A common issue with the V12 Aston Martin engine is that the coil packs begin to fail causing a misfire. When ordering replacements you need to know if they are the early 2-pin or later 3-pin versions. The problem is that you can’t know for sure before you start. Aston Martin made the design change on the DB9 probably sometime in 2006. Even the dealer can’t tell you if you supply your VIN number. To know for sure you need to get a look at them. Problem is, they are deep in the middle of the cylinder head. Let me show you a trick to get a peek before you start the project.
Tools
Procedure
You can tackle this in about 10 minutes.
[Apologies – this is a place holder article to go along with the already released YouTube video which is linked below. The video shows all the details of the process. I just haven’t had time to circle back to complete the article but here are a few quick nuggets that are important in the mean time.]
Video
Here is a short video that details the process.
Aston 1936 
I watched with gratitude your video on replacing the battery in a DB9. Your videos have saved me $ and more important, have given me a deeper understanding of my car than I would have otherwise acquired. Many thanks. Now to my question…I have a 2006 6 speed Volante in which I need to replace the battery. It does not seem that Bosch still carries the exact model battery that you cited in your video. However, according to their web site, their model “Bosch S6 AGM” (S6588B) is now the correct model for a DB9. Do you know if that is a suitable replacement for the model that you featured (L5/49 49-850BAGM)?
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Hi there
I really enjoy your website and the great job you do.
I have a 2008 DB9 which has recently started to drop into ‘get home’ mode when on the open road. The agent’s analysis shows that low fuel pressure is the problem. I have also just found out that the 98 octane fuel I have been using contains 10% ethanol so have changed immediately to pure gasoline.
Q: Is the ethanol likely to be causing the problem?
2: Where are the fuel pumps situated in the car
3: Can the pumps be serviced?
4: What other parts could be affected by the ethanol or would need to be replaced to solve the low pressure problem?
5: How will I know the make and model of the pumps in my car?
I would appreciate your advice as the sole New Zealand agent wants to charge moonbeams to fix it and I’m not sure if they are that confident as to how to fix it either as they have already failed to do so until they found the low fuel pressure issue.
Many thanks
Gordon Gibson
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Thanks for the how-to on checking this.
2006 Aston Martin Volante – s/n 4291 has the three-wire coil pack.
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As always Steve thank you!
I purchased the Borescope camera you suggested for inspecting the condition of the ceramic cat…..the camera’s bendy wire lens also came in handy for peaking in to determine wether my coils had two or three wires.
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