Felt electric shock

I have a leaf 2013 S. It was delivered late Feb this year. For the time I have been driving it, I love it. However, I felt electric shock today which makes think it might not be safe.

My car was charging at home (120V) when this happened. I have about 75 miles left on it. I first felt it after I opened the rear door on the driver side. I happen to touch the black rubber that circles the door frame (on the vehicle, not on the door). I touched the spot several times and felt electric shocks each time. The second time I felt it is when I touched the metal underneath the driver seat. It was much stronger. So I stopped messing around the car after this.

I am waiting for my husband to get home and get a multimeter to test it. Has anyone experience this before? I think I need to take it back to the dealer for them to take a look at the battery. Please comment! thanks!

babar said:

I have a leaf 2013 S. It was delivered late Feb this year. For the time I have been driving it, I love it. However, I felt electric shock today which makes think it might not be safe.

My car was charging at home (120V) when this happened. I have about 75 miles left on it. I first felt it after I opened the rear door on the driver side. I happen to touch the black rubber that circles the door frame (on the vehicle, not on the door). I touched the spot several times and felt electric shocks each time. The second time I felt it is when I touched the metal underneath the driver seat. It was much stronger. So I stopped messing around the car after this.

I am waiting for my husband to get home and get a multimeter to test it. Has anyone experience this before? I think I need to take it back to the dealer for them to take a look at the battery. Please comment! thanks!

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An improper house or outlet ground (loop between neutral and ground) could cause this problem. This would happen with any grounded device in that outlet. Also, please update/complete your profile. Some of us are suspicious of first time posters with significant safety issues.

jamesanne said:

An improper house or outlet ground (loop between neutral and ground) could cause this problem. This would happen with any grounded device in that outlet.

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True, but the EVSE should detect such a fault and should NOT charge the car from such an outlet.

To OP: First, welcome to the forum!

I will say that we have never felt a shock, nor can I recall anyone posting here that they felt a shock from their LEAF.

I think that outlet is properly grounded. We do not have an EVSE yet. Anyways, it is all gone after my husband got home and took out the multi-meter. I do not feel anything any more. The time I felt it was just after I drove home and started charging. I will keep an eye on it.

(I just added the last six VIN of the leaf to my profile. Is my profile completed?)

babar said:

We do not have an EVSE yet.

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Actually, you do. The charging cord which came in the truck of your LEAF which you use to charge from 120V is a portable EVSE. One of its primary functions is to prevent you from being shocked. I wonder if the dealerships have any way to test it for safe operation. Somehow I doubt it, but it wouldn't hurt to ask. At least then they can notify Nissan.

I will say that we have never felt a shock, nor can I recall anyone posting here that they felt a shock from their LEAF.

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Actually, people with "cloth" seats often get static shocks getting in and out of the car, especially in winter.

Some describe it as significant

There is a whole thread about it, and ground straps to alleviate it..

However, This does not seem to be what she described.

"Bad" grounding (high resistance to ground, and multiple ground loops with potential difference) and switched neutrals can both cause this.
How old is the house?

KillaWhat said:

I will say that we have never felt a shock, nor can I recall anyone posting here that they felt a shock from their LEAF.

Click to expand...

Actually, people with "cloth" seats often get static shocks getting in and out of the car, especially in winter.

Click to expand...

Used to happen in my old car too. However when it happens with the LEAF, there's that split second when I wonder if this is the end

House is old, built in 1957. But we got the wires redone after we moved in, which was in 2011.

I read the thread about electric shocks getting in and out of the car. I wonder if that is a one time shock for not. For me, I kept touching the door frame and kept feeling the currents.

I will see what happens today when I charge it after work.

KillaWhat said:

I will say that we have never felt a shock, nor can I recall anyone posting here that they felt a shock from their LEAF.

Click to expand...

Actually, people with "cloth" seats often get static shocks getting in and out of the car, especially in winter.

Some describe it as significant

There is a whole thread about it, and ground straps to alleviate it..

However, This does not seem to be what she described.

"Bad" grounding (high resistance to ground, and multiple ground loops with potential difference) and switched neutrals can both cause this.
How old is the house?

Click to expand...

I have had the static charge thing happen two times, maybe three a few times, but the magnitude of the static discharge is markedly reduced on the 2nd or 3rd time.
Even after leaving the LEAF and entering a store, I have encountered static discharge when touching the handle of a Milk cooler.
The static discharge is markedly worse when the humidity is extremely low.

Living in the dry desert, I get shocked so much that it's second nature now. Here's what I do: Pivot my body in the seat, swing out my leg, keeping my calf touching the car, then lower my foot to the ground. Then while continuing to pivot, stand up (my calf is still touching the car). The last thing to stop touching the car is my calf. Then, if I'm lucky and did it right, when I close the door with my hand there is no shock. I find that shocks on my leg are much less of a nuisance than my fingers. When I get out of my chair at work, I touch the shoulder or back of my hand to the metal door frame. Finally, even after walking, I tend to touch metal items with the back of my hand first. After a while you start to feel like Rainman.

Static is worst with nylon or polyester clothes (and almost all clothes have some believe me, I spend a lot of time looking for 100% cotton). In the spring I often wear a nylon wind breaker and it really sucks. I would guess that nearly all women's clothes generate static.