Z4 E89 M series Dynamic Driving Control (comfort/sport/sport +) UK spec

[philip hedley]

Greeting and Salutations,

I was looking to buy a 2011 - 2014 Z4 E89 M series 20i for a post retirement present. I have been swotting up, however I'm confused about the Dynamic Driving Control (comfort/sport/sport +) and Adaptive Suspension. Some of the info I've read seems to say the Dynamic Driving Control (comfort/sport/sport +) included Adaptive Suspension whilst others indicate it was an optional extra?

Therefore my questions are:

Q1. Is the "comfort/sport/sport + modes" inclusive of Adaptive Suspension or was it an optional extra?

Q2. If Adaptive Suspension was an optional extra, rather than remove the wheels on the garage forecourt is there an easy way to tell if it's fitted?

Q3. Does Dynamic Driving Control (comfort/sport/sport +) and/or Adaptive Suspension adjust the height of suspension? My drive slopes up from the road and I'm concerned about ground clearance, hence also looking for a car with 19" wheels.

Q4. Unrelated question, but I looked at a 2015, 20000 miles car today. It didn't have run flats fitted and I thought they were fitted as standard?

TIA

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Phil,

Adaptive suspension was normally only fitted as standard to the 35is.

It was a rarely specified option on all others.

Separately M Sport springs / dampers were standard on MSport versions of all cars apart from 35is using normal fixed springs n dampers.

MSport springs n dampers were a rarely specified optional extra on other models.

Q2 no..in theory if you could measure to a 5mm tolerance and you had a normal E89 and an MSport you could tell.

DDC does not dynamically affect ride height, on adaptive suspension it alters the damping rate AFAIK only.

Ride height is the same height irrespective of wheel size as tyre size is adjusted to suit.

MSport has 15mm lower springs, adaptive 10mm lower than standard.

Runflats were OE, most Forumites and many others replace them with non run-flats.

 

[Boltz]

Hello Philip,

I will try and answer your questions and hopefully someone later on the forum can back me up or correct me as appropriate.
Q1. I believe the active suspension may have been an optional extra as I have an Msport package but the car does not have active suspension.
Q2. If you can obtain the chassis number which is then entered on certain websites it will show what the vehicle is equipped with.
Q3. I would imagine that the active suspension would be altered by putting the car into the different modes.
Q4. Most owners on this forum will tell you to remove the runflat tyres as the ride and drivability of the car is much improved and this is probably why the car you looked at is not fitted with them

Just noted Peter has responded

 

[Argyll Andy]

Q2. If Adaptive Suspension was an optional extra, rather than remove the wheels on the garage forecourt is there an easy way to tell if it's fitted?

Popped out for a look, I’m sure this is what identifies adaptive suspension at a glance. There’s one on each side of the scuttle, same barcode except one starts AL, the other AR which I’m presuming is Adaptive Left/Right

 

[Pondy]

Popped out for a look, I’m sure this is what identifies adaptive suspension at a glance. There’s one on each side of the scuttle, same barcode except one starts AL, the other AR which I’m presuming is Adaptive Left/Right

After seeing this popped out to check mine (just in case). If this is correct, which I have no reason to doubt, my lowly little 18i has adaptive dampers! Woohoo. I am a little sceptical that my poverty spec has it, though!

OP if if hasn't got runflats on it, that is a big bonus (as long as you have a can of tyre weld in the boot) in case of a puncture.

 

[Ole gits rule]

Is there not anything within the stickers, there is comfort / sport / sport+ but I remember reading that normal can replace comfort, anyone know the difference?

 

[Argyll Andy]

Popped out for a look, I’m sure this is what identifies adaptive suspension at a glance. There’s one on each side of the scuttle, same barcode except one starts AL, the other AR which I’m presuming is Adaptive Left/Right

After seeing this popped out to check mine (just in case). If this is correct, which I have no reason to doubt, my lowly little 18i has adaptive dampers! Woohoo. I am a little sceptical that my poverty spec has it, though!

OP if if hasn't got runflats on it, that is a big bonus (as long as you have a can of tyre weld in the boot) in case of a puncture.

OP, I can’t get that bar code/part number to come up in any search so wait until it’s confirmed by someone else to be sure.

My 23i didn’t have that and when I was checking the car over when buying it at the dealers I asked what the item I circled was and they said it was to do with the adaptive suspension.

