new a3 sline uncomfortable still after 6k

[chrisinns17]

ive had my new a3 now for over 4 months now and have put over 6 k on the clock, I'm still finding the car very uncomfortable to
drive, it is a sline but i can't seem to get a position where my wrists don't hurt on the steering wheel . my wrist seems to really ache after a little while, theres less elbow room on the door card than my previous a3. keep adjusting seat and steering wheel but to
no joy, anyone else have same problem, especially ache in the wrist/arm?
cheers

 

[pat15312]

You can always try building up some strength in your wrists? There is a fantastic male pastime which can help you with that

Golf of course!

 

[Dylock]

I'll be honest it's not very often I have my arms on the door card. I find it very comfy to drive overall.

 

[dieseldoug]

I don't have any issue with this, pity you can't get the best driving position for you, but I don't spend too much time on straight roads, but when I do I find the car very comfortable

 

[s33nyboy12]

See ...........being 5ft 8 and a shortarse has its benefits! I find it very comfortable ........ And as for the s line suspension I've got it and compared to my m3 I tell you it's like driving an a8 exec spec , lovely jubbly!

Sean

 

[snakehips]

See ...........being 5ft 8 and a shortarse has its benefits! I find it very comfortable ........ And as for the s line suspension I've got it and compared to my m3 I tell you it's like driving an a8 exec spec , lovely jubbly!

Sean

Probably only comfortable because of the cushion you're sitting on to see over the steering wheel.

 

[chrisinns17]

My discomfort seems to be getting worse .. Aching wrists and shoulder discomfort in right arm .. Anybody got a solution for a good posture position in new a3 sline with sports steering wheel .. The wheel just seems too small ?

 

[Flugel Hound]

I also have aching right wrist and shoulder. Im prone to it due to too much mouse activity and climbing at indoor walls. But the new A3 has set it off again. I found relief by setting the Steering to Wendy mode (Comfort) Makes the steering light. Im lanky type with very long arms, my previous VW Passat was fine. I have my seat low steering height central and pushed deep into the console.

Shoulder exercises that may help are.
Rotator Cuff
Resistance Band Exercises : Rotator Cuff Exercise with Resistance Bands - YouTube

Hope it mends, I appreciate its a real pain

 

[JohnM100]

No wrist issues but it took me ages to get my seating position sorted. There are huge number of permutations and over time have become more impressed with the number of things I can change.

Newer cars have higher windows for safety reasons so the old idea of an elbow on the top of the door card is extremely difficult to do.

The two adjustments I discovered last and which allowed me to perfect it were the angle of the seat base (ratchet handle front right of seat) to drop the rear of the seat base (to make it more like a bucket seat) and then adjust the steering wheel for reach as well as rake. The nice feature when adjusting reach is that all stalks and flappy paddles move with the wheel so are still easy to use

If you have manual, do you ever rest your hand on the gear lever? Vibration will cause it to ache on anything but a short journey.

John.

 

[driver_tim]

The two adjustments I discovered last and which allowed me to perfect it were the angle of the seat base (ratchet handle front right of seat) to drop the rear of the seat base (to make it more like a bucket seat)

Interesting...I've suffered from back / neck problems in the past and was told by an osteopath that you should set the base of your car seat as flat as possible to help with such things...

 

[yetirider]

I sat in my A3 adjusted the seat and wheel and not touched it since.
Seat as low as it can go, wheel lowered until you can just see the button to reset the trip and wheel pulled out an inch.

Very pleased I was playing with my A1 driving position for 2 years, thats right up to the day I sold it.....

 

[MJP]

I'm suffering the same - had my eagerly awaited A3 S-Line for less than a month and it's really painful to drive it. After about 20 minutes of driving I get pains in my wrist, arm and shoulder and I now don't look forward to driving my lovely car. I've tried all possible permutations of driving positions but I just can't get comfortable. Never ever experienced it with any other car so I think it's just one of those random things as it's clearly not a common problem. While I'm obviously sorry that you're suffering, I'm so relieved it's not just me!

 

[gtiller]

I had the same thing when I had an SE spec A4 a few years ago. It had all the bells and whistles and I figured I could do without the sports seats. Ended up trading it in after three months, as I just couldn't get comfortable in it... not nice when you regularly do 600-mile trips.

I really feel for your dilemma.

 

[pluves1]

I'm suffering the same - had my eagerly awaited A3 S-Line for less than a month and it's really painful to drive it. After about 20 minutes of driving I get pains in my wrist, arm and shoulder and I now don't look forward to driving my lovely car. I've tried all possible permutations of driving positions but I just can't get comfortable. Never ever experienced it with any other car so I think it's just one of those random things as it's clearly not a common problem. While I'm obviously sorry that you're suffering, I'm so relieved it's not just me!

I think I know what your problem is. You will need the help of a friend take a picture. So get them to take a pic of you in driving seat from the passenger side with both doors open. You will need to put your arms in front of you but don't grip the steering wheel just lay them on the top. Don't overstretch and tell me where on your hand the top of the steering wheel 'hits'.

 

[GreatBallsofFire]

I think the right arm rest (RH steered car) is not as well positioned in any of the two heights in the 8v as in the 8p, slightly too high or slightly too low, anyone agree? Its a minor thing, but still.

 

[oufc1976]

I had an initial knee ache but put that down to a new position, put up with it, and now it's gone.

Agree that resting your arm on the door isn't great. Slightly too high.

