Coding

F82 M4 EDC Delete: Code Out Adaptive Suspension With E-Sys

Coilovers on your F82 M4? Unplug the VDC module, delete 2VF from the FA and code DSC, HU_NBT, ICM and KOMBI in E-Sys. Tested and working.

Fit coilovers to an F82 M4 and the adaptive dampers are gone. The car doesn't know that. It keeps looking for its EDC, and you get suspension warnings on the dash.

You can buy a plug-in cancellation module, or you can tell the car it never had adaptive suspension in the first place. This guide does the second. You unplug the VDC module in the boot, delete option 2VF from the vehicle order (FA) and recode four modules in E-Sys: DSC, HU_NBT, ICM and KOMBI. Nothing gets flashed.

Tested and working. We went through every step below on an F82 M4, and it does exactly what it says.

Credits

We didn't work this one out. The coding steps come from a PDF guide by 88 Tuning, signed simply "T". The photo in that PDF showing where the VDC module sits is a still from Help Me DIY's video How to CODE OUT EDC on F82/F83 M4 or F80 M3 (Part 1).

Watch that video before you open the boot. It shows where the module sits.

We rewrote the steps in our own words, added a couple of checks, and tested the whole procedure on a car. Thanks to 88 Tuning and Help Me DIY for sharing it.

Quick Checklist

1. Put a battery charger on the car and plug the laptop into the mains.
2. Unplug the VDC module above the battery compartment.
3. Turn off Windows Firewall and connect E-Sys through the gateway URL.
4. Save the FA as a backup, then delete 2VF from it.
5. Write the new FA to the car in VCM.
6. Code DSC, HU_NBT, ICM and KOMBI.
7. Turn the firewall back on and clear any old faults.

What Is 2VF, and Why These Four Modules?

Every BMW carries a vehicle order, the FA. It lists the option codes the car left the factory with, and 2VF is Adaptive M suspension. When E-Sys codes a module, it reads the FA and sets that module up for the options it finds.

Take 2VF out of the FA and recode the modules whose coding depends on it, and they stop expecting adaptive dampers.

What You Need

• A laptop with E-Sys, PSdZData for your car and an ENET cable that connects reliably. If your laptop sleeps or drops the connection mid-session, fix that first with our coding laptop guide.
• Some basic VO coding experience. Every click is written out below, but it helps to have read and saved an FA before.
• A battery charger or power supply that stays on the car for the whole session.
• Access to the battery compartment in the boot.

Step 1: Unplug the VDC Module

With the car off, open the boot and find the VDC module right above the battery compartment. It's a Bosch unit on a metal bracket, with its connectors lined up along one side.

Each connector has a sliding lock. Slide it across to release the plug, then pull the plug straight out. Tape the loose plugs up so they don't rattle around back there.

Step 2: Connect E-Sys Through the Gateway URL

1. Connect the charger and the ENET cable, then switch the ignition on with the engine off.
2. Turn off Windows Firewall for this session: Windows Security → Firewall & network protection, open the active network and switch the firewall off. If it stays on, it can stop E-Sys from reaching the head unit.
3. Launch E-Sys and click Connect. Pick your car's target and choose Connection via gateway URL instead of Connection via VIN. The address looks like tcp://169.254.x.x:6801, with your car's own numbers in place of the x's.

Why not by VIN? 88 Tuning recommends the gateway URL when HU_NBT is one of the modules being coded, and it's the connection we tested with.

If you followed our coding laptop guide, this is the one time the firewall goes off. It goes back on at the end.

Step 3: Back Up the FA, Then Delete 2VF

1. Read the FA from the car and save it as FA STD. This is your untouched original and your only way back, so keep a copy off the laptop as well. Then click Edit to open it in the FA editor.
2. In the tree, find SALAPA-element, right-click it and choose Edit.
3. The box under the tree now shows every option code on the car, separated by commas. Find 2VF and delete it, along with its comma. In the screenshot from the original guide, 2VY sits right next to it, so double-check you've removed the right one.
4. Click the small Apply changes button in the corner of that box, or press Ctrl+Enter. Without it, the edit doesn't stick.
5. Right-click FA at the top of the tree and choose Calculate FP.
6. Save the edited file as FA MODIF.

Step 4: Write the New FA to the Car

1. Go back to Expert Mode and open VCM.
2. On the File tab, under Vehicle Order, click the three dots and load FA MODIF.
3. Right-click the FA tree and choose Calculate FP again.
4. Switch to the Master tab, right next to File, and click Write FA FP.

Is Write FA FP greyed out? Then the FP hasn't been calculated. E-Sys only enables that button after Calculate FP has run on the FA you loaded.

Step 5: Code DSC, HU_NBT, ICM and KOMBI

1. Still in Expert Mode, open Coding and click Read SVT.
2. Hold Ctrl and click DSC, HU_NBT, ICM and KOMBI in the SVT tree.
3. Right-click one of the selected modules and choose Code.

Before you click Read SVT, it's worth a quick look at the FA. Click Read under Vehicle Order, then Activate FA, and check that 2VF is no longer in the list. If it's gone, the car took the new FA in Step 4.

Let all four modules finish coding before you touch anything else. Then switch the ignition off and turn Windows Firewall back on.

After the Coding

Faults logged before you coded can stay in memory. Nothing is wrong anymore, but they sit there until you clear them. Clear the fault memory with ISTA or whatever diagnostic tool you use, start the car and check that nothing comes back.

Keep both files, FA STD and FA MODIF. A dealer update can undo all of this (see the FAQ), and with FA MODIF on hand, putting it back takes two steps.

Going Back to EDC

We haven't had to reverse this, so treat it as untested. FA STD is how you'd do it: plug the VDC module back in, write FA STD to the car the same way as in Step 4, then code the same four modules again.

FAQ

Does this work on the F80 M3 or the F83 M4 Convertible?

Help Me DIY's video names all three cars in its title. We've only tested the procedure on an F82, though. On an F80 or F83, go slowly, check what your FA actually contains, and keep FA STD close.

Do I still need a plug-in EDC delete module?

No. The coding replaces it. Plug-in kits, such as KW's EDC cancellation module, sit in the wiring and stop the error signal without any coding at all. They're the easy option if you don't have E-Sys. If you do, coding costs you nothing but some time.

Can a dealer visit undo the EDC delete?

It can. A software update at the dealer may rewrite the FA and recode the modules, and then the EDC warnings return. If that happens, run Steps 4 and 5 again with your FA MODIF file.

Leave the charger on until the last module finishes, and never pull the ENET cable while E-Sys is working. More guides are under Coding.

Rather not do the E-Sys part yourself? You unplug the VDC module, and I'll do the coding remotely.

Files

• CODING-EDC-DELETE-ON-F82-M4.pdf