M340i - anyone experienced back pain?

[rrmave]

Hi, Have had my G20 M340i for 3 weeks now. Found the ride harsh on the run flats so switched to PS4s which has improved the ride. Did my first 100 mile round trip in the car yesterday and have been experiencing lower back pain since last night. Have read posts on bimmerpost about other owners experiencing the same issue and for a lot of them, finding the correct seat position after multiple attempts seems to have resolved the issue.

Have tried multiple settings but no luck as yet.

[robsa]

I have a G20 330e, and recently put my lower back into spasm by thinking I'm still 23 when I'm 53. I do more than average annual driving (about 25k a year) and my physio told me that my car seat needs to be as high as possible and as flat as possible or even tilted slightly forward; avoid 'bucketing' the seat backwards. You can even get a cushion that has an 11 degree forward lean to help. It has worked for me, maybe worth a try?

[JNW1]

Never had an issue with back pain in my G21 M340i but the front seats did have the optional adjustable lumbar support; I always thought it was a disgrace that wasn't standard given the price of the car but if your seats haven't got it maybe that's part of the issue? However, if that's the case I'm not sure how easy it is to retrofit the adjustable lumbar support...

[smashy]

I always thought the lumbar support felt like a piece of iron in your back.So always released it.I do a lot of miles not in your car and have a wedge support cushion with an 11 degree angle ,it tilts the pelvis keeping it in the correct position.

[rrmave]

Thanks All,

Robsa, smashy, can I ask which brand of the 11 degree angle cushion you had bought?

[Drmarkf]

I’ve never had problems with recent BMW seats (although adjustable lumbar support is great if you’ve got it) but I’ve found that cushions that support the lumbar curve in your lower back usually solve most car seat comfort issues for me in other makes.
Some of them are large and visually intrusive, and expensive, but I’ve found the Supportiback Lumbar Support Pillow to work in my wife’s Polo. It’s relatively small, but provides a firm push in the back and costs under 20 quid on Amazon. Worth a try.

[smashy]

rrmave said:

Thanks All,

Robsa, smashy, can I ask which brand of the 11 degree angle cushion you had bought?

I dont think it matters really I have had different ones just head for Amazon and make sure its 11° ....

[smashy]

If your looking for top quality though I suggest https://putnams.co.uk/collections/sitting-wedges more expensive ......

[Flat6]

rrmave said:

Hi, Have had my G20 M340i for 3 weeks now. Found the ride harsh on the run flats so switched to PS4s which has improved the ride. Did my first 100 mile round trip in the car yesterday and have been experiencing lower back pain since last night. Have read posts on bimmerpost about other owners experiencing the same issue and for a lot of them, finding the correct seat position after multiple attempts seems to have resolved the issue.

Have tried multiple settings but no luck as yet.

I had an X3M40d which has the same seats as the M340i and having had many bmw's, this was the first that gave me severe lower back pain on longer journeys. Mine had full electric adjustment with lumbar etc but I just couldn't get comfortable. I think a lot of it came from the overly firm and flat seat base, so no matter what I did I couldn't get comfortable (and I'm used to little padding as my weekend car is a Lotus Exige which gives me no back issues at all).

In the end I had to sell the X3 and ended up moving to a G31 530d, which has the most comfortable seats I've ever had..

I've recently been looking at M340i's myself as I no longer regularly do long distance and miss the B58 (had a m140i) so took one for a test drive, but it soon reminded me why I couldn't go back to a car with those seats

Hope you mange to get comfortable because they're a great car and it's really annoying having to change due to such an issue.

[roadie]

Is it an issue with the pedals being offset? Sometimes I find that I need to slightly reset my position so that I am aligned with the seat and not the pedals if that makes sense.

[simonwhite2000]

Flat6 said:

rrmave said:

Hi, Have had my G20 M340i for 3 weeks now. Found the ride harsh on the run flats so switched to PS4s which has improved the ride. Did my first 100 mile round trip in the car yesterday and have been experiencing lower back pain since last night. Have read posts on bimmerpost about other owners experiencing the same issue and for a lot of them, finding the correct seat position after multiple attempts seems to have resolved the issue.

Have tried multiple settings but no luck as yet.

I had an X3M40d which has the same seats as the M340i and having had many bmw's, this was the first that gave me severe lower back pain on longer journeys. Mine had full electric adjustment with lumbar etc but I just couldn't get comfortable. I think a lot of it came from the overly firm and flat seat base, so no matter what I did I couldn't get comfortable (and I'm used to little padding as my weekend car is a Lotus Exige which gives me no back issues at all).

In the end I had to sell the X3 and ended up moving to a G31 530d, which has the most comfortable seats I've ever had..

I've recently been looking at M340i's myself as I no longer regularly do long distance and miss the B58 (had a m140i) so took one for a test drive, but it soon reminded me why I couldn't go back to a car with those seats

Hope you mange to get comfortable because they're a great car and it's really annoying having to change due to such an issue.

Are these the standard sports seats or the m sport optional ones we are talking about?

[ukpolak]

Whilst I don’t wish to hijack, my Mrs runs a 2020 X3 (albeit with the M seats option) and I run a 2017 440i and whilst neither of us have experienced back pain, I get severe foot or knee pain after long runs in the 440i.

Thankfully I don’t drive long distances much but after a 4 hour drive last summer I could hardly walk (major foot ache) and then last weekend after a 3hr drive, it felt like my knee has been knocked out of socket. All only experienced after I had put weight on them (ie after getting out of car).

Would love to compare my driving position with eg an articulated lorry or national express coach and see how different the setups are on vehicles built for long haul driving.

[eddy77]

As a back pain sufferer I feel your pain. I currently have a G30 5 series and prior to this a 2019 Audi A6. Both cars were initially uncomfortable and gave me back pain. But in both cases the problem was resolved by adopting a slightly ‘odd’ driving position. But it works for me and has been recommended many times on line.

So try this:

Adjust the seat distance from wheel to where you would naturally want it to be. But then move the seat forward so you are closer than you would normally expect to the wheel. Not by a lot…just a couple of inches so your legs are a bit more bent than you might normally expect. Move the wheel rake and reach to suit.

Now tilt the seat base so that the leading edge (the bit under your knees) is higher than the rear of the seat cushion. So you are tilted back, if that makes sense. Finally adjust the seat back so it’s a little more upright than feels natural.

Initially the whole setup feels odd. But it is surprisingly comfortable for long distances.

Being 6ft 1 I used to always drive with the seat back, legs stretched out and arms extended. But that proved problematic when I got a slipped disc.

The tilted seat base and slightly raised knee position is often recommended for those with lower back issues. Try it and see.

When I first got my Audi a6 it was so uncomfortable on my back I was thinking to sell after a month. But the changed seating position sorted it.

I had similar issue when I took delivery of my 5 series but knew the whole seat position was key and after a few attempts found the right position and all good.

I also swapped run flats for non on my BMW and dropped the rims down from OEM 20s to 19s which massively reduced the harshness which also aggravates my back.

Good luck!

[PistonHead007]

That's not odd, it's how everyone is supposed to sit.

Every time I get into someone else's car it's a right mess, invariably with the seat too far back, the backrest too reclined and the wheel too far away.

Adjusting as you describe is how you get yourself actually supported by the seat. Driven as described above you're curling your upper back to reach the wheel and it's floating off the seat.

[thecremeegg]

I'm 6'5 and usually have problems with a lot of car seats, however the ones in my G26 i4 are actually pretty good for me. I went for electric ones to make sure I could make micro adjustments as I always need them