Yea... intermitantly when i go to lock my car at night time (the only time i can see it happen) my key will make a small spark when i touch it to the door lock.

What the hell? Grounding most likely but what? Where to look?

 

Install a stereo lately?

BTW, theres always static electricity stored in the car. If you don't discharge the car (you grounded, ground car), the static e- can stay within the car *isolated via tires.

This is sorta why pay toll clerks have grounding wrist bands, otherwise every person that hands them money would shock them.

 

How do i discharge the car? Also, that static electricity wouldnt be enough of a charge to mess with my stereo components, underdash lights right?

As a matter of fact i did have a stereo installed lately...

 

You discharge the car When you close the door, touch the metal someplace instead of just jumping out. You're supposed to do this whenever you goto the gas station to keep from starting a huge fire, same principal.

The static charge is built up by the frictional coefficient of the wind drag over/under the car (not the tires moving as some believe.) It builds up in A/C circuit, in that when you step outside, if you touch the metal door, you'll get a slight shock.

the reason that your car might not disapate the static like it should might be improper grounding (static e- (AC) is getting pumped into the car's e- system (DC) and causing small shorts-- the sparks you're seeing).

Basicaly whats happening is your car has a posetive charge when you go outside. You touch your key to the key cylinder and it sparks because the extra posetive charges move from the key cylinde/car (high psetive charge) through the key (neutral), into you (neutral or negative), and out through your shoes/feet/clothing, whatever[ground/negative], comleting the circuit).

Anyhow, its similiar to touching flourescent bulb (the tube type) when it is turned off. If you are charged, or the light is, you touching it will cause the light to illuminate for a split second, even thoug the power isn't turned on. (that little spark has almost nil amps, but MACHO volts, enough to illuminate that flourescent tube).

Its like how sparkplugs can run at 40,000 volts. Sparks are naturaly huge volts, but low amps. with exception to lightning which is just big, but porportional. Plasma causes some funky issues with that though.

Anyhow, what problems are you having with your dash lights? If they illuminate when the key sparks in the key clylinder, I'd say that the spark is somehow mixing with the car's e- system.

If the lights flicker when they should stay on: You've probably found the number one cause to the entire thread :P Improper grounding (for that matter, posetive on a negative in very small amounts-- its really about the same thing) will cause your key to spark when you put it in the key cylinder.


EDIT: $20 says improper stereo installation :P Honestly, even if you hookup a negative speaker wire to a posetive speaker lead (cross the terminals on the speaker-- you won't notice too much on sound quality) you will start getting some electrons that don't know where to go and will lose their place in the e- system of the car. double check your stereo installation, specificaly the grounds.

in the old audio days, speakers were grounded to a chasis ground, and their only lead was a posetive from the stereo (yup, one wire to a speaker-- really its a psuedo stereo mode, thats still very mono b/c of the grounds). Doing such a thing on todays stereo's (this is stereo dependant, not speakers) will cause more electrons to not know what to do.





ok bottom line: double check the stereo, especially the grounds.

 

also any other electronics that you might have installed and used the chasis as a ground point.

 

...You know theres a light in the door lock of the drivers door?


Sure it's not that and not a spark?

Sorry if this is a silly question and you already know this.

 

Theres a light in there? I never knew that... I don't remember seeing a light in the handle assembly when i had it out though :/

 

alarm switch too

 

The light is only on convertibles I believe...

 

My 91 coupe has a light too.

 

I think GXL's had it too, don't quote me on that though.

 

I want a light.... HAHA no I don't but it would be kinda rad.

 

Will do that today. Hell, while i have the car apart doing the fuel pump re-wire and checking the ecu ill just check grounds all over


I have these underdash lights wired into the stereo fuse at the CPU and grounded at both the drivers side and passengers side doors (one on each side). The only light that occasionally flickers while driving is the passenger side one, drivers is fine.

The real problem i am having is that i notice sometimes at night (and probobly during the day too, i just cant see) that the lights will just come on out of the blue. No key in ignition, doors shut, and migically "bling!" blue lights.... and then they'll turn off on their own too....

 

Gremlins!!! Gotta watch out for those guys...$50 says it is your underdash lights!!! Just run a fused line from the battery-to a switch- to the lights- to ground. Much better way to do it!!!

 

Those lights would be adding that much disturbance in the system? They're very small low voltage lights, they're actually a pair of those windsheild washer light i placed down there to give a very soft ambient glow.

 

my S4 GXL has the light in the keyhole too.

 

Plus if the lights are turning on by themselves, that means that the fuse to the stereo via the CPU is getting signal too, in turn giving the stereo a little juice. It would still be doing that if the lights weren't there, the lights just let me know its happening....

Or am i full of bs?

 

wait, when does the light turn on? i never noticed this on my s5 gxl.... anyone got pics?