Is the Electronic Damper Control necessary?

[E89.35i]

What do you guys think about this option?
is it very helpful or useful?

Can anyone explain a little how to use it and when to use it?

I have read the article about Electronic Damper Control, and it is basically about the traction on the road.
But is this option really necessary?

[Purple88Gold]

Necessary? No. If you track the car, maybe. If budget is a bit of an issue, don't get it.

[Jaypod]

Originally Posted by Purple88Gold

Necessary? No. If you track the car, maybe. If budget is a bit of an issue, don't get it.

+1

Day to day driving - definitely not necessary. I am sure there are members here who track their cars that can attest that they feel the difference under high speed cornering etc.

I bought my car off the lot and it did not have it, but had everything else I wanted so rather than wait I went for it. Had I ordered the car i would have added it - why not?

[camaross305]

I dont track my car and i love it. I can have it set in comfort mode cruising around town, Normal mode when i press the M button, and i just tap the EDC button to sport mode if i see a tight corner coming up. Its awesome. I love to be able to adjust the suspension on the fly. If i didnt have EDC i would def. get kw3's or some type of CO.

[shakan]

Originally Posted by camaross305

I dont track my car and i love it. I can have it set in comfort mode cruising around town, Normal mode when i press the M button, and i just tap the EDC button to sport mode if i see a tight corner coming up. Its awesome. I love to be able to adjust the suspension on the fly. If i didnt have EDC i would def. get kw3's or some type of CO.

So what is the suspension in a car without EDC, is it "Normal" or "Sport"?

[camaross305]

Originally Posted by shakan

So what is the suspension in a car without EDC, is it "Normal" or "Sport"?

To be honest i have no idea.... my guess would be somewhere around normal. Because comfort would be to soft to give the m3 its excellent handling and sport would be too stiff to drive around all the time.

[CodeRed]

Highly recommended, or spend it on motons

[GregW / Oregon]

Originally Posted by E89.35i

What do you guys think about this option?
is it very helpful or useful?

Can anyone explain a little how to use it and when to use it?

I have read the article about Electronic Damper Control, and it is basically about the traction on the road.
But is this option really necessary?

It's not about traction so much as suspension tuning depending on conditions. When you're cruising with your girl or commuting, put it on COMFORT for a nice ride without floppiness that comes with most such settings. NORMAL is good for most situations, with firme control, but still quite comfortable. Even the journalists have commented that it works better on most tracks than SPORT, which is the one setting that's not dyamic or active (doesn't adjust on the fly per sensor feedback). I never use sport except on the smoothest of surfaces. I think it's worthwhile unless you may want to do coilovers for the track.

[E89.35i]

Originally Posted by GregW / Oregon

It's not about traction so much as suspension tuning depending on conditions. When you're cruising with your girl or commuting, put it on COMFORT for a nice ride without floppiness that comes with most such settings. NORMAL is good for most situations, with firme control, but still quite comfortable. Even the journalists have commented that it works better on most tracks than SPORT, which is the one setting that's not dyamic or active (doesn't adjust on the fly per sensor feedback). I never use sport except on the smoothest of surfaces. I think it's worthwhile unless you may want to do coilovers for the track.

So for those of you who have EDC in your car. Do you really "feel" the difference when put it in comfort, normal, and sport? like in comfort mode, Do you really feel the "comfort"?

IF it doesnt have EDC, it should be like in normal then?
In that case I would say, it's not really necessary since "NORMAL is good for most situations, with firme control, but still quite comfortable"
unless the comfort mode is very "comfortible", that you can feel a very big difference.

[alpineweissM3]

On well paved roads, you're not going to feel much of a difference. I drive through a tunnel every morning on my way to work that has a rippled surface. You can most definitly tell a difference on this type of surface. Had I ordered a car, I would have passed on the EDC. But, I must say it is nice to have.

[GTM]

I was the one who didnt want to get EDC, but I had no choise since I had to pick up 08s on the dealer lot.

Unless you have plan to lower your car much or get good set of coilovers, you MUST get this option.

I set my M3 at comfort mode pretty much all the time.
Even with 19in, it's very comfortable, yet still very reponsive.

I really like how M3 rides in comfort mode, I would never switched to normal/sports mode unless on I am driving really hard.
Also the handling limit of the car is more forgiving at comfort mode for street driving.

So... if you willing to drive M3 as daily & have no plan for suspension modification, I would definitly get the EDC.
It's worth every penny.

[GregW / Oregon]

Originally Posted by E89.35i

IF it doesnt have EDC, it should be like in normal then?
In that case I would say, it's not really necessary since "NORMAL is good for most situations, with firme control, but still quite comfortable"
unless the comfort mode is very "comfortible", that you can feel a very big difference.

The standard shocks are not "active", so the base suspension will not be eaxctly like any EDC setting, though overall it's close to Normal in feel.

[shakan]

Originally Posted by GregW / Oregon

The standard shocks are not "active", so the base suspension will not be eaxctly like any EDC setting, though overall it's close to Normal in feel.

Thanks, that's exactly what I was trying to find out - whether it matches any of the settings in EDC or it is completely separate though close to one of the EDC settings.