PLEASE HELP - 14-way seats in my 991 are KILLING my back. I hate driving this car.

robotsex · 03-06-2015, 08:24 PM

I recently bought a 2012.5 991 Carrera S after my 3.2 Carrera was stolen and the seats are so uncomfortable I dread driving the car. I have the 14-way seats and the lumbar support is awful for me. I'm young and in relatively good physical condition and don't have chronic back problems, yet the cockpit stance and seat configuration is vexing at best. I have a 7 speed and the necessity to move my body to throttle, press clutch, and shift required my back to be properly supported, but it clearly isn't.

I was going to take the car to the local Porsche dealer and see if I can find a way to fix this or replace the seats with different porsche seats or aftermarket ones. Any thoughts? I've been through about $500 of lumbar support pillow options and none make a substantial difference. Best I get is a manageable driving experience without too much pain. This is bizarre.

tubwreck · 03-08-2015, 12:52 AM

I recently went from an '88 3.2 to a '14 991 with the 4-way manual seats and I haven't had any problems (I know that's not helpful). What happens if you slide the forward to the point where you can reach the shifter without having to move your body? Are the pedals too far away or too close at that point? I would try to get the pedals and shift as close as you can, and then adjust the wheel position.

Sapientoni · Sapientoni's Garage

Some vehicles have two or more mounting holes in the sliders. That might get you some relief there. Don't know of much adjustment if any on the pedals. Spacers with flathead screws for mounting and threaded holes for the seat tracks could place you any distance you needed from the wheel and pedals.

robotsex · 03-15-2015, 02:46 PM

Quick update. I followed tubwrecks advice and it has helped a lot. I basically have to cram my body (in a good) way so that my seat is around 100 degrees aligned and I can shift with the shifter without having to fully extend my elbow. Feet and knees and seat are about as close to the front as I can get without crunching my knees into the lower part of the dash.

Overall my how I'd normally choose to sit. But this, combined with the lumbar at max drops lumbar support low enough to support my lower back while shifting and driving and operating the pedals. Probably some more tuning to go but the agonizing discomfort is alleviated.

Thanks!