E70 Accelerator Pedal Adjustment

[scchang]

My wife drives a 2010 X35d with comfort seats. She's experiencing right knee pain while driving which she doesn't experience in other vehicles including an 2001 E53 with sport seats. I actually measured the force required to get each X5 to 3000 rpm and it was nearly identical (don't remember the numbers). Is there a feasible way that the pedal resistance can be decreased?

Thanks for any help!

[JCL]

Haven't heard of adjusting the pedal resistance.

I would be looking to adjust the seat differently. With the comfort seat, there are simply so many adjustments that it can take a while to find the right spot.

From years of experience cycling, knee pain is often addressed on a bike by fitting and alignment. Just sounds very similar.

[scchang]

We'll definitely look closer at driving position as well. I want to consider all options. Thanks for the advice.

[Richard in NC]

I would try various angles of the seat bottom to increase or decrease the thigh, knee support. Tip it up in the front and extend the thigh support for 1 week, see if that helps. If not, lower the front and pull the support back in.

I have long legs and found I need a lot of knee/thigh support for the most long term comfort.

The BMW Performance Center has these recommendations for seat adjustment.
1. Adjust fore/aft to be able to floor the brake pedal and still have a slightly bent knee. The gas pedal should then be a proper distance too.
2. Adjust the height so your head is within 2-3 inches (fist width) from the roof. This gives the most visibility. This is more elevated than some like but gives the most control too.
3. Adjust the recline to be fairly upright but comfortable. "No ghetto driving with the seat fully reclined please..." You need to be at least 10-12 inches from the wheel/air bag. The bend in your wrists should be the exact distance to the top of the wheel so there is a comfortable elbow bend when at 9 and 3. With the multi contour, you can adjust the upper back to fine tune the distance and get the proper shoulder support.
4. Adjust the top of the headrest height at least to the height of the top of your ears. You can use the multi contour upper back adjustment to bring the headrest in closer.
5. Adjust seat bottom angle for proper support of knees, thighs, etc. Re-adjust recline if necessary.
6. Fine tune fore/aft and recline to not loose the proper distance to the brake pedal. If too far from the pedals, move forward and use more recline. If too close, back it up and use less recline.
7. Adjust anything else to comfort.
They said the proper position gives the most control, support, long term comfort, and safety all at the same time.

[kthankzbye]

Good post Richard. This might help me enjoy the ride a little more.

[Gregory34]

Try sprintbooster?

[brian5]

Originally Posted by Gregory34

Try sprintbooster?

No, definitely not! Please search on my posts on Sprintbooster problems with E70 before contemplating.

[JCL]

Sprintbooster doesn't change the pedal mechanically, just electronically.

[ukwildcat]

Originally Posted by Richard in NC

I would try various angles of the seat bottom to increase or decrease the thigh, knee support. Tip it up in the front and extend the thigh support for 1 week, see if that helps. If not, lower the front and pull the support back in.

I have long legs and found I need a lot of knee/thigh support for the most long term comfort.

The BMW Performance Center has these recommendations for seat adjustment.
1. Adjust fore/aft to be able to floor the brake pedal and still have a slightly bent knee. The gas pedal should then be a proper distance too.
2. Adjust the height so your head is within 2-3 inches (fist width) from the roof. This gives the most visibility. This is more elevated than some like but gives the most control too.
3. Adjust the recline to be fairly upright but comfortable. "No ghetto driving with the seat fully reclined please..." You need to be at least 10-12 inches from the wheel/air bag. The bend in your wrists should be the exact distance to the top of the wheel so there is a comfortable elbow bend when at 9 and 3. With the multi contour, you can adjust the upper back to fine tune the distance and get the proper shoulder support.
4. Adjust the top of the headrest height at least to the height of the top of your ears. You can use the multi contour upper back adjustment to bring the headrest in closer.
5. Adjust seat bottom angle for proper support of knees, thighs, etc. Re-adjust recline if necessary.
6. Fine tune fore/aft and recline to not loose the proper distance to the brake pedal. If too far from the pedals, move forward and use more recline. If too close, back it up and use less recline.
7. Adjust anything else to comfort.
They said the proper position gives the most control, support, long term comfort, and safety all at the same time.

I had the same problem with my GX, actually - knee pain / fatigue / almost an arthritis-like feeling after more than not very long (an hour?) in the car.

Like Richard says - use those thigh supports, and I would adjust them in EXACTLY that order as well. Just a small adjustment made all the difference to me.

Of course, everyone that gets in it asks me why there's a hole in the seat. Usually right before trying to rip the door handle off to get out.

[scchang]

Thanks everyone for the helpful info.