Month: December 2015

Cleaning the Wheel Rims on your Aston Martin DB9

On By Steve McEvoyIn Advice, How To2 Comments

Aston Martin DB9 Road WheelThe DB9 comes with a beautiful set of OEM aluminum alloy wheels.  They are a 10 spoke unit made by Speedline.  8.5×19 upfront and 9.5×19 in the rear.

During normal washing of the car it’s easy to get the face of the wheel clean, but more difficult to get the large surfaces behind the spokes.  Sure, you can use a wheel brush and do your best, but they are never perfect.

Aston Martin DB9 Dirty Inner Wheel Rim
Dirty Inner Rim

Whenever I have a wheel off the car (for example during an annual service), I take the opportunity to clean both the inside and outside of the rims much more thoroughly.

Continue reading “Cleaning the Wheel Rims on your Aston Martin DB9” →

Changing the Air Filters on your Aston Martin DB9

On By Steve McEvoyIn Advice, How To8 Comments

Changing the Air Filters is a standard service item for any car on the road today, but on your DB9 it is a pain in the ass.  In any normal car they’ve design the air filter system to be easy to service, but oh-no, not Aston Martin.  All those good looks come at a price, and in this case it meant they had to stuff the air filters in behind the front bumper, never to be seen.  Changing them is part of the 2 year annual service regime, so you should get to know how to do this properly, and I’ll share what I know with you below. Continue reading “Changing the Air Filters on your Aston Martin DB9” →

Bonus Tour inside the Wheel Wells with Liners Removed on an Aston Martin DB9

On By Steve McEvoyIn Advice, How To3 Comments

Airbox, Headlamps, and air intake pipe on an Aston Martin DB9This is a fairly frivolous post, but gives me a place to put the videos and photos I took when I had the front plastic inner wheel well arch liners removed (see my other post on how to remove them).

I find that if I can see a photo (or video) of what to expect when I am gearing up to tackle a project, I am better prepared.   Trying to help you with “If only I had a picture of what was behind that to know if I should …..”

Maybe there will be something you’ll spot in these to help you with your project.

Continue reading “Bonus Tour inside the Wheel Wells with Liners Removed on an Aston Martin DB9” →

Removing the Front Inner Wheel Well Arch Liner on an Aston Martin DB9

On By Steve McEvoyIn Advice, How To17 Comments

Aston Martin DB9 Front Wheel Arch Liner Parts DIagramSeveral service issues on your DB9 require you to remove the plastic inner wheel well arch liner so you can access hidden components.   The most common reason is when you change your Air Filter as part of an annual service.

The technique is the same for both the right and left sides.

Continue reading “Removing the Front Inner Wheel Well Arch Liner on an Aston Martin DB9” →

Refilling the Oil in your Aston Martin DB9

On By Steve McEvoyIn Advice, How To13 Comments

Pouring OilOne of the final steps in the Oil change service on your DB9 is to refill the oil.   Okay, Okay, I hear you laughing about this too (is he going to tell us which end of the funnel goes down?).  No, but there are just a few bits of advice to share (including that the narrow end of the funnel goes down ;>).

Refill the Oil BEFORE you reinstall the front under tray.  You need to be able to check the sump drain plug and filter for leaks, so leave the tray off for now.

Remember that your Oil Filter is empty, so there is a void in the system.  This requires that you refill in essentially 2 stages. Continue reading “Refilling the Oil in your Aston Martin DB9” →

Installing the Throttle Body on an Aston Martin DB9

On By Steve McEvoyIn Advice, How To4 Comments

Throttle body on Aston Martin DB9Presumably you’ve recently removed your Throttle Body on your DB9 as part of another service event.   Reinstalling it is pretty much as simple as reversing the steps you followed to remove it, but with just a few Tips I can add here.

I definitely recommend that you clean the throttle body any time you happen to have it removed from the car.  Only takes a few minutes. Continue reading “Installing the Throttle Body on an Aston Martin DB9” →

Cleaning the Throttle Body of your Aston Martin DB9

On By Steve McEvoyIn Advice, How To3 Comments
Dirty Throttle Body Aston Martin DB9
Dirty buildup on Throttle Body

Periodically the two Throttle Body assemblies on your DB9 may need cleaning.   Cleaning is simple, and when you have them off for the annual oil change service, you might as well give them some love.

See my other post on Removing your DB9 Throttle Body. Continue reading “Cleaning the Throttle Body of your Aston Martin DB9” →

Changing the Oil Filter on your Aston Martin DB9

On By Steve McEvoyIn Advice, How To27 Comments

Aston Martin DB9 Oil FilterChanging the Oil Filter on your DB9 is an annual event, part of the 1 year and 2 year service requirements.   Changing this filter is a giant pain in the ass.  The position of the filter is very difficult to reach, and you’ll spend a considerable amount of time preparing.

Continue reading “Changing the Oil Filter on your Aston Martin DB9” →

Removing the Throttle Body from your Aston Martin DB9

On By Steve McEvoyIn Advice, How To5 Comments
Throttle body on Aston Martin DB9
Throttle Body

Removing one of the two throttle bodies on a DB9 is perhaps the easiest service task you can do on the car.   Right at the top of the engine, and its relatively easy to access all the connections.   The fact that it is in this position also makes it necessary to remove the throttle body for many other service items, essentially to get it out of the way so you can get to other stuff.  The most common reason is to change the Oil Filter on LHD cars.   The process will take less than 10 minutes.

Continue reading “Removing the Throttle Body from your Aston Martin DB9” →

Draining the Oil from your Aston Martin DB9

On By Steve McEvoyIn Advice, How To8 Comments

Dropping the OilDraining the Oil from your DB9 is mostly a process of preparation.  It’s a pretty simple DIY item if you have the desire.   It’s mostly like draining the oil on a regular car, but there are a few tips I can share. Continue reading “Draining the Oil from your Aston Martin DB9” →