Ritt

Hi all,

Great forum so far and I have been doing a lot of reading. It seems I'm not the only one with back pain issues after being in the driver seat for sometime.

I just picked up a 2011 TSX after trading my A4. I have been a Euro guy my entire life but wanted to jump ship and get a car I can crank miles on with reliability. I do sales for a living and put around 40k miles a year on my cars. Needless to say the back pain is getting unbearable and I'm about to take it to an auto upholstery shop to get the drivers seat fixed.

I wanted to see if anyone has had there drivers seat rebuilt for comfort? I'm kinda at the point of trying to get it rebuilt or trading the car...

Thoughts or input would be great.

Adam Rutledge

I would go to the acura or Honda dealer and see if they have a shop they send their cars to who they trust. We did this at my honda dealer for a customer who bought a new crosstour from us but needed better padding.

musty hustla

Sounds like you need a new seat vs. having the seat you have restored to factory specs. Talk to a doctor for suggestions on what your back needs and alter your seat accordingly.

potmilkz

Ritt

Thanks bud, I off to Acura tomorrow and I will keep you all posted with an update. I guess my seat could be shot but with only having 25k miles I would be shocked. But you never know who use to own the car before me... Could have been a 400lber.

I will keep you all posted.

opboarding

Being 409 lbs, I am offended by this.

Harper

Op, I'm offended that you're 409lbs.

Ritt

Hahaha. well like I expected the dealer said it was fine. I have never had problems in my life so off to upholsters to get worked on.

You're a sensitive big fellow, aren't you....

Mercedes>BMW

I don't think anyone 400lbs would go for a tsx lol, they'd go for a TL.

Ritt I think you should go to acura and look at a new TSX and see if it's just as firm or if it feels better and then go on from there.

iCrap

Imo the seats are not too comfortable after a long drive, but they do hold you in place while cornering so that's good enough for me.

damaged442

I've put about 50K on my 09 since I picked it up 5/31/2011. I have never found the seats to be uncomfortable, even on long trips. Hope you get the issues worked out.

kball

Its not back pain for me after +300 mile drives...its leg issues. After long trips, legs feel like jelly for several hours.

Have you tried changing the telescopic steering wheel position?
Sometimes a small change in that can really effect back and shoulder pressure

iCrap

I think part of the problem is that the TSX's suspension is kind of stiff even from the factory. After an hour and a half - two hours it does get uncomforable.

I still want to go lower / stiffer though.

evo9

To the OP. Are you adjusting the lumbar support to properly support your back?

Mercedes>BMW

Lumbar support in the tsx? I don't see a knob or anything for it... mine is firm and I don't like it.

iCrap

There is a knob... right side of the seat.

WheelMcCoy

Guys, no worries. Checking the placard by the driver side door, I see the TSX is capable of carrying 850 lbs.

To OP -- my 2012 TSX Wagon has a lumbar adjustment. It's a handle on the right side of the right bolster. The manual says pull lever backward to make it firmer, push lever forward to make it less firm.

Mercedes>BMW

I was getting worried about this when I approach 400lbs .

Mercedes>BMW

just tried to adjust my lumbar, its where it always was... Still too firm for me.

evo9

There is a lever on the right side of the seat. Lever pointing up, lumbar is relaxed. Lever pointing forward, lumbar is fully extended.

iCrap

I've found that its totally useless and just digs into my back though.

Mercedes>BMW

Yeah iCrap answered first, that's why I reported back but it turned out that it was already on that setting and still too firm.

Same here it's useless

iCrap

Yeah the seat is very firm. But it does work well for spirited cornering. Family member's g35 is much more comfortable, but i go flying around when they corner. Should not be hard to swap the seat to an aftermarket one that may be more comfortable if you really want to.

Mercedes>BMW

My dad is the main person that drives the car and he doesn't get bothered by it. Really a G35 is more comfortable? my cousin had a 2005 G35... It wasn't comfortable at all . Just to add the G35 felt like it was over styled lol.

ceb

Seats are going to comfortable for one person and uncomfortable for another. Small adjustments in the rake can make a huge difference in comfort.

