BMW F10 EDC shock absorber replacement and coding
F10/F11: does a new EDC shock absorber have to be coded to the car?
Yes. A new electronically adjustable shock comes without settings, and without coding the car gives a fault message, works only in comfort mode and the rear feels hard. A used shock also contains the data of the previous car, so it is coded too. Coding requires a workshop diagnostic tool.
What should be taken into account when replacing an EDC rear shock absorber?
The air spring pushes the wheel carrier down, so the carrier is supported or the air pressure is released, which is the safer way. The electrical connector is disconnected before the bolts are opened. After the replacement the air suspension system is filled and activated, the ride height is calibrated and sometimes a vertical acceleration sensor adjustment is done.
How do I recognise that the car has EDC, and how does a shock fault show?
EDC, or Adaptive Drive, appears in the car's equipment list as code S2VA. An electrically failed shock is rock hard and gives an error message. When the damping simply runs out, the shock is soft and no message appears. The rear shocks usually fail first.