I can't take it anymore!

[AnxietyRanger]

Sorry to hear about your troubles, @mohanman.

Have you tried adjusting the air suspension to different heights? I have noticed both my Model S and Model X have been stiffer on higher settings, even though the dampeners are of course the same no matter the setting. Might be worth playing with, if you haven't already?

Personally I have noticed that the Tesla's premium seats are not very wide. It would be nice to have adjustable width and seat length like many cars in this price range have.

I guess you found the reason already, but out of abundance of caution some more angles: Someone asked already, is this issue during daytime or at night or both? I wonder if the common ghosting of the windshield might cause issues for some people. Would polarizing sun glasses help any?

Finally, try playing with tire pressures?

 

[FlyF4]

Ok guys, what am I doing wrong?! My neck, my shoulders, my back are driving me nuts. I thought I was going to scream on the way back home (45 minute drive). I have tried every single position, tried numerous seat cushions.. I can't do it anymore. How can you guys possibly drive this car long trips? Someone send me some sort of opinion on what I should do. I have the Tan perforated leather. Is it possible my seat is defective? Also I get dizzy, and headache mostly in the frontal area of my head. What is going on?! I have the steering wheel to comfort mode, I have the autorgen to off so I don't keep bobbing my head forward and back . My wife sits in the passenger seat claims its the most comfortable seat ever.. but Im like your joking. Has to be defective driver seat?

Interesting. I have the opposite effect. So I don't know what to say. Whenever I would drive my wife's new "luxury" Toyota Avalon, I'd have the same complaints you do after about an hour. On the model X, I can drive that thing for hours and hours and still feel comfortable. It's easy on my well over 60 year old body.

 

[FlyF4]

That is just what I was going to post. I do not see how a car seat could produce the symptoms described. See a qualified physician. Immediately.

Yup, that is what I was thinking as well.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

Interesting. I have the opposite effect. So I don't know what to say. Whenever I would drive my wife's new "luxury" Toyota Avalon, I'd have the same complaints you do after about an hour. On the model X, I can drive that thing for hours and hours and still feel comfortable. It's easy on my well over 60 year old body.

Yup, that is what I was thinking as well.

@FlyF4

I'm sorry but I don't get you. First you tell us you get the OP's symptoms in a Toyota Avalon, but then go on to say seek a physician because you can't see how a car could cause this?

Please clarify?

 

[FlyF4]

@FlyF4

I'm sorry but I don't get you. First you tell us you get the OP's symptoms in a Toyota Avalon, but then go on to say seek a physician because you can't see how a car could cause this?

Please clarify?

yea, good point. Sorry to not be clear. That's what I did. I went to see the doc. He told me that my model X seat ergonomics are probably better for "ME" than the wife's car. Thus, it probably just depends on the individual. He suggested a change to the Toyota for adding a lower back support and neck support on the Toyota and it greatly helped on long trips. I still like the X for my body though.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

yea, good point. Sorry to not be clear. That's what I did. I went to see the doc. He told me that my model X seat ergonomics are probably better for "ME" than the wife's car. Thus, it probably just depends on the individual. He suggested a change to the Toyota for adding a lower back support and neck support on the Toyota and it greatly helped on long trips. I still like the X for my body though.

Fair enough! Thanks for clarifying, makes sense. Medical advice can certainly help pinpoint individual concerns (which can vary from person to person even amongst healthy people).

 

[FlyF4]

Fair enough! Thanks for clarifying, makes sense. Medical advice can certainly help pinpoint individual concerns (which can vary from person to person even amongst healthy people).

Yea, and to add.... in my case a little bit of arthritis in the shoulders was the worst part. For whatever reason, my body style,, the X was a lot more comfortable for me in that region. And he did say as you mention, some driving stress can occur even in healthy people if they area not used to a seat that is the same as what they usually sit in during the day.

