Question:

>I haven’t had a problem with my 325i, but my sister had a problem with > her sciatica nerve when she first changed from her VW to a 320i. > Didn’t think of the car untill the doctor asked if she had changed > seats at work.  Moved the seat around a bit and problem went away.

Six weeks prior to back surgery for a herniated disc, I drove my E46 328i (with sport seats) on a four day, 2300 mile business trip.  Experimenting with position and lumbar support made the trip bearable – although I still don’t care for the non adjustable side bolsters. Tom

Response:

It is real! , I had some time off work recently and had to limit the amount of driving I was doing without breaks.  I was experiencing tingling in the lower leg and a pain in the crease between my arse and my thigh.  I was in the car for about 8 hours per day over about 3 consecutive days.  I thought it was circulation and possibly DVT related like experienced on planes but the doctor said that it was almost certainly related to my back as the nerves (sciatic and leg) run down through the back. The jolting in the car doesn’t help.  He also mentioned that it wasn’t necessarily due to the car, but possibly an existing condition aggrevated with the prolonged driving. Your body isn’t designed to be in that position for too long and you need a break to recover.  Sometimes I can drive for a long time without too much problem and sometimes the pain comes back on shorter journeys.  Having a BMW with a hard ride doesn’t help one little bit!  But,if you are financially committed or in love with your BMW and changing car is out of the question, then all you can do is 1) Try adjusting the seat, 2) take adequate breaks, 3) keep fit generally.  But changing car won’t always work as I had discomfort even further back in a 306 DTurbo with 14" alloys, again when I was doing too much driving without enough rest. MC

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->I have a ‘98 M3 sedan (different seats than the 2 door), and the seat >comfort is horrible on 2 hour drives.  Pain the lower back, and right shin >and the back of the upper right leg.  No adjustments help.  My wife gets >lower back pain as a passenger.  Not sure what the problem is, but it is >real. > – Phil > Hi > I just got a 330Ci sport cab with all the trimmings. Very nice too. Last > weekend I went out in it with my wife for about two hours drive. The > following day I returned from the UK to Italy, where I work, and was > surprised to discover I could hardly walk, having partially lost motor > control over my left knee. I thought little of it until my wife phoned > and > told me she’d had the same problem with _both_ knees! > I’m wondering if this was caused by the seats in the car. These are the > electrically adjustable ones – anyone else had this problem? > Cheers > Geoff

Response:

>I have a ‘98 M3 sedan (different seats than the 2 door), and the seat >comfort is horrible on 2 hour drives.  Pain the lower back, and right shin >and the back of the upper right leg.  No adjustments help.  My wife gets >lower back pain as a passenger.  Not sure what the problem is, but it is >real.

The seats in my 323 (E46) are one of the few things I don’t like about the car.  The seats in my previous Hondas (Prelude Si, CRX Si) were MUCH better-shaped.

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>Ehhh, well I didn’t at least. I have a 328Ci with electric adjustable >seats and no problems with knees. I’m unsure how to link knee problems >to the chairs (unless you kept adjusting it back and forth banging your >knees into the dash ).

Do they tilt back?  Maybe that’s cutting off the circulation to the lower legs? -Ted

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<snipped description of knee problem> > I’m wondering if this was caused by the seats in the car. These are the > electrically adjustable ones – anyone else had this problem?

I dunno if thats what caused it for you, but I did have a problem like that once when I drove for +-18 hours with no stops except to fuel. I drove a golf 1, and when I finally stepped out of the car, half crazed with hunger and fatigue my knees rapidly responded "oh no you dont!". I now routinely drive two 6-hour-long trips a month, and find that my knees appreciate it more when the seat is at its highest position. YMMV. goose,     the bee’s knees

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I haven’t had a problem with my 325i, but my sister had a problem with her sciatica nerve when she first changed from her VW to a 320i. Didn’t think of the car untill the doctor asked if she had changed seats at work.  Moved the seat around a bit and problem went away. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >Hi >I just got a 330Ci sport cab with all the trimmings. Very nice too. Last >weekend I went out in it with my wife for about two hours drive. The >following day I returned from the UK to Italy, where I work, and was >surprised to discover I could hardly walk, having partially lost motor >control over my left knee. I thought little of it until my wife phoned and >told me she’d had the same problem with _both_ knees! >I’m wondering if this was caused by the seats in the car. These are the >electrically adjustable ones – anyone else had this problem? >Cheers >Geoff