Any seat is going to be uncomfortable after a couple of hours. Every driver needs to stop and walk around the car every hour or so.

Also, where is your wallet?

kball

Ha! Reminds me of that Seinfeld episode where George takes out his wallet and its the size of a deli sandwich.

iCrap

Yeah the G35 is much more comfortable. Also you were in a 2005, which is before the redesign. I am talking about a 2007 which is after the redesign.

Mercedes>BMW

kball

^ Still hilarious!
Thx for posting m>beemr

skathe

i had this same problem, lumbar support is to high on my back so what i did which helped tremendously was just got a small oblong throw pillow (about the size of the neck pillows they sell for flying that are microbead) and put it under the lumbar support so it pushes my spine up further and i dont have anymore back pain. can get a picture if ya like.

Mercedes>BMW

lol I watch Seinfeld daily! I love it, and soon I'll start watching Curb.

kball

Curb also beyond brilliant.
(larry david also just wrote and starred in clear history about an electric car on hbo)

2 quick stories (one curb, one seinfeld)

CURB
Summer of 09 (i think) i was power watching curb episodes like 3-4 a day for 2-3 weeks. Was at a Steely Dan concert a couple weeks later and who do i see outside the john after the show? Jeff Garlin (larry's manager/best friend on show). Had a quick chat w him and told him how great he and larry were together on that show. He was "it's all larry". Jeff had suffered a stroke in real life a couple years before but seemed fine.

SEINFELD 1995
Was taking some writing courses at UCLA at night and larry david was a speaker one week. I was writing sitcom scripts back then and really needed a big break. So at the break I went up to chat w larry and see if he'd sign my copy of the seinfeld classic THE CONTEST i brought? Which he was happily willing to.
Asked if he could sign it-- Keith, looking forward to having you on staff next season.
He wrote, Keith, don't hold your breath.
So i didnt. And wasn't.

Mercedes>BMW

I find that when my back hurts that if I go out for a drive that's when I really feel the firmness of the seat.

Nukebug

M>BMW.... When I first got my 2012, I was in the same boat as you. My back hurt and I did not think the seats were very comfortable at all. I was coming from a large vehicle (Avalanche) which has a more upright posture. I found out over time that it was me not the seats. I was trying to adjust the seat like I was used to in the old vehicle. After my son had borrowed the TSX and TOTALLY screwed up all of my presets, I had to start over from scratch and lowered the seat almost all the way to the floor and changed the steering wheel position and every other setting. Lo and behold after about a week of slight adjustments I was comfortable and felt secure at the same time. As others have said, they hold you tightly, and try different adjustments.

gonzo08452

I guess I'm the exception since I find my seats perfectly comfortable....even on long trips. I'm 5'10" and nowhere near 400 el bees.

TSXmace

^_^ If someone is having problems with a seat who has 10+ adjustments its not necessarily the seat, more likely its you. Your back pain can be from variety of reasons. Most vehicles with sport/firm suspension have this issue, so the adjustments are there to assist you. You should stay away from vehicles with sport tuned suspension and go for luxury or touring once.
My brother was a trucker and drove 50k+ miles a year and had the same issue. Turned out it was the wallet in his back pocket.

gonzo08452

^^ I use a hipster wallet. Nice and sleek and fits perfectly in my front pocket.

TSXmace

^_^...Glad I'm not the only one...

Mr. TTL

6'2", 240lbs, Came from a Ram Crew Cab, also had an 08 G35S. I find the seats in my TSX to be very comfortable. Just did 400 miles straight and felt great when I got out. The rake and seat height adjustments are important to getting it "just right" but once there, easily an all day seat. And, very good at holding me in place during those "professional driver on a closed course" moments!

PyroDave

My wallet doesn't feel comfy in the front pocket, but I have noticed on long drives if I sit on it right some pain very similar to sciatica. I just take it out, usually gets better. Front left pocket is keys, mints, and 2 pens. Right pocket is cell, comb, microfiber for glasses, and lighter lmfao