AC and DC can cause your muscles to tense up and clamp down on something. AC throwing people off wires is sort of a myth. It can happen but thats just because the persons body was oriented in such a way that when their muscles contracted they were lucky enough to fly off. AC 60Hz -- about the most dangerous frequency to the body (ironic thats what we're supplied with, eh?) -- the heart will much more easily go into fibrillation and kill you. DC can still stop your heart but it 'freezes' it more than pulsing the crap out of it 60 times a second, and the heart can resume much easier after the shock.

Another thought. There can be special cases. For instance, I built a 18,000V DC power supply last year (to power a laser ), and I'd much rather be zapped on the portion where the 18,000V is still AC and before its converted to DC because theres a decent sized capacitor bank on the DC end, which can provide a ton more current to kill me with than the ~100mA AC output of the step-up transformer. Just a fun example.

very cool. Sure appreciate the electricity theory lessons. Sure solves alot of the confusion spurred by my Army training. I just saved this as a bookmark.

Back to the original thread. Did you ever reset the PCM?

I did a search couple weeks ago comparing DC to AC since I was messing with a meter. It was great info and talked about Edison and all. However, I can't remember what the heck I read now. But at the time, it was enlightening!

Im just sitting back rather amused at this thread... great electronics leasons tho!

I'm watching it too.

i took a course on electronics... and its not the voltage that will kill you its the amps.

With the car battery, you can touch BOTH terminals at the same time and nothing will happen, hell many years ago i got a good zap from a ratchet hitting the fender and shorting, but just dont short the battery, and you should be fine, if your too scared to work on a loose battery connection, you just need to goto the shop...its as simple as that!

ok drummerboy, ur graphics keep cracking me up on this topic!!! Love em!

haha, yeah I found a ton of good ones, they were on a hidden page on my local grand prix club's website! there is way more where that came from! i've been feeling pretty sarcastic the last few days too, and that's not a good combination!

LOL@ drummers icons. Can you toss us a link to those?

well, it's a private photobucket page for a guy in my club, so it may not work. Let me see if i can make it happen.

Edit: got it, I think this should work

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v249/KCPM/Smilies/smiliebox/?start=all

You big cheater!!!!

you didn't read

there i used one!