[redcruiser]

I am creating this thread because I could not find any thread on this topic.

I have struggled many times to get the right seating setup of my car's pilot seat as it was prior to handing over my car to someone else.I am sure many of you have had similar predicament.
Most common situations where I feel that I need a car with memory seats are

• Getting my car keys back from the parking valet.I then realise my driving seat position gone haywire.

• Alternating my driving duties with someone else who has his own seating setup.

I know Memory settings for seats are present in high end cars but the question here is :how can I achieve the same in my car?

Variables to play with are:
1. Seat Inclination angle.
2. Height adjustment.
3. Seat distance adjustment from the steering.
4. Rake and Reach adjustments in the steering.

Please Note: Here I am not talking about the best driving position but to get back the same setup before it got altered.

Common guys pour in your views.

[Rachit.K.Dogra]

I suffer from this problem a lot too. I am quite fussy about the driving position too and once the car goes for cleaning, I keep searching for that old position for days.

The one way is to make 1 thing constant. Have a mark or something. And I guess this only 1 thing can be the seat base. Request people taking your car to not change the steering position. Once 2 out of the three variable are constant, finding the third becomes easier.

CHEERS!!

Rachit

[deetjohn]

Originally Posted by redcruiser

I have struggled many times to get the right seating setup of my car's pilot seat as it was prior to handing over my car to someone else. I am sure many of you have had similar predicament.

Yes, it used to drive me nuts when I take the car back after a service. I just need to find that right position always. Not a centimeter here nor there. A bit paranoid you can say. LOL

Originally Posted by redcruiser

I know Memory settings for seats are present in high end cars but the question here is :how can I achieve the same in my car?

Variables to play with are:
1. Seat Inclination angle.
2. Height adjustment.
3. Seat distance adjustment from the steering.
4. Rake and Reach adjustments in the steering.

Ford has a rotary knob for controlling seat back angle (1). The rotary knob takes time to change the angle but offers precise control. What I have done is sticking a small rectangular piece of black tape on the knob so that I know how much to turn once the seat is almost where I want it to be.

Same goes for the distance from steering wheel. See the red circles in the pic below.


The seat height adjustment and rake of steering is not an issue as I set these always at their lowest position.

Besides, I don't give the car to valet ever. Same goes for others - be it office colleagues or relatives. And I don't ask people for their car keys ever. But I don't decline if they offer it themselves. I do get other cars to drive most often though - for some reason I have been branded a 'driver' for life.

[dhanushs]

I look at three things.

1. Where my palm meets the top of the steering.
2. Not too near or not too far to operate the clutch. And angle of leg when resting it.
3. If the back inclination is comfortable and supportive.

[Vik0728]

Originally Posted by redcruiser

I have struggled many times to get the right seating setup of my car's pilot seat as it was prior to handing over my car to someone else.

Common guys pour in your views.

Thank you redcruiser for starting this thread, and making me realize that I am not the only one who gets into this mess.

I drive a Polo GT, and this little German has every possible adjustments that you have listed. Though the steering column is rarely tampered, the seat height, distance from the pedals and the height always gets messed up "IF & WHEN" somebody else gets behind the wheel.

The situations that I can never avoid:

1. When I drop my car at the VW A.S.S for a regular service.
2. When my spouse gets behind the wheel.
3. When a close friend/family wants to feel the GT rush.

However, I ensure nobody gets behind the wheel during:

1. Valet parking (I always park my car myself)
2. Periodic wash (example at 3M store)
3. Wheel alignment/balancing.

My possible fixes are:

• Considering the fact that the Polo GT has so many adjustments, most of the settings feel quite ok, but I am a bit fussy. So when the seat/steering settings are messed up, it takes me a day or two to get the setting of my liking. I achieve this by taking my GT on a long drive where I can understand the setting I am most comfortable in for a long duration.
• I put the seat to its highest position and then play around with the inclination first, and then the distance from the pedals.
• Personally, my ideal position enables me to rest my elbow on the armrest and adjust the AC/HU buttons. So this is some sort of a clue that I bank on.

P.S - One of the Must Have features in my next car is surely gonna be a driver seat with memory settings.

[abhishek46]

To answer your question "How do you remember your driving position", I personally don't have a fixed driving position.
I can use whatever seat position, my father/father-in-law leaves the car in, with small corrections for pedal reach.

Similarly, when rear passengers complain of lack of space when I am driving, I happily oblige them also, with an extra helping of space behind the driver.

In summary, driving around in a variety of vehicles over time, has made me quite "flexible".

