City suspension?

[Ultimatemj]

When I bought my 2012 E92 ZCP the prior owner had the EDC coded out and installed FortuneAuto coilovers.

I like the ride height, but after changing adjustments multiple times I have decided the 8k front + the damping of this brand/model is "too stiff" for city driving (pot holes, ridges, ripples, etc).

I have the original ZCP/EDC dampers in a box, they have 37k miles on them.

Pondering my options:
1) replace coilovers with a different brand/model (Ohlins R/T, Bilsteins, etc) - pro is it's an easy swap, con is it might not be better for my application
2) replace the 37k ZCP/EDCs and find someone to code back on the EDC - pro likely to meet my suspension needs, con is likely to require troubleshooting, EDC part replacements, and more down time.
3) buy new ZCP/EDC and find someone to code back on the EDC - pro likely to meet my suspension needs, con is likely to require troubleshooting, EDC part replacements, and more down time...and most expensive.

I'm also not sure what the ZCP ride height will be like compared to current.

Lastly, I'm at 49k...does it make sense to do any particular refresh/maintenance at the same time?

Thanks for any experiences or insights shared.

[tbuck]

37K should not be enough on those original dampers to require a refresh. I have 38k on mine and they are fine, fairly compliant when off and plenty stiff enough for your basic back-road rip when turned all the way up. Honestly, unless you track the car or do auto-x regularly, coilovers are all about visuals for the most part. If you really want the lowered look, maybe something like the B16 Damptronics system would be a better bet as you will get lowered and have EDC still available when you want.

If it were me I would pull out the ZCP suspension and put it on. See if you like the look and the ride, and if so then get it coded back on. It will work just fine without being coded but will be stuck at the lowest setting. There really should be no reason for it not to work unless the PO cut on the wires. Then all bets are off. In any case, if you can do the work this is a $0.00 cost test.

[Redd]

Ohlins R/T is less harsh than stock EDC on Comfort.

[chutak]

Echoing what tbuck said, try your stock ZCP suspension first. Should be better for city driving. Ride height won't be ridiculous, but the extra clearance might be nice to have for all those speed bumps and steep curb ramps you probably deal with.

If your EDC is beyond repair, there's always non-EDC shocks or a Bilstein B8 + Eibach springs setup.

[Ultimatemj]

Thanks for the feedback,

My main concern with returning to stock ZCP/EDC is restoring the electronics/coding.

The dealer would be able to debug any EDC functional/component issues, but won't want to deal with changing a "tune" code...they'll want to flash it back to stock, which I don't want.

Alternately, finding an independent that can do the both feels like a crap shoot.

Feels like I'm going to end up having to use both (Ind for code and dealer for EDC)

[chutak]

I'm not sure why you need the dealer for EDC. IND can install the suspension and re-code for EDC. Are you saying that the EDC module and wire harness have been deleted/removed?

[tbuck]

Yeah, not following. All anyone would do is turn the EDC back on in the code, which is not much different from changing any of the cars functions. No dealer needed. Again, unless the wiring has been removed....

[Ultimatemj]

Originally Posted by chutak

I'm not sure why you need the dealer for EDC. IND can install the suspension and re-code for EDC. Are you saying that the EDC module and wire harness have been deleted/removed?

I'm not sure what was/wasn't done regarding the delete...and experience tells me electronic systems don't "just work".

IND said to me "we don't do coding, call ApineMSS and see what they think"

If I'm lucky all is "good to go" and I just need a simple code push...

[Ultimatemj]

Originally Posted by tbuck

Yeah, not following. All anyone would do is turn the EDC back on in the code, which is not much different from changing any of the cars functions. No dealer needed. Again, unless the wiring has been removed....

Wiring is a question...I've got a box with dampers and ziploc bags of some rubber parts.

"EDC code back on" doesn't seem like a "no bigs"...more like a) find a competent coder and b) debug why it's not working after being coded on.

[tbuck]

My point was that coding of that type can be done with nothing more that a Bimmergeeks ProTool, and that it is simply a switch of one check box. That is a "no bigs" kind of thing. In general all you are doing is plugging in an electronic device and turning it on. There may or may not be problems, of course, but if the plugs are still there it is unlikely the PO would have done any other cutting on the system. In any case, good luck!

[Staszek]

Originally Posted by Ultimatemj

Thanks for the feedback,

My main concern with returning to stock ZCP/EDC is restoring the electronics/coding.

The dealer would be able to debug any EDC functional/component issues, but won't want to deal with changing a "tune" code...they'll want to flash it back to stock, which I don't want.

Alternately, finding an independent that can do the both feels like a crap shoot.

Feels like I'm going to end up having to use both (Ind for code and dealer for EDC)

I see you are in Chicago, PE (Performance Eurowerks) could do both. They did all the coding and programming on my S54 E30. They build full race cars as well as do maintaince work on mulitple BMWs. The owner has an E90 M3 as one of his cars.

Check them out, they were in Buffalo Grove but moved to a new shop closer to O'hare in Elk Grove so they could get room for a full Dyno.

[SYT_Shadow]

Super easy to code edc back on


Despite what some people say, stock suspension is the most comfortable. Stock stock, not stock dampers with H&R springs, etc

[nrubenstein]

Originally Posted by SYT_Shadow

Super easy to code edc back on


Despite what some people say, stock suspension is the most comfortable. Stock stock, not stock dampers with H&R springs, etc

Stock springs and a Koni setup is even better. I'm running non-M front Konis and TC Kline D/A rears on mine.

Adjustable from gooshy to firm.

I tried the Ohlins and like this better. (Speaking of which, I have an Ohlins set to sell.)

Edit: Note that the front Konis require an adapter to fit in the knuckle, and a little bit of modification to sit at the right height. IIRC, they also require camber plates.

[akkando]

Originally Posted by Ultimatemj

Wiring is a question...I've got a box with dampers and ziploc bags of some rubber parts.

"EDC code back on" doesn't seem like a "no bigs"...more like a) find a competent coder and b) debug why it's not working after being coded on.

You seem to think it's not going to work. My understanding is turning EDC on and off is trivial. Ask Alpine or Mike at BPMSport

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by akkando

You seem to think it's not going to work. My understanding is turning EDC on and off is trivial. Ask Alpine or Mike at BPMSport

It is trivial. I do it myself.

No one de-wired the whole car...

[Ultimatemj]

Originally Posted by SYT_Shadow

It is trivial. I do it myself. No one de-wired the whole car...

Hoping it is as easy as plugging everything in and flipping the switch!

Do y'all know if, say one damper isn't "working", will it show up in the vehicle status, throw a code, or just not ride great?

And is the Bimmergeeks ProTool "the way to go"?


This weekend I'm going to unpack the box from the prior owner and see what all is in there.


Thanks for the feedback y'all.

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by Ultimatemj

Hoping it is as easy as plugging everything in and flipping the switch!

Do y'all know if, say one damper isn't "working", will it show up in the vehicle status, throw a code, or just not ride great?

And is the Bimmergeeks ProTool "the way to go"?


This weekend I'm going to unpack the box from the prior owner and see what all is in there.


Thanks for the feedback y'all.

If one doesn't work it should be a freak accident, no reason why one wouldn't work. Not sure if there's an ISTA test to figure it out

I prefer to do the coding myself or reach out to an experienced coder, I have never had good luck with Thor/Carly and others