checking timing and got shocked?!

[madspeed]

Well I was just checking the timing on my car and when I grabbed a hold of the distributor to make a small adjustment, I was pleasantly awakened by a nice jolt of electricity. Is it time for new plug wires??

 

[Strype]

You hit the coil wire man... Don't hit the coil wire

Did that myself.

 

[Mustang5L5]

I'd say so.


I've been zapped when pulling wires off to check if a cylinder was dead. it HURTS!

 

[madspeed]

Does it mean its arcing and they need replaced??

 

[Shaolin Crane]

 

[madspeed]

 

[HISSIN50]

Another possible factor: If you don't have your other hand resting on the radiator support (or other metal), it helps reduce the chance of a shock.

 

[madspeed]

I made sure not to touch any other metal parts!!!

 

[1993SVT]

You think that's fun? Try grabbing a live 220 wire by accident. That was life changing for me..lol. Yea, don't go grabbing a hold of all at the same time. Another possibility could be a cracked cap. The crack will be almost impossible to find, sometimes, but you'd get the same result when grabbing a cracked cap.

 

[Mustang5L5]

I was hit by 277v ac once. That one knocked me on my ass and prob took 5 years off my life

 

[Strype]

A guy at work (and member here) was putting up a shelf in his garage when he hit the main power supply to his house with a drill bit

Shut down power in his neighborhood. Nobody understands how he survived but only his hand was fried.