New DS3 owner - struggling with the seats

[flemmo]

Hi everyone,

I picked up my new DS3 DStyle+ last week and I absolutely love it
Just one issue I'm having and thats the seats. I'm getting quite a lot of back pain and whatever position I put the seat in, nothing helps.
Now, I do have a history of back pain. Out of the last 4 cars I've owned, only one car didn't cause me pain. The DS3 is by far the worse for it

Its hard to explain but I feel like I'm twisted in the seat and like I'm leaning to the left, almost as if its on a slant. I get pain mainly in the lower right of my back - just about the hip. Also a bit between the shoulder blades.

I've watched all the correct seating position videos on YouTube and read the tutorials online but I seem to be doing everything correctly.

I never seem to have much problem when sitting in the passenger side. I'm wondering if it's the offset pedals?

My seats are the standard ones. Mistral I think they're called.
I'm wondering if the DSport ones are any better? Do they have any lumbar or tilt adjustment? I'd even fit the Racing seats if they helped the problem as right now I struggling

[Dangerousfish]

Hi Flemmo,

I've never had any issues myself.

Unfortunately other than up, down, back and forth there isn't any additional ways to move the standard DS3 seats.

I haven't looked but maybe the 207 seats have these? As far as I'm aware these should be a straight swap into the DS3.

[flemmo]

Thanks, Dangerousfish
Yeah I've heard about the 207 seats fitting too. Is thats just the fronts or do the backs fit too?

[WTF]

Have you raised the back up? On the left hand side, there is a leaver that rises and lowers the seat, I find that if I am uncomfortable during a long journey, doing this adds some lumbar support.

Also, I've had Dstyle seats and now Dsport, and neither have been that much difference (just the side supports)

[Dangerousfish]

Thanks, Dangerousfish
Yeah I've heard about the 207 seats fitting too. Is thats just the fronts or do the backs fit too?

No idea sorry mate.

I assume you mean the 'backs' as in the bench at the back? What problems are you having with them?

[Jimbob]

I have back problems and find that it's sometimes simply a change that causes new pain.
Once you settle into the car it may disappear.

JB

[Goonerman1]

I am a relatively new DS3 owner and I too suffered terrible back pain since owning the car. (I too have a history of back pain) My last car was a coupe and I had the seat set so I was laid back in it as the car was low whereas in the DS3 I was more upright. I have found that slanting the seat backwards as much as you can without looking stupid has helped me massively!! and I do know what you mean about leaning to the left.Maybe it's only us back sufferers that notice this?? And as a previous comment mentioned....you may just have to give it time for your back to adjust to the new seat

[BeefMasta]

I found this the first time I got the car. Spent ages sat on the drive fiddling with the seat, then when I did the first long journey I got back pain near my shoulder blades & neck. Stopped off at a services and adjusted it again, never had a problem since.

I think you just need to keep adjusting it until you're comfortable, there's no real right or wrong way. Just make sure once you've done it, no one adjusts the seat, lol.

[flemmo]

Have you raised the back up? On the left hand side, there is a leaver that rises and lowers the seat, I find that if I am uncomfortable during a long journey, doing this adds some lumbar support.

Also, I've had Dstyle seats and now Dsport, and neither have been that much difference (just the side supports)

Hi. Yeah I've adjusted everything I can. I may have to try out a DSport then and see if the side support is better. I do tend to move around when cornering.

[BeefMasta]

Hi. Yeah I've adjusted everything I can. I may have to try out a DSport then and see if the side support is better. I do tend to move around when cornering.

+1 for DSport seats, they're great

[flemmo]

Thanks for your suggestions everyone. I'll keep adjusting the best I can and see what happens. I may even try unscrewing the seat from the floor at the left so I can raise the level. It would be interesting to see if it helps with the feeling that I'm leaning to the left.

I'll also have a sit in a DSport on Thursday, as I'm taking it back to Citroen for a couple of issues to be sorted. After than I might try the 207s out.

[WTF]

Borrowed this from here:

DSTLYE seats (not racing, lols)



My upgraded seats:

[Bryn]

I took ages to get the adjustment right, too. I'm lucky in that I don't tend to suffer from back pain, but I'm tall (6' 5"") and had to juggle to find the right combination of seat height (to avoid the head on ceiling problem!), Seat position right back / Steering wheel rake (to minimise the knees on steering wheel problem), seat back angle (for comfort). Annoyingly, the seat back doesn't go back where I left it when I tilt it to gain access to the back seat - always one notch higher. Before anyone says it - yes I am using the lever at the top of the seat to tilt and slide and access the rear seats!)

My wife, however, has severe back problems (she has scoliosis, degenerative disc disease and at least one unstable disc) and found the passenger seat tricky to get comfortable. The slope on the footwell floor prevented her from extending her legs far enough forward to gain proper support from the from of the seat, even with the seat slid right back. We use one of those wedge shapes cushions on the seat, with the wider part of the wedge at the front. That, and partly reclining the seat, seems to have reduced her back pain to manageable levels.

Just a thought - if the issue that is causing some drivers a problem is indeed offset pedals (can't say I've noticed that) - might a solution be to sit very slightly twisted in the seat so as to counter the offset effect? (Or would that make matters worse?)

:confused:

[flemmo]

Borrowed this from here:

DSTLYE seats (not racing, lols)



My upgraded seats:

Thanks WTF,
Yeah those top ones are what I have. They look nice for standard seat and for the majority of people are probably very comfortable. Everyone that has sat in it say the seats are great. I do like the look of the side support on your new ones

[Bigfeet]

For customers with back problems I always advise to raise the seats to take the pressure off your lower back and spine, I have a curved back which I know will give me problems in the future and I find that sitting higher up is more comfortable.