip of electrically conductive rubber, inside of which there is a metal conductor. Antistatic agents are specifically designed to “remove” the electrical charge that accumulates on the car body and causes discomfort in the form of tingling when touching the door.

Surely, many drivers have encountered such a problem when the car is electrocuted. As soon as you get out of the car, an electric charge hits your hand while closing the door. The feeling is not pleasant. You shouldn’t be upset in advance, because solving this problem is very simple - install an antistatic grounding device.

What is an antistatic agent?

An antistatic agent intended for a car is a special strip made of electrically conductive rubber. Essentially, it is a small rubber band with a metal conductor inside. Automotive antistatic agents are used to “remove” the electrostatic charge that accumulates on the car body. This charge occurs over time on each car as a result of the movement of air masses and dust flows. Surely, any driver remembers that he needs to purchase an antistatic grounding device when he experiences a slight tingling sensation at the moment of closing the door.

How can static electricity be dangerous?

It is worth noting that the cause of static electricity is the difference between positive and negative charges between two objects. Due to the formation of a discharge, a spark may occur. The process, invisible to the eye, is actually very unpleasant for the human body, causing irritation and discomfort.

When a person touches a body that is charged with an electric discharge, the discharge comes out through the anguish of contact, that is, through the person. It cannot be said that the magnitude of the current is so great as to cause injury. But the passage of current causes discomfort and reflex movements, which in turn can lead to an accident depending on the situation.

Vehicles transporting flammable liquids accumulate an electrostatic charge, which is formed as a result of the constant flow of substances inside the tank. If the charge reaches sufficient strength, a spark may occur that will ignite the liquid. That is why antistatic grounding conductors must be installed on all vehicles transporting flammable substances.

What else is antistatic useful for?

Antistatic, which provides not only comfort, but also safety, copes well with the task, reducing static electricity in plastics, rubber, and chemical fibers. Such an inexpensive and simple thing as an antistatic agent will help solve many problems for the driver:

The car will not shock the driver.
Complete safety when refueling your car.
Static electricity attracts fine dust. Therefore, when using an antistatic agent, the car will become less dusty.

How to choose an antistatic agent?

It is very easy to select antistatic agents, presented in a large assortment in the AvtoALL online store. The main thing is to take into account when choosing that rubber strips differ in length, which you should pay attention to.

How to secure?

Typically, antistatic agents are attached to the rear of the vehicle. One end is attached directly to the body itself, using a reliable bolted connection. It is important that the metal tip has good contact with a car body. The antistatic agent must be long enough to touch the ground even when the vehicle is not loaded. Thus, the electric charge, passing through the antistatic agent, will flow into the ground without accumulating on the car body.