Does Your Car Have Adaptive Dampers? Keep Them, Cancel Them or Replace Them
Yes, you can run coilovers on a car with adaptive dampers. The coilovers adaptive suspension question comes down to one choice. Keep the factory dampers, keep the drive modes with a plug-and-play coilover kit, or cancel the system and go passive.
Each path works. Each one gives up something different. First, find out what your car left the factory with. The same model often ships with and without electronic damping. Get that wrong and the kit that shows up will not match the car in your garage.
How to Tell If Your Car Has Adaptive Dampers
Carmakers give adaptive damping their own names. BMW calls it EDC. GM, Ford and Audi listings say MagneRide or Magnetic Ride. Porsche calls it PASM. On VW and Audi you will see DCC. Honda uses ADS on the Civic Type R. Same idea: a control unit changes damping force while you drive.
Look at the top of the damper. An adaptive damper has an electrical connector and a wire running to it. A passive damper has no wiring at all. On many cars you can see the front connector with the hood open or the wheel off.
Check the drive mode button. If Comfort and Sport change how the car rides over bumps, you likely have adaptive damping. Some cars use that button only for steering and throttle, so treat it as a clue, not proof.
Check the build sheet. The original window sticker or option list names the system when the car has it. Packages matter here. Two cars with the same trim badge can differ.
Use your VIN. This is the step that settles it. Call us at 1-800-460-9106 with your VIN and we will confirm which listing matches your car.
You will see the split right in our listing titles. BC Racing lists the 2015 to 2021 Ford Mustang RWD with MagneRide as its own kit, separate from the Mustang listing that excludes MagneRide. Fortune Auto lists its 2015 to 2023 S550 Mustang kit as "Excl. Magneride", so that kit is not for a car with MagneRide. That title wording is the fitment. Read it before you order.
The Three Coilovers Adaptive Suspension Paths
Once you know what your car has, coilovers adaptive suspension shopping gets simple. You can keep the factory dampers and change only height. You can swap to a coilover kit that plugs into the factory electronics. Or you can fit passive coilovers and cancel the system.
Keep the Factory Dampers
Factory damping stays exactly as it was. You gain ride height adjustment. BC Racing ASP kits work this way.
Keep the Drive Modes
New dampers with electronic valves plug into the factory harness. Your mode button still works. KW DDC Plug & Play and Bilstein EVO SE take this path.
Cancel and Go Passive
Passive coilovers replace the adaptive dampers. A cancellation kit keeps the warning lights off. KW bundles one with many kits, and Öhlins sells them separately.
For background on how these systems think, our guide to active suspension explains the control side. Our piece on coilovers and electronics covers how suspension changes talk to stability control.
Path One: Keep the Factory Dampers With BC Racing ASP
BC Racing describes ASP as an adjustable spring perch kit. It pairs car-specific springs with height-adjustable perches, and it is built for owners who need the OEM electronic damping to keep working. You get ride height adjustment, and the factory electronic dampers stay in the car.
ASP does not replace your dampers, so damping control stays with the factory system. If your adaptive dampers are worn or leaking, this path keeps those tired parts in the car. If they are healthy and you like how the modes feel, it is the least invasive change on this list.
ASP is available on selected fitments only, and we do not list it on our site. Call us and we will check whether BC Racing builds one for your car. Going with a full BC Racing coilover kit for a passive car instead? Swift Springs SPEC-R springs are an upgrade option on most BC Racing fitments. They ship standard on HM and ZR Series kits on most fitments.
Path Two: Keep Your Drive Modes With Plug-and-Play Coilovers
This path replaces the factory dampers with coilovers that carry their own electronic valves. They connect to the car's original plugs. The factory mode button then drives the new dampers, and you still set ride height on the threaded bodies.
KW DDC Plug & Play
KW DDC Plug & Play connects the adaptive KW dampers to the car's electronics through the original plugs. Dealers list the factory displays and controls as fully functional, with Comfort, Normal and Sport settings, depending on the car. Ride height adjusts within KW's tested range.
We do not list KW DDC Plug & Play on our site. Our KW listings for adaptive cars are passive kits that include a cancellation unit where the title says so. Want to keep your drive modes with KW? DDC is a call-us item, and we will check what KW builds for your chassis.
Bilstein EVO SE
Bilstein builds the EVO SE for cars with factory electronic damping. Bilstein describes it as true plug-and-play with the car's electronic controls. We list it for the 2019 to 2025 BMW G20 3 Series with electronic suspension, among others. Fit is per car, so match the part number or the listing title to your build.
Path Three: Go Passive With a Cancellation Kit
Pull the adaptive dampers and the control unit thinks something failed. You get warning lamps and fault messages. A cancellation kit plugs into the original damper connectors and switches those warnings off. Öhlins dealers note that no programming is needed on the Öhlins kits they list.
KW includes the cancellation kit in many of its adaptive-car listings, and the title says so when it does. The 2020 to 2023 Toyota GR Supra (A90) with electronic dampers listing says it includes the EDC cancellation kit. Öhlins sells its kits as separate parts. One example is the Öhlins PASM cancellation kit listed for 2013 to 2019 981, 982, 991 and 992 cars. It excludes the GT2, GT3 and GT4.
