C350e: Received a shock from the door handle

[iRadiate]

Hi everyone.

My car is on charge and I wanted to go in to take a look at how much it's charged up. I've done this many times without incident but today I did it bare foot and received a shock to my hand when I touched the driver side door handle. Not a bad one but enough to make me want to put a pair of shoes on! I touched the handle a few times to make sure. I still have a slight tingle in my hand.

Anyone else had this ?
Anyone else wish to try it with their own car ?
Bare foot standing on a driveway.

 

[Dodgy]

That is not a documented feature.

 

[219]

Static electricity - happens with lots of vehicles .

Being barefoot , you grounded yourself , and in turn , the static charge , when you touched the vehicle .

 

[dozypillock]

Could It be slightly faulty charger?
Car is not earthed normally, as it has rubber tyres, so a difference in earth potential can exist. You come along and provide a link to earth via yourself.
I believe people have made their cars "live" before, to help prevent theft, as wiring the car to the mains should be possible, as long as car is not earthed. Suspect could be dodgy on wet rainy day though.

Neil

 

[Deleted member 113659]

In future touch the handle with the tip of your tongue to avoid further damage to your hand.

Ant.

 

[MercedesDriver]

Here is one of the solutions:




Or don't get near the car naked.

 

[219]

Could It be slightly faulty charger?
Car is not earthed normally, as it has rubber tyres, so a difference in earth potential can exist. You come along and provide a link to earth via yourself.
I believe people have made their cars "live" before, to help prevent theft, as wiring the car to the mains should be possible, as long as car is not earthed. Suspect could be dodgy on wet rainy day though.

Neil

Car bodies can charge up to quite a high potential ( several thousand Volts ) due to air friction , moving parts and other factors , all dependant on meteorological conditions .

People are normally isolated from ground by their footwear , so generally don't ground the charge , and never notice it .

Some people seem more susceptible than others , and for them there are these earthing straps one often sees hung under the back bumper to ground the charge .

It is nothing to do with the vehicle being electric .

 

[Will]

I thought cars grounded themselves through the tyres - they're not made of pure rubber, isn't there carbon or something in the compound for this reason?

I can't recall getting a shock of any car for years now - I would assume the OP's issue is fairly unique being a C350e compared to most 'self contained' petrol/diesel models.

 

[grober]

Why does my car door give me electric shocks?| Explore | physics.org

EXPLANATION

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AND WORSE

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[camerafodder]

Are you saying that received multiple shocks?

 

[dozypillock]

Are you saying that received multiple shocks?

He says "Not a bad one but enough to make me want to put a pair of shoes on! I touched the handle a few times to make sure. I still have a slight tingle in my hand."

I took that to mean more than just a static shock? ie the car is "live"

Neil

 

[camerafodder]

He says "Not a bad one but enough to make me want to put a pair of shoes on! I touched the handle a few times to make sure. I still have a slight tingle in my hand."

I took that to mean more than just a static shock? ie the car is "live"

Neil

Yes that is exactly what I took from the statement too. Hence my question for the OP to clarify as there are certain circumstances that can cause this condition with EV's/plug-in hybrids.

 

[grober]

Most likely explanation is a momentary static electricity discharge. Without further detailed knowledge of the circumstances impossible to say. Static charge builds up in dry air conditions- air containing water molecules tends to continuously discharge any build of charge- the OP had just left his house ?? = possible dry atmosphere+lots of man-made fibres= static build up.

 

[TheFoX]

Most likely explanation is a momentary static electricity discharge. Without further detailed knowledge of the circumstances impossible to say. Static charge builds up in dry air conditions- air containing water molecules tends to continuously discharge any build of charge- the OP had just left his house ?? = possible dry atmosphere+lots of man-made fibres= static build up.

That's all well and good, but why do I only get a shock from my Mercedes after I have had it serviced and get presented with a huge bill?



I've always found that Fords give me a shock, especially the Tasmin Blue they used to use. I wonder if the paint used had something to do with charging up.

 

[camerafodder]

Most likely explanation is a momentary static electricity discharge. Without further detailed knowledge of the circumstances impossible to say. Static charge builds up in dry air conditions- air containing water molecules tends to continuously discharge any build of charge- the OP had just left his house ?? = possible dry atmosphere+lots of man-made fibres= static build up.

Exactly, speculation is useless without the facts.

 

[iRadiate]

ok firstly apologies for the false alarm. Turns out it was my own fault.

Had an electrician friend take a quick look this morning before I went all nuts with Mercedes.
I noticed this morning that I only get the shock when I plug into a certain socket in my house. A different socket results in no shock; bare feet or no bare feet.

Seems the earth wire in the first socket wasn't fitted in properly and I was completing the circuit when I had no shoes on. He fixed that and now no more shocks. Guess I'm lucky I didn't kill myself.

Might get my house rewired just to be safe.

 

[grober]

If you still have a main fusebox as the ring main distribution centre best to get it replaced with a RCD Consumer Unit as per the latest edition of IEE Electrical Wiring Regulations
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Residual-current_device#United_Kingdom

 

[iRadiate]

yup already have that. Think it was a requirement for having the charge point installed. That installation takes place next week after which I'll never have to plug the charging cable into a socket in the house again.

 

[GordonTarling]

You really ought to get the whole house tested by a competent electrical contractor - you just don't have any inkling of what other faults could be hiding.

 

[CaptainChaos]

My car is on charge and I wanted to go in to take a look at how much it's charged up.

Sounds like the safest way might be via the App, or Mercedes Me website.

Very apt username by the way!