I have a 2019 Mini Cooper S 3 door coupe with Dynamic Damper Control. I would like to replace the DDC with Koni Special Active Shocks & Struts. Has anyone replaced DDC shocks & struts with conventional shocks & struts or coil overs. Will I get fault codes? My Mini Dealer Service Rep advised me not to do this because it could cause problems with other systems such as traction control and anti-lock brakes. The reason I want to do this is that I think the ride quality is not that good even with the shocks set on the green position which is supposed to be 10% softer than normal. Also the first thing I did when I got the Mini was ditch the runflat tires for a set of Continental Extreme Contact DWS-06's. This improved the ride quality by quite a bit. But I still think there is room for improvement. This is my first Mini but I have owned BMW's since 1982 so I know what to expect with the ride quality. I put Koni FSD's on my 2001 330ci after having a set of Dinan valved Koni Sport Yellows and it made a huge improvement in ride quality. Any help on this would be appreciated.

 

Your Service rep might be correct
To quote the book:
The suspension control systems and the assist systems are integrated.
Meaning DDC is intergraded with traction and ABS.

Start with a set of H&R springs with your DDC, you might be amazed, I am!!
You'll NEVER get that BMW ride! Its just not in the MINI DNA.

 

Thank you TVPostSound for post, I have done some more research and have found that you need emulator to simulate the DDC shocks & struts so the ECU is happy. I found one for BMW's but not Mini's. I can't lower my car with H&R Springs, I had to build a ramp for my garage entrance because it is downhill and has a drainage dip to keep water from covering my garage floor. The ride is not that bad but I would expect to be better with the Koni SAS's.

 

I don't believe that the Green position softens the ride from mid mode/normal. I think it is normal or +10 for sport mode. Either way it can be pretty jarring, especially those damn speed bumps or pot holes.

Hope you figure it out, so I can copy it.

 

Yes, but even the BMW emulators come with a to the point legal disclaimer.
"The Macht Schnell EDC Emulation Module will disable the EDC monitoring system supplied by BMW. Once disabled the behavior of the car will change and the driver will need to adjust his/her skill and technique. For this reason, this module is not intended for street vehicles and its use may result in injury or even death if proper conditions and procedures are not followed. "

That makes it sound like they've had a previous lawsuit?

 

it's -10 in green or normal modes
+10 for sport mode
This is in relation to the regular non DCC suspension.

Another factor that affects ride quality is the short wheelbase of the MINI.

 

I didn't care and unplugged mine. No codes and no issues (that I'm aware of) over the last couple of months.
Not sure I'm a fan of coilovers though. Need to get rid of the RFs and see how the ride is.

 

Did the ride quality improve when you did this? What is the default setting for the stiffness if you unplug the shocks & struts, does the setting go to soft setting? I replaced the Hankook Optimo all-season RFT tires with Continental ExtremeContact DWS-06 non-RFT tires on my 2019 Mini S 2 door and the ride quality did improve by a noticeable amount.

 

Ride quality felt the same to me, but I only ran for a few days then installed my coilovers. I "assume" the default setting for the stock S&S once unplugged would be "mid-mode" but honestly I don't know. I turned off the chassis setting linked to the sport button in the in-dash software. I find it hard to believe that the EDC is tied into the ABS system as someone mentioned. That seems like a disaster waiting to happen. Then again, it could be the dealer trying to get someone to buy new EDC components. Which, I might add, are not easy to find online. Every EDC replacement S&S I found were discontinued.

Swapping out my RFTs in the next week or so. It made a huge difference on my last BMW, so I imagine the Mini will be no different as you stated.

 

DDC/VDC/EDC struts for MINIs are plentiful online.
Springs might show as discontinued, based on realm catalogue, but the dealer CAN get them based on your VIN.