GTi Drivers Seat Issue

[Kpow99]

Sounds silly but wallet in right back pocket??

I try and remember to remove mine when going on a long motorway trip.

Not silly, I’m the same! Get painful leg and hip and wallet is not very fat!

Especially on long trips! Did 6 hour trek and I was in agony in wife’s Mokka, not so bad now I take wallet out of pocket.

[Yusee]

OP, I’d consult an osteopath. Explain the problem and ask him/her to observe you sit in your car- maybe even drive.

I’m surprised actually that you don’t see this kind of service advertised. In the same way that a cricket coach can watch a batsman and very quickly spot technical faults- not getting your feet in line, bat’s coming across the body  etc. No wonder I keep nicking off.
You can’t fix a problem if you don’t identify it, even if you understand the theory.

I think the golf gti seats are brilliant. Probably the only car I’ve bought that I haven’t felt the need to tinker with the seat position from the day I bought it.
I wonder if it’s the relatively firm suspension of a hot hatch, rather than the seats, that are the cause of your problem.
Also, pain in your arm suggests an issue with your neck. Make sure your head and shoulders are not being pulled forwards when you drive. You may not even realise you’re doing it.

I’m sure you’ve seen various online advice videos, apologies if you’ve seen this already, but I like this 90s one from a no nonsense osteopath- he makes some interesting points..

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Vw_monK_bZQ

[NAS23]

Thank you again for all the additional feedback, much appreciated.

I have implemented the extra recommendations from fredgroves with attention to the lumbar and foot hovering but appreciate, also as SRGTD & JOE6 say, that it won't be an overnight transition into immediate comfort.

Firm suspension is second nature having come from several years in a mk2 Leon Cupra with an unyielding ride to say the least (and no seat issues), so I'm doubtful that plays a part although it has been considered.

Spendid late 90's tutorial video provided by Yusee too. Some really valid points despite the slightly wooden presentation  .

There's really nothing else I can fault with the GTi and it's such an accomplished car for my needs...so perservence is the key. If needs must then an osteopath is indeed preferable (and cheaper) to selling the car.

Great forum here too with a friendly maturity that's missing from a lot of other owner forums.

Cheers.

[Arnold_Lane]

I have suffered similarly, particularly up my right leg and into my right butt cheek! It tends to come on after about an hours driving or more and by the time I get to a couple of hours it's agony.
Thankfully 95% of my journeys are well within this time, but it will probably impinge on my decision on it's replacement in a few months time, as a house move may well increase the number of longer journeys I have to make.

I think part of the problem lies with the moving of seats towards the centre of the car to improve NCAP side impact results. As they don't move the pedal-box and steering column at the same time they are out of alignment.

I have also tried various changes to steering wheel position, seat height and seat rake and can't seem to find a permanent resolution. Along with too much road noise, it's my only real complaint about my 7.5 GTi PP.

[Yusee]

Spendid late 90's tutorial video provided by Yusee too. Some really valid points despite the slightly wooden presentation  .

Haha, yeah- they don’t make them like that anymore!

[fredgroves]

I think part of the problem lies with the moving of seats towards the centre of the car to improve NCAP side impact results. As they don't move the pedal-box and steering column at the same time they are out of alignment.

Actually, I don't think they have done that to the Golf.... the usual problem with a lot of cars is to do with a bad RHD conversion that leads to offset pedals. Its definitely a thing with some cars, but I don't think its ever been the Golf.

I am really suceptable to it and honestly the Mk7 hasn't done that to me - I am not saying that others can't suffer and shut up though 

Its horrible when this happens, as a mega mile muncher for decades I know exactly what this is like and to be crippled by a car even if you love it is not fun at all.

[fredgroves]

Great forum here too with a friendly maturity that's missing from a lot of other owner forums.

This forum is a great, the people here are genuine enthusiasts and grownups.... sometimes we are grownup hooligans, but always grown up....

Very few questions go without proper attempts at answers, nobody gets roasted for asking anything in my experience.

[Exonian]

I think the issue might be due (in part at least) to moving from manual to DSG.

My TCR was my first DSG and the first car that became literally underivable for me due to back pain. I blamed it totally on the DCC at first as it wasn’t fast reacting enough to stop sudden jolts resulting in a worsening of a (recent) back injury.
That car got binned in favour of an F40 M135i which wasn’t without its own discomfort at times.
The slippy leather seats would sometimes result in my lower right hand ribs getting squished by my lardy 12 pack belly if I’d just eaten a decent meal and was driving for a little while. Also the pedals were slightly offset but not too badly, just more than in a Golf.

I’m now back in a Golf and my back pain has returned.
It’s the DSG I think.
It must be that I brace myself differently as I can feel my lower back straining and twisting at times even during very gentle driving.

For reference I’m a not particularly fat, short arse.
I’ve tried loads of different seating positions. None help.

My GTI is currently being used like a van and is also filthy, the weather has been dreadful down this way for weeks and weeks so it’s not going to get washed or pampered like it normally would.
My intention is now to wait for the weather to break, clean the Golf, put it away for a few weeks and swap to my other car which is a hard riding, manual gearboxed, slab seated relic to see if my back pain goes away again.
It’s hard to be specific as I’ve had to do loads of lifting and carrying too which isn’t going to help matters (yet my back is fairly ok doing such things).
A colleague of mine heard me groaning and straining when exiting my Golf the other day and suggested it was high time I got an SUV!

[fredgroves]

I think the issue might be due (in part at least) to moving from manual to DSG.

The OP here went on to state that he has a clutch pedal and the seat is adjusted for reach to that, so that's not his problem but it might be yours.

Its much easier to get twisted when you are only using your right foot than when you are using both feet...

[Exonian]

Apologies I missed the manual gearbox bit. When I saw it was a 2019 *PP** I assumed it was DSG, I thought all the 245’s were post 2017.
I’ll go sit in the corner and shut up now