S3 - chronic back pain

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heyes_s

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hi all, i just bought a 2007 S3 and all was fine until i started my daily commute in it. since then i have suffered chronic back pain whenever i drive it. I have experimented with all manner of adjustments and nothing seems to ease it. If i jump into my wifes A4 the pain subsides almost immediatley and i can drive that car for hours without issue.
Has anybody esle experienced this? Is there someway that the seat could be broken do you think? I bought the car from an audi dealer and i could demonstrate a that the seat is faulty i would happily push them to resolve, but i amnot sure what would constitute a demo.
I had an a3 as a courtesy car a week ago and that did not induce back pain on such a level although it did niggle..
Any thoughts?

Cheers

Steve
 
what mileage is your car? my 1.6 had 70k on it and it's Sport seats weren't anywhere near as supportive as when they were new (or compared to the S-Line i traded it for) but they didn't cause back pain.

does your car have lumbar support? maybe you've got it on the wrong setting which is messing up your posture

i think you'll struggle to convince them they're faulty tbh - and back pain itself is a bit of a difficult entity because ppl with no anatomical abnormality can suffer with the worst kinds of back pain so you could even struggle proving you're suffering from back pain!
 
Sounds extreme but I'm afraid it might just be that you're not suited to the car/seat. The combination of seating position, reach to the steering wheel, leg position to reach the pedals etc could just be all wrong for your body.
I had the same problem years ago with a car that I owned. I tried cushions, adjusting the seat position, adjusting the steering wheel reach, sitting up more straight, everything! Nothing worked.
After a year of back problems I just gave up and sold the car. The pain hasn't returned since.
 
aythreee said:
Sounds extreme but I'm afraid it might just be that you're not suited to the car/seat. The combination of seating position, reach to the steering wheel, leg position to reach the pedals etc could just be all wrong for your body.
I had the same problem years ago with a car that I owned. I tried cushions, adjusting the seat position, adjusting the steering wheel reach, sitting up more straight, everything! Nothing worked.
After a year of back problems I just gave up and sold the car. The pain hasn't returned since.
Click to expand...

i'd say that would be more likely if he hadn't driven an A3 and not had the same problems?
 
sub39h said:
i'd say that would be more likely if he hadn't driven an A3 and not had the same problems?
Click to expand...

One was an S3 and the other an A3. Different seats? Different firmness??
Subtle differences can make huge differences when it comes to back pain.
 
aythreee said:
One was an S3 and the other an A3. Different seats? Different firmness??
Subtle differences can make huge differences when it comes to back pain.
Click to expand...

if they both had Sport seats i'd imagine they were the same firmness, but you're right it could be down to differences with the pedal box, the firmness of the clutch, possibly even SB vs. 3dr

maybe you're right, i'm just brainstorming
 
sub39h said:
if they both had Sport seats i'd imagine they were the same firmness, but you're right it could be down to differences with the pedal box, the firmness of the clutch, possibly even SB vs. 3dr

maybe you're right, i'm just brainstorming
Click to expand...

I'd imagine that the firmness of 3 year old S3's seats would be quite different to the firmness of a brand new (as it's a courtesy car) A3's seats.

Just speaking from experience, the car that gave me back problems was just wrong for me. I don't know what it was, it's not like I even felt uncomfortable when sitting in it, it just didn't agree with my back. Might have been that type of car which was wrong for me, or could've been something about that car specifically.

Was weird.
 
oh great, as someone who has lived with a slipped disc for over ten years...and relies on a good seat, your not inspiring me :(
 
1animal1 said:
oh great, as someone who has lived with a slipped disc for over ten years...and relies on a good seat, your not inspiring me :(
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Well if the S3 you eventually buy does give you back problems I'll happy swap with you my 2.0T with nicely worn in seats. :eyebrows:
 
aythreee said:
I wouldn't usually, but as it's you I'll make an exception. :sly:
Click to expand...

what a relief!! thought i was going to have to email that repubate on ebay with the R8 seats and ask him how he fitted them - as part of his homogenised gem of a car
 
Thanks for the replies guys. Just been out driving with an old pillow trying to pin point where the seat is lacking. It seems the pain is relieved if i pad the section where the seat back meets the base. I think its just a little to firm there for me. For info, my car does not have lumber support.
1animal1 I would defintely arrange for an extended test drive of at least an hour.
 