[Skyline_GT]

Finding the right seating position is something that does bother me a little but not too much.
The best way I have found for getting the seat back to the preferred position is to slide the seat all the way back and then bring it forward slowly till the distance of your knees and feet feel just right!
I keep a maximum distance of few centimeters between my knees and the lower steering column as I prefer it over the more relaxed laidback driving positions.

[arvind71181]

Cross posting from another thread where a BHPian has posted a simple solution:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...ml#post4269842

Might work for some of you guys.

[SmartCat]

Haven't really given this much thought, because it has not been much of an issue:

1) At the service station, make some quick seat/steering adjustments so that one is 90% satisfied.
2) Drive till you get to the next traffic signal.
3) At the traffic signal, make finer adjustments till you are 100% satisfied

Basically, one does not need to "remember" driving positions. It is a touch and feel thing.

[VW2010]

Its simple muscle memory. You will automatically know because of the way your muscles are trained by repetition of sitting in the same pose. So you will make adjustments that gets you to 95% of that old position.

Easiest approach is getting a car with memory seats. If not just have reference points. Like center hand rest and gear knob reach position and angle.

Right elbow on car doors(Muscle memory will push you to get to that old position else make you feel uneasy)

[narsi_6989]

Originally Posted by redcruiser

I am creating this thread because I could not find any thread on this topic.
Please Note: Here I am not talking about the best driving position but to get back the same setup before it got altered.

Common guys pour in your views.

So, I am not the only one who is suffering this fate. Thanks redcruiser for starting this thread. The inputs from members here is going to be useful for many like me. I suffer this problem a lot since I share the ride with my Father. More often I face this in my Rapid since all sorts of adjustments are present in it and it goes haywire when my Father uses it. The height goes to topmost position and seat moves forward quite a bit. Mine is a laidback position. I do not face much in Kwid as only reach is adjusted.

Funnily enough, I used to face the problem also when I drive with different outfits . With tight fit pants the position is different and relaxed outfit it is different. I stopped wearing formals and tight fit nowadays.

Normally I keep count of the number of times the height adjustment lever is pushed to go down to least position from my comfortable one. Once I take over from my dad, I go down fully and then pull the lever the exact number of times to get the proper height. Once height is corrected, the remaining becomes bit easy with a short drive.

Originally Posted by deetjohn

Yes, it used to drive me nuts when I take the car back after a service. I just need to find that right position always. Not a centimeter here nor there. A bit paranoid you can say. LOL

Ford has a rotary knob for controlling seat back angle (1). The rotary knob takes time to change the angle but offers precise control. What I have done is sticking a small rectangular piece of black tape on the knob so that I know how much to turn once the seat is almost where I want it to be.

Same goes for the distance from steering wheel. See the red circles in the pic below.

Thanks for the illustration. I have never tried this. Will try this next week when dad will drive down to Bangalore. My Fabia had a rotary knob and it was very easy and precise to find the perfect seat back angle.

[tejas08]

Instinct!

On a serious note, my positions are all extreme due to being 6' 3". So its quite easy for me.

Lowest Seat height, Seat moved farthest back and incline angle that could give racing car a complex (specially because I drive a Honda City).

[centaur]

Best option is to use markers like cello-tapes or make marking using a permanent marker on the seat and the immovable panel below the seat. Next time someone uses your car, just adjust the seat and match the markings

[Nav-i-gator]

I do it this way:

1. Steering rake at its lowest position

2. Seat pushed so far that when the clutch is fully pressed, my leg is straight

3. This one is tricky (I am still struggling here) - the Seat recline angle. Usually I try to see in the ORVMs (if OVRMs are also tampered with, I can only curse the other driver) for the exact view that I had when I gave my car keys to someone else.

[GTO]

I am extremely particular about the perfect driving position. If I'm new to a car (say, a test-drive car), I'll spend a lot of time continually tweaking the steering & seat. The mirrors are the easiest, but the steering + seat are what take time.

- My Civic: Hated someone else driving it because of the multitude of adjustments available & how I'd set them up. This one took me the most time to get right. It was worth it as the Civic had among the best driving positions of any car I've owned.

- 530d: Memory for the seats + steering + ORVMs makes it easy as pie. What's more, I have my entire user profile backed up on a USB stick. Thus, even if she comes back from a major service where the battery was disconnected, getting back my profile (with all settings, including memory seats, ICE, displays etc.) takes a minute.

- Jeep: Damn easy. Just push the seat all the way back. The seat recline angle isn't adjustable, and neither is the steering .

- Sunny: Takes a bit of time, but I don't drive the car too often (like once a month).

The most time I spend on adjustments is whenever I'm test-driving a car that's just been launched.