Month: February 2017

The True Costs of Owning a 2009 Acura TL

On By Steve McEvoyIn CommentaryLeave a comment

Prior to getting my DB9 my last new car was a 2009 Acura TL w/SHAWD and Tech Package.   Essentially a top of the line all wheel drive 4 door sedan with 307HP.  This was a great car that I very much enjoyed.  The only knock against it was the homely ‘beak’ design of the front end.

Being that this is a website about my Aston Martin DB9, you might be wonder why the heck I am waxing on about an old girlfriend.  I have done an in depth ownership cost analysis of my DB9 (see the costs here), and I wanted something to compare it to that was more mainstream like my Acura.  I had all the same data available to me so I have worked out the complete and exact costs of ownership for my TL. Continue reading “The True Costs of Owning a 2009 Acura TL” →

Replacing the Side Repeater Light Assembly on an Aston Martin DB9

On By Steve McEvoyIn Advice, How To17 Comments

The Side Repeater Lights on my DB9 have discolored to a Yellow’ish from the UV in the harsh California sunlight.  I know, this concept is completely unfathomable to my readers in the UK, and probably a design issue the factory never considered – “Sunlight?  Bahh – just make it waterproof you twit – this is England”.  When I purchased my car from the DPO (Damn Previous Owner) it had the issue quite notably on just the left hand side assembly.  I can presume he parked the car during the day with that side facing South.

old-and-new-aston-martin-db9-side-marker-light-assembliesThe side repeater light is a turn indicator light mounted on the side of each front fender/wing.  When new, the plastic assembly is a clear lens with some white.   As you can see in this photo, the old one has got that ugly faded yellow plastic color compared to the bright, fresh and clean look of the new one. Continue reading “Replacing the Side Repeater Light Assembly on an Aston Martin DB9” →

Fixing a Loose Wing / Side Mirror on an Aston Martin DB9

On By Steve McEvoyIn Advice, How To7 Comments

While driving I started to notice the faintest shimmy in the drivers side wing / side mirror on my DB9.   I’d only really notice it in my peripheral vision, just some hint that something was shaking occasionally.   It’s one of those things you forget quickly as soon as you don’t see it happening.  After a few occurrences I finally decided to check the mirror to see if it was loose.  Sure enough, you could wiggle the mirror body up and down.  Not the glass mirror itself, but the actual main structure of the mirror assembly.  I compared it against the opposite side mirror (mounted solid as a rock) and it was clear that my drivers side was loose. Continue reading “Fixing a Loose Wing / Side Mirror on an Aston Martin DB9” →