Read each title closely. KW lists the 2008 to 2013 E90/E92 M3 equipped with EDC with the EDC disable unit included. A second KW listing for the same car says "cancellation kit sold separately". BC Racing also lists coilover kits by damping system. Examples are the 2007 to 2013 E92 and E90 M3 "Originally with EDC" and F80 M3 and F82 M4 kits marked "EDC". Giulia kits say "W/ DDC" and some MINI Cooper kits say "With DDC". Those BC titles do not mention a cancellation unit, so ask us how the warnings are handled.
What you lose is the mode button's control over damping. What you gain is choice. Once you go passive, choose a kit whose listing names your car's damping system, or one that includes the cancellation kit. A listing marked "without EDC" or "Excl. MagneRide" is not for a car with those dampers, so call us before you mix parts. The right passive performance suspension might be a KW V3 with independent compression and rebound, or an Öhlins Road & Track kit with DFV. It might be a hand-built Fortune Auto kit with custom valving, where one is listed for your car.
Which Path Fits How You Drive
Daily driver on rough roads. Keep the electronics. Either keep the factory dampers with ASP or fit a plug-and-play kit. You keep the comfort setting for potholes and expansion joints.
Street car with track days. A plug-and-play kit keeps both personalities. A passive kit with good adjusters also works if you are fine setting damping by hand.
Dedicated track or autocross car. Passive coilovers with a cancellation kit make the most sense. You set the spring rate and damping for the track, and nothing changes behind your back mid-corner.
If you are still deciding between coilovers and springs alone, our guide on coilovers vs lowering springs walks through that choice. ASP sits close to the springs side of that line.
Ride Height, Alignment and Unsprung Weight After the Swap
Whatever path you take, ride height changes alter camber and toe. Book an alignment after any height change. Recheck it after the springs settle in. On threaded bodies, snug each locking collar after you set height, and keep the threads clean.
A word on unsprung weight, because forums get this wrong. Unsprung weight is the mass the springs do not carry: wheel, tire, hub, brakes and part of the arms, damper and spring. Swapping an adaptive damper for a coilover does not cut unsprung weight by itself. It only drops when a part that moves with the wheel actually gets lighter.
Fitment is the last check on any coilovers adaptive suspension swap, and it matters most. Our listing titles name the years, chassis, drivetrain and damping system each kit fits. Confirm on the product page, or call 1-800-460-9106 with your VIN before you order. New to the whole topic? Start with what are coilovers, then come back here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put coilovers on a car with adaptive suspension?
Yes. You have three routes. Keep the factory dampers and add adjustable spring perches, such as BC Racing ASP. Fit a plug-and-play electronic coilover kit, such as KW DDC Plug & Play or Bilstein EVO SE. Or fit passive coilovers with a cancellation kit. Which one suits you depends on how much you value the drive modes.
Will removing my adaptive dampers turn on a warning light?
Yes, on the cars that monitor them. The control unit sees the missing dampers as a fault and shows warning lamps or messages. A cancellation kit plugs into the original damper connectors and switches those warnings off. KW includes one in many of its listings for adaptive cars. Öhlins sells them as separate parts.
Can I keep my drive modes with coilovers?
Yes, with a plug-and-play electronic kit. KW DDC Plug & Play and Bilstein EVO SE both connect to the factory electronics, so the mode button controls the new dampers. Fit is car specific. We list Bilstein EVO SE for some cars. We do not list KW DDC Plug & Play, so it is a call-us item. Call with your VIN before ordering.
Do coilovers work with MagneRide?
It depends on the listing. Our KW MagneRide listings say they include a cancellation kit, which means the magnetic dampers come out. One example is the KW C8 Corvette kit for cars with Magnetic Ride. BC Racing lists a 2015 to 2021 Mustang kit "With Magneride" and a separate one marked "Excl. Magneride", which is not for MagneRide cars. Read the listing title for your exact car, or call us.
What does "without electronic dampers" mean on a listing?
The kit is for a car that left the factory with passive dampers. Our titles say it several ways: "without electronic dampers", "without EDC", "Without Electronic Suspension", "without magnetic ride", "without PASM" or "Excl. Magneride". If your car has adaptive damping, find the listing that names it. Our guide to reading a fitment listing covers the rest, or call us with your VIN.
What is a cancellation kit?
It is a small electronic module, or a set of them, that plugs into the factory damper connectors. With passive coilovers fitted, it tells the control unit everything is normal, so the warning lamps stay off. It does not add any damping control of its own. You still adjust damping by hand on the coilovers.
Is BC Racing ASP a full coilover kit?
No. BC Racing describes ASP as an adjustable spring perch kit with car-specific springs. It keeps your OEM electronic dampers working and adds ride height adjustment. It does not replace the dampers. If you want new dampers too, look at the plug-and-play or passive paths.
Do I need an alignment after fitting coilovers to an adaptive car?
Yes. Any change in ride height alters camber and toe, whichever path you choose. Set your height, let the car settle, then get a full alignment. Recheck it if you change height again later.
Not Sure What Your Car Left the Factory With?
Send us the VIN and we will tell you whether your car has adaptive damping and which listings fit it. Then we can talk through keeping the factory dampers, keeping the modes or going passive.
We carry BC Racing, KW, Bilstein, Öhlins, Fortune Auto and more, so the answer is about your car, not one brand. Call 1-800-460-9106 and tell us how you drive.
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