 

[gabeincal]

My sciatica goes crazy in the old original Model S seats, yet I managed to set my next-gen seats to a position in which I can do 8 hours of driving with little or no pain. Lots of good videos on youtube about properly setting your seat. Start with height, and seat back angle, then pedal distance, then play with the steering wheel. I guarantee you that you can find a reasonably good position, but it will take a lot of adjustment and not fine adjustments!! Do big, major adjustments and see how it's affecting you. And of course, go and talk to a physician or chiropractor to find the underlying cause...

 

[gabeincal]

Also, to this, I had major pain after an hour in the original S seats (and I'm 34 yrs old). After finding a reasonably good position in my next-gens, I just did 3000 miles in under 2 weeks. No pain whatsoever!!!

 

[AnxietyRanger]

Also, to this, I had major pain after an hour in the original S seats (and I'm 34 yrs old). After finding a reasonably good position in my next-gens, I just did 3000 miles in under 2 weeks. No pain whatsoever!!!

Good info, thanks.

Though if the issue is ride harshness, seating alone may not help.

Any good suggestions to softening the Model X's ride? 20" were already suggested and applied. How about tire pressure, could lessening that help or hurt? Any recommended air suspension settings? Anyone setup aftermarket dampeners to help? Other ideas?

 

[Electric700]

Shot in the dark. Might you be allergic to the fumes given off by the interior?? Although it sounds like you have had the car for awhile and the fumes must have dissipated by now. My wife can hardly stand the smell but the charcoal filters on recirculate seem to be handling it.

You could also try opening the windows for a minute while driving. That should help to clear the air.

 

[bak_phy]

Have you tried to have the wife drive and you sit in the passenger seat? Seems like an obvious test of whether it's the car.
Given that you find the regen to be too harsh I'm thinking that you are essentially getting motion sickness.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

Have you tried to have the wife drive and you sit in the passenger seat? Seems like an obvious test of whether it's the car.
Given that you find the regen to be too harsh I'm thinking that you are essentially getting motion sickness.

Regen is indeed very powerful on the Model X.

Did the OP try setting regen to low?

 

[FlyF4]

Just thinking out loud here. OP if you think your ride is uncomfortable in yourTesla, try riding in a carrier jet. You take off with 206 bones, and by the time you land, you think you have 412 !!!

Hope you find a solution and share it with us.

 

[UCLA98]

I had experienced similar back pain problem as the OP 3 months after I bought the model S. Like the OP, I tried different seat and back cushions but they didn’t help. I thought I have a problem with my spine due to prolonged sitting at work so I bought an inversion table to help straighten out my spine but that didn’t help either.

I notice that every time I sit on the Model S’s seat, my front/side thigh muscles (the IT bands and the quadriceps) become very tight. When I use a foam roller and a tennis ball to stretch out these tight thigh + the gluteus medius muscles (I learn from watching youtube videos), the lower back pain is immediately relieved. Voila! problem solved. Now every time I am driving, I put 2 tennis balls (one one each side) on my outer thighs to stretch them out. While driving, I move these tennis balls up and down along my thighs to stretch out different spots. No more back pain…. I can enjoy driving again.

 

[UCLA98]

A couple of days ago, I switched from using tennis balls to this LIBA thera cane (Amazon.com: LiBa Back and Neck Massager Tool for Trigger Point: Health & Personal Care). It works much better than the tennis balls.

 

[mohanman]

I am convinced my seat is defective. I am pretty sure. I mean I did not complain once for the first 1000 miles of my model X. Now I have about 5000 miles and my neck, back are killing me. Its like the padding just vanished or sunk in or something. In the perforated wrinkling thread one owner mentioned that Tesla is replacing his seats. Mine has wrinkles all over the place.. I think it needs to be replaced. I will see what Tesla says.

 

[boaterva]

Wonder if they would give you a loaner (overnight) so you could have a long drive in a different car. If that's not been done already, it would rule in/out your seat.

 

[mohanman]

Ok it has been two days.. about 3 hours of driving.. my neck and shoulder pain are probably 90% better since adjusting my seat after 5000 miles.. or maybe it just broke in. Here's crossing my fingers.

 

[mohanman]

Never mind neck pain is back. And my chair feels like it moves back and forward a little bit when I brake