******....i thought all S3's had lumbar, infact i thought most cars did these days!!
 
Nope - no lumbar adjustment on my 07 S3. Amazed me as well. Seats are not as comfy or supportive as my old mk4 Golf GT TDi ones were IMHO, but I'm tall, so not all cars are comfy for me. Can still do long runs in the S3 though.

I got bad back pain as soon as I got my S3, but also swapped desks at work at the same time. Got my old desk back recently & am doing different stretches & the back pain has nearly gone away. The fit NHS physio bird is helping me (slowly) there! :eyebrows:
 
ive have lumbar adjustment in my s3 and ive no problem which interior do ou have, could you pm/post pics?
 
looks like you got lucky there!!!, my NHS bod was a lovely person, but that was all :/

Yup, i've got a ****** chair in the orrifice, raised desk and monitor lifter.... height and back problems, although when i was pushing for the assessment, the old lady noticed how big my hands supposedly were (worried wasn't the word) - and so in my pursuit of comfort ended up with a gibbon mouse too!!

I don't think they are always mandatory, I took the works Insignia out which had two lumbar controls!! worst trip to Norwich i had ever had!! normally it's the 'yocals' that make my stay unpleasant down there with their regional 'goings on' - you know, burning/burying/drowning witches, incest, that type of thing
 
My leather / alcantara seats have no lumbar adjust, so you are a lucky boy Phil!

Animal - LMFAO! Easy on the Norfolkers fella! Once had a great chat by the roadside down there with an old guy who spent ages telling me how worried he was about roadside fires on verges that he always collected the aluminium drinks cans to stop the fires & just left the glass ones. Didn't feel like telling him he'd been kinda wrong...

My scouse desk at work was on bricks for months to keep it high enough for me to be comfy. They've now made me some lovely solid wood blocks to put the desk feet into.
Oddly, I also find Insignias really uncomfy - I've had a few as hirecars for work and always suffer in them.

Anyway OP - good luck with yer Halfords padded jobbie...
 
aythreee said:
I thought you were gonna say... "because someone nicked the wheels".
Click to expand...

Boom boom! I did rather set that one up for you Ay ay aythree....

I'm just a suvverner stuck up Norff here anyway mate - the guys here all loved the desk on bricks idea...
 
I could drive my old Bora for 5-6 hours a time without stopping and emerge with a zero back ache and only mild leg cramp, afraid i cant say the same for the A3, lack of lumbar adjustment is an Epic Fail.
Although I dont drive it much these days due to lack of commute/it being broken.
 
gotta say, the 8P S3 not having wide arches was a big no for me, not having electric seats with lumbar is just daft for a car like that......
 
Well, the halfords thing was a waste of time. However i found that if i fold up an old jumper and place it where the base meets the seat back then my back pain disappears. 80)
 
thats ridiculous having to do that mate....... glad you found something that works though
 
ill get a set eventually out of curiousity how much would you lads pay for my heated full leather interior with lumbar support
 
of course id trade up into buckets for my seats plus a little dosh to the owner
 
P5SND said:
ill get a set eventually out of curiousity how much would you lads pay for my heated full leather interior with lumbar support
Click to expand...

Well now that we've got a potential cure for the price of a jumper and a use for that crap xmas jumper, I'd say the lumbar is surplus to my requirements!
 
Hi

Electric Lumbar should be standard on the S3. Foam based add ons can work but get out of place, tempur memory foam ones can be very hard if they get cold.

I bought a new S3 primarily to get lumbar support not available on most used S3s. It was standard on the A4 Quattro S-line I had previously and still standard on the latest A4 s-line and S4?

I have been thinking of a new car as mine's approaching three years old, nearly new there is only one with lumbar on autotrader for 35k! Not sure of buying another new one as prices have gone up, long delivery and end of model soon? Not currently doing much mileage so will probably keep what I have got.

Regards Gray
 
haha, the mans right!!!

worst part about this is, my old T plate had lumbar as standard....the current one is as standard - what are they thinking.....
 
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