Pondrew, what does yours say on the vin decoder? Mine has 2VFAdaptiv M Suspension

 

[Pondy]

Pondrew, what does yours say on the vin decoder? Mine has 2VFAdaptiv M Suspension

I haven't been able to find one that I don't have to pay for. Found a couple of free ones which either don't recognise UK cars, or have been just wrong. One said mine is an auto which it definitely isn't.
If I could find a piece of road without a bloody tractor or lorry on it, I might be able to tell by the trusty old "seat of the pants" test.
I went out to get some more info. The stickers on the shocks don't help. The stickers on the "tubes" near the bulkhead is hard to see and I can't read German anyway
If that is the active dampers, I now want to know how they work. I was expecting to see hydraulic pumps piggy-backing the shocks, or something similar, but nothing.

 

[Smartbear]

That’s not adaptive suspension gubbins, it’s the pedestrian safety bonnet rams which lift the bonnet during an accident to reduce injury.
Adaptive suspension has wires going to the damper body
Rob

 

[Pondy]

That’s not adaptive suspension gubbins, it’s the pedestrian safety bonnet rams which lift the bonnet during an accident to reduce injury.
Adaptive suspension has wires going to the damper body

Sorry Andy but that does make much more sense. When I first noticed them I thought they looked like explosive charges; I was going to ask the question a while ago and then got way-laid by "the other" thread
I went back out (for the umpteenth time tonight) as I thought how could they fire the bonnet up if it is bolted to the brackets. The brackets are two piece, the top part just sits on top of the cantilevers with a locator. So, in theory (I didn't try it) you could lift the rear of the bonnet up off the raising brackets by hand with the bonnet closed! It's amazing what you find if you look

Rob: Are they for pedestrian safety, or to push the bonnet up to take some of the impact in a roll-over situation? As the roof has no real structural strength, is it to "help out" the windscreen? Just a thought!

 

[Pondy]

OP. Sorry for hi-jacking your thread. It happens a lot around here; you'll get used to it and it is quite interesting

 

[Argyll Andy]

That’s not adaptive suspension gubbins, it’s the pedestrian safety bonnet rams which lift the bonnet during an accident to reduce injury.
Adaptive suspension has wires going to the damper body
Rob

Cheers Rob

 

[Argyll Andy]

Pondrew, what does yours say on the vin decoder? Mine has 2VFAdaptiv M Suspension

I haven't been able to find one that I don't have to pay for. Found a couple of free ones which either don't recognise UK cars, or have been just wrong. One said mine is an auto which it definitely isn't.
If I could find a piece of road without a bloody tractor or lorry on it, I might be able to tell by the trusty old "seat of the pants" test.
I went out to get some more info. The stickers on the shocks don't help. The stickers on the "tubes" near the bulkhead is hard to see and I can't read German anyway
If that is the active dampers, I now want to know how they work. I was expecting to see hydraulic pumps piggy-backing the shocks, or something similar, but nothing.

OP if you can get the VIN number run it through here and you’ll get the full spec. Often worth doing before viewing as you’ll see what it does/doesn’t have

http://bimmer.work/

 

[Smartbear]

That’s not adaptive suspension gubbins, it’s the pedestrian safety bonnet rams which lift the bonnet during an accident to reduce injury.
Adaptive suspension has wires going to the damper body

Sorry Andy but that does make much more sense. When I first noticed them I thought they looked like explosive charges; I was going to ask the question a while ago and then got way-laid by "the other" thread
I went back out (for the umpteenth time tonight) as I thought how could they fire the bonnet up if it is bolted to the brackets. The brackets are two piece, the top part just sits on top of the cantilevers with a locator. So, in theory (I didn't try it) you could lift the rear of the bonnet up off the raising brackets by hand with the bonnet closed! It's amazing what you find if you look

Rob: Are they for pedestrian safety, or to push the bonnet up to take some of the impact in a roll-over situation? As the roof has no real structural strength, is it to "help out" the windscreen? Just a thought!

Defo for pedestrians, it’s designed to reduce injury. Only fitted to later cars i think, pedestrian impact safety system (P.I.S.S)
Rob

 

[Anonymous]

That’s not adaptive suspension gubbins, it’s the pedestrian safety bonnet rams which lift the bonnet during an accident to reduce injury.
Adaptive suspension has wires going to the damper body
Rob

Rob, another thing I’ve learned, splendid

 

[Pondy]

pedestrian impact safety system (P.I.S.S)

So if you hit a pedestrian, they are literally taking the PISS

 

[enuff_zed]

pedestrian impact safety system (P.I.S.S)

So if you hit a pedestrian, they are literally taking the PISS

I thought it was designed so that if some idiot stepped in front of you, it fired them safely over a hedge somewhere, so you could continue on your way with a clear conscience?

 

[Smartbear]

pedestrian impact safety system (P.I.S.S)

So if you hit a pedestrian, they are literally taking the PISS

I might have made the acronym up
Rob