Pretty much every time i touch the ouside metal of the door to close it when I get out of the car it shocks me! I even saw a spark at night once. It is quite painfull. What could be causing this??

 

http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/static.html

??

 

When I first got my car, I also have the same experience but aft a while (few months later) no more already... Guess, only new car will have this effect... enjoy it while u can... hehehe :p

 

Humidity (or lack thereof) is a big factor. So are cloth seats. The drier it is, the more likely that you will build up a static charge as you slide across the cloth upholstrey. This is why it is so very important to touch a metal portion of the car body to discharge any static charge before refueling the car.

 

maybe its the Mini Gods, Mini-Smiting you.

Drive Hard, please the Gods

 

Do you have a particular article of clothing you wear generally when this happens? You say it happens when you get out of the car, but don't mention getting in. I suspect static electricity is being generated from the friction between the seat and what you are wearing, which then discharges when you touch the door.

 

You might as well get used to it... Mine's an '03 and I get shocked almost everytime I get in or out. Winter is extremely bad... If you want to dull the effect of the shock, touch the back of your wrist on the edge of the door as you get out. That seems to help lower the intensity of the shock for me anyways. And yes, I too have seen the lightning bolt shoot out of my finger tip

 

+1...and it REALLY hurts! I just like to think my Mini is very attracted to me. Or she is a closet dominatrix.

 

cloth seats! Everytime I get shock, it was a cloth seats car.

 

Which is why I gently close the door by the back edge of the window.

 

Elbows work too--far fewer pain-sensing nerves back there.

 

True. But I'm 6'7". The elbow is nowhere near the door.