Response:

> Hi > I just got a 330Ci sport cab with all the trimmings. Very nice too. Last > weekend I went out in it with my wife for about two hours drive. The > following day I returned from the UK to Italy, where I work, and was > surprised to discover I could hardly walk, having partially lost motor > control over my left knee. I thought little of it until my wife phoned and > told me she’d had the same problem with _both_ knees! > I’m wondering if this was caused by the seats in the car. These are the > electrically adjustable ones – anyone else had this problem?

The seat pan is adjustable in both height and tilt. I don’t know where it was set, but I’d try raising and tilting the seat pan towards the back at what seems a more natural feel. It may also help to recline the seat back a bit. I find that riding for an extended period of time with my knees too straight leaves them feeling sore for some time afterwards. Positioning the seat less upright and in a position where there’s a bit of bend at the knee eliminates that problem. — The instructions said to use Windows 98 or better, so I installed RedHat.

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> Hi > I just got a 330Ci sport cab with all the trimmings. Very nice too. Last > weekend I went out in it with my wife for about two hours drive. The > following day I returned from the UK to Italy, where I work, and was > surprised to discover I could hardly walk, having partially lost motor > control over my left knee. I thought little of it until my wife phoned and > told me she’d had the same problem with _both_ knees! > I’m wondering if this was caused by the seats in the car. These are the > electrically adjustable ones – anyone else had this problem? > Cheers > Geoff

When I got my first BMW my left knee ached for quite some time but simply because the clutch was much heavier than in my previosu car. If I go skiing now, my right leg burns pretty quick but the left keeps goign all day

Response:

I have a ‘98 M3 sedan (different seats than the 2 door), and the seat comfort is horrible on 2 hour drives.  Pain the lower back, and right shin and the back of the upper right leg.  No adjustments help.  My wife gets lower back pain as a passenger.  Not sure what the problem is, but it is real. – Phil

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hi > I just got a 330Ci sport cab with all the trimmings. Very nice too. Last > weekend I went out in it with my wife for about two hours drive. The > following day I returned from the UK to Italy, where I work, and was > surprised to discover I could hardly walk, having partially lost motor > control over my left knee. I thought little of it until my wife phoned and > told me she’d had the same problem with _both_ knees! > I’m wondering if this was caused by the seats in the car. These are the > electrically adjustable ones – anyone else had this problem? > Cheers > Geoff

Response:

Hi I just got a 330Ci sport cab with all the trimmings. Very nice too. Last weekend I went out in it with my wife for about two hours drive. The following day I returned from the UK to Italy, where I work, and was surprised to discover I could hardly walk, having partially lost motor control over my left knee. I thought little of it until my wife phoned and told me she’d had the same problem with _both_ knees! I’m wondering if this was caused by the seats in the car. These are the electrically adjustable ones – anyone else had this problem? Cheers Geoff

Response:

> Hi

[SNIP knee problem] > I’m wondering if this was caused by the seats in the car. These are the > electrically adjustable ones – anyone else had this problem?

Ehhh, well I didn’t at least. I have a 328Ci with electric adjustable seats and no problems with knees. I’m unsure how to link knee problems to the chairs (unless you kept adjusting it back and forth banging your knees into the dash ). Regards, — Arnold http://www.ligtvoet.org – Edmund Blackadder said : "I have a plan so cunning you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel!" Ask smart questions : http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

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Do you and your wife engage in any kind of strenuous activity when you are home on leave? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Hi > I just got a 330Ci sport cab with all the trimmings. Very nice too. Last > weekend I went out in it with my wife for about two hours drive. The > following day I returned from the UK to Italy, where I work, and was > surprised to discover I could hardly walk, having partially lost motor > control over my left knee. I thought little of it until my wife phoned and > told me she’d had the same problem with _both_ knees! > I’m wondering if this was caused by the seats in the car. These are the > electrically adjustable ones – anyone else had this problem? > Cheers > Geoff

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