 

[MA3RC]

I find my best driving position is when I can rest my wrist on the top of the steering wheel, with my arm just short of full stretch. I also found my knee ached a bit at first but I think it was me tensing my foot around the clutch - being scared of a new car etc

 

[MJP]

I think I know what your problem is. You will need the help of a friend take a picture. So get them to take a pic of you in driving seat from the passenger side with both doors open. You will need to put your arms in front of you but don't grip the steering wheel just lay them on the top. Don't overstretch and tell me where on your hand the top of the steering wheel 'hits'.

Ooh, thanks! I'll get someone to do that for me and let you know. I drove it to the dealer yesterday - a drive of about 40 minutes - and my arm was tingling/sore for at least half an hour after I got out of it. It's so odd! I generally drive with my hands in the 'ten to two' position or thereabouts but it's not comfortable with this steering wheel - and nor is anywhere else. I sat in the SE model in the showroom and that steering wheel is far less knobbly and feels more comfortable but I don't think you can change steering wheels because of all the airbag/electric stuff that goes on in there. AAAAGHHHHHH!

 

[warren_S5]

Interesting to read this as in the 8P (S3 seats) I suffered with pins and needles and sciatica whenever I would do a long journey. Initially I thought it was just an issue with an ageing frame hitting mid life, but when I drove ANY other car it was fine.

I started to visit an osteopath in Cheltenham and he said the back of the seats lacked any real support in the lumbar region, and as I'm quite long in the legs the majority of the area just above my knees wasn't properly supported (e.g. I could do with an extender like on the A4/5/6 etc.). The side bolstering was OK, but as seats go I've never had more uncomfortable driving seats in any car I've ever owned.

I mountain bike / cyclocross quite a bit so wrist strength not as issue here, nothing the chiro has done has improved the situation. Another reason I decided to try another model this time round.

 

[cuke2u]

Just driven my car over 300 miles more or less non-stop. Slight aches from the left leg but otherwise I'm pretty impressed with the driving position...

 

[pluves1]

Interesting to read this as in the 8P (S3 seats) I suffered with pins and needles and sciatica whenever I would do a long journey. Initially I thought it was just an issue with an ageing frame hitting mid life, but when I drove ANY other car it was fine.

I started to visit an osteopath in Cheltenham and he said the back of the seats lacked any real support in the lumbar region, and as I'm quite long in the legs the majority of the area just above my knees wasn't properly supported (e.g. I could do with an extender like on the A4/5/6 etc.). The side bolstering was OK, but as seats go I've never had more uncomfortable driving seats in any car I've ever owned.

I mountain bike / cyclocross quite a bit so wrist strength not as issue here, nothing the chiro has done has improved the situation. Another reason I decided to try another model this time round.

It's amazing what bad posture can affect. Normally peeps think backs but, there are are whole host of other things. I'm no expert but, it's one of the reasons that I find I can get a better position in my Beemer as opposed to the S3. Beemer has things like electric lumbar, side bolsters and something that you need the extender on the base.

I'm that OCD about my Beemer seating position that I ask the dealer not to move the seat under any circumstances - get some funny looks!!

 

[pluves1]

You can change the steering wheel - its just not cheap. I lust after a fatter TTRS steering wheel for our S3 which has one of the skinniest steering wheels I've seen on a car.

 

[Ecosphere]

5'11"----and I'm an old crock with an uncomfortable metal plate in his wrist. Took me a while to find comfortable position. You have to experiment and clearly individual.
Steering wheel currently well extended out on reach, more than previous cars.
Seat base back dropped as above and well back. Lumbar support was worth money even if left alone once set.

I find S3 8V steerring wheel great.
Stronic does allow a lot of one handed cruising tho'.

 

[pluves1]

Ooh, thanks! I'll get someone to do that for me and let you know. I drove it to the dealer yesterday - a drive of about 40 minutes - and my arm was tingling/sore for at least half an hour after I got out of it. It's so odd! I generally drive with my hands in the 'ten to two' position or thereabouts but it's not comfortable with this steering wheel - and nor is anywhere else. I sat in the SE model in the showroom and that steering wheel is far less knobbly and feels more comfortable but I don't think you can change steering wheels because of all the airbag/electric stuff that goes on in there. AAAAGHHHHHH!

PM Sent

Users wont be able to see the photo but, it is clear the back rest is 'too laid back'

Wow. No wonder your arms ache. I'm not a qualified oesteopath but, I did seek the advice of one when I had neck problems and he came out to my car to tell me where I was going wrong.
I'm not sure how tall you are but, the first thing to get right is the seat base. Its hard to see from the photo but you're probaby quite close to the best position to reach all the pedals etc.

Where you're going wrong and I knew it would be this from your arm ache is that you seat is way too laid back. You will need to make this more vertical. The back of your head should be nearly touching your headrest. Not touching but not too far off it 1 or 2 cms. So you have too much of a gap here. Now the important bit is the arms - yours are too straight and not bent enough as your backrest is not vertical enough. As a guide when I am sat upright my wrists can rest on the top of the wheel without leaning forward or stretching. And no I dont sit too close to the steering wheel I am still quite a way of it!! This will ensure that your arms should be bent more when in the 10 to 2 position. You probably dont need to move the seat back up much to achieve this although you might then think you're too close to the steering wheel. If you are then and are happy with the back rest position then you'll need to bring the steering wheel a little closer to you. Give it a try and let me know how you get on.