I’ve already explained why you might need to change the Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) Valves in an Aston Martin DB9 in a previous article (usually because engine oil is showing up in your intake manifolds), and what parts you might need (check out this article). In this article I will explain the process of how to remove the existing PCV Valves along with their harness assemblies. Continue reading “Removing the PCV Valve Assembly Harness from an Aston Martin DB9”
If your DB9 needs it’s Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) Valves replaced due to oil buildup in the Intake Manifolds (see my full article on this) then you need to track down the right parts to get it serviced – and that’s what this article is all about.
My enthusiasm for the task led me into trouble (and I can save you from the same mistake if you read through this article). I wasn’t sure what parts a dealer would normally replace to deal with the oil build up, so I asked the parts manager Rob Sims at HMV England whom I was dealing with. He promptly sent me the parts diagram, and a list of bits he said they typically serviced. What I failed to consider was ‘context’, the dealer may be rebuilding an engine and PCV system outside the car, and I was just a newbie trying to do this under the hood on a weekend. Continue reading “Parts Needed to Change the PCV Valves on an Aston Martin DB9”
This is a weak spot in the DB9 engine. If you’ve ever removed your throttle body and found a puddle of engine oil laying in the intake manifold chamber, the PCV system is to blame. In this article I am going to give a short background of the ‘what’s going wrong’, and then in the next articles I will lay out which parts you need and how to replace them. Continue reading “The Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) System in an Aston Martin DB9 – and what Sucks about it!”
I haven’t posted as many “How To” fix it articles in the last few months (my apologies) but it was actually due to a deliberate strategy I had to try and spread the word about Aston1936.com and reach more readers/viewers. Aston Martin DB9 owners are a global community, and there are only about 6,000 of us, so reaching everyone is a bit of a challenge.
When I learned that my first article was being published in Aston Martin Quarterly (AMQ) magazine that mentioned this Blog, I wanted to have something relevant for most ANY Aston owner to read wen they arrived, not a super specific article on how to change a DB9 marker lamp. Broad appeal. I also didn’t know exactly when the magazine would start to ship, and even then it’s a global publication and I would need to allow several weeks for it to make it to all corners of the world.
As you’ve probably seen (and are bored of by now), I put the “The True Costs of Owning an Aston Martin DB9” up as the primary article for almost two months. I put a substantial amount of effort into that article, and in particular the Video on YouTube. I actually included myself as a presenter (Jeremy Clarkson I am not), wrote a script, planned out the scenes, and drafted my neighbor Rob as a cameraman again. About 20 hours of effort to produce the resulting 15 minute video.
The results have been a pleasant surprise. Readership of this blog definitely started to increase as the AMQ article hit the streets in late May. In months prior about 50 people a day were visiting, and now its closer to 125. In May over 9,000 articles were read. I appreciate ALL of the readers taking the time to read my ramblings and hopefully getting some information to help them with their DB9 project.
The YouTube video on the True Costs has been the real surprise. Most of my videos get viewed maybe 200-300 times (which I think is great), probably by actual DB9 owners tackling the maintenance task I am describing. But, as of today, the True Costs video has been viewed nearly half a million times! The video has been watched for over 2.6 million minutes (that’s over five years of minutes)! Great for the ego to be sure. [Maybe it was discovered as a cure for insomnia] What was also interesting was the 100’s of comments left by viewers (and some foul mouth trolls), 99% of which were constructive and positive. Nearly 3,000 people are subscribed to the Aston1936 YouTube Channel now. Won’t they be surprised when my upcoming PCV Valve videos get posted next. I suspect my Subscriber count is doomed to dwindle.
But, the AMQ edition has fully circulated around the world now, and my brush with YouTube fame is waning, so its time to get back to the business of this Blog, helping others learn how to look after their own DB9’s. I am going to try and get back into the habit of publishing an article per week.
I have a slate of articles I am getting ready in the weeks ahead (where the repair work is already completed along with filming), and they will include:
Changing your PCV Valves (the final bits of the series)
Also in the works for the future I have a few articles I am gearing up to under take:
A Brake Job – new Pads, Rotors, Caliper Bolts and Wear SensorsIf anyone out there is interested in sponsoring the parts for some of these projects, please reach out and leave a comment.
If you are interested in these upcoming articles please leave me a comment below, it might help me prioritize the order I get them released in.
Thanks for reading!
If you are a registered member of the Aston Martin Owners Club (the AMOC) you receive a few magazines each year.
Back in December 2016 I suggested to AMQ the idea of putting in a series of articles about information on the Internet about Aston Martins. My experience so far with this blog (and others like it on the Internet) is that once the owners ‘discover it’ they are very grateful that the resources exist. Maybe AMQ would be willing to help get the word out pointing at some of these sites. Continue reading “Aston Martin Quarterly Magazine”
The notion of owning an Aston Martin DB9 is tempting. The allure of the curves, the power, the feel. You become infected wondering what would it be like. I’m a life long car guy and I’ve reached 50 years old and can finally indulge a bit. [Insert mid-life crisis jokes here – but I love my Sweetie of 27 years and still have all my hair – life is good] I can’t afford to go drop $250K on a new DB11, but I can generally afford a new luxury or sports car. I’d been carefully watching the used market prices on early DB9 models dropping for a few years until I finally succumbed back in 2013.
If you have or are about to take the plunge, you will (or should) inevitably be thinking:
Can I afford this car after I purchased it?
That’s a good question to ask before you commit, particularly if you stretch to just barely manage the purchase. Is it myth or truth that it takes a fortune to run a car like this? After living with mine for three years now, I can share the naked truth with you. Continue reading “The True Costs of Owning an Aston Martin DB9”
Eventually you have to service the battery in your DB9. They just don’t last forever – and the typical lifespan of a traditional flooded lead acid battery (like the ones originally fitted) is about 5 years. The good news is that when the time comes to replace your battery you’ll be well equipped to know how and avoid a potentially costly trip to the dealership.
If you are wondering about what battery to get I’ve already completed a detailed article you should check out – Replacement Battery Options for an Aston Martin DB9. You’ll see how I gravitated to purchasing a Bosch 49-850BAGM Absorbed Glass Matt (AGM) battery. Now I’ll share the details of how to install it. Continue reading “Changing the Battery in an Aston Martin DB9”
My baby left me stranded. I use my DB9 as my daily driver, and I was out on an errand run – ATM then Dry Cleaning then Lunch – all close together. After the dry cleaning stop I went to start her, and rather than the glorious roar to life, all I got was “Ruh – ruh – click”. Crap – stranded in the local strip mall parking lot amongst all the Fords and Toyotas – all that start. My pride was suffering. Dead Battery. Fortunately my neighbor Rob and his Subaru came to the rescue and gave me a boost.
Of course, there are a myriad of reasons for a dead battery – leaving the lights on, failing alternator, etc. Mine was simpler. Batteries don’t last forever. A typical lead acid battery (like those originally fitted to a DB9) have a life span of about 5 years under normal regular use. I had no idea if the battery fitted to my car was the original (since I am not the first owner and have little service history), but as I discovered it was the original, and that meant it was 11 years old! Wow! California living.
There had been precursors to the event that I can recognize now looking back on the few weeks preceding this: Continue reading “Replacement Battery Options for an Aston Martin DB9”
One day you’ll get into your DB9 and just after “Power Beauty Soul” you’ll be greeted with “Time for Regular Service”. The DB9 has a scheduled maintenance due every 1 year or 10,000 miles (whichever comes first). I don’t know exactly how it keeps track of the time (maybe via the GPS providing it the date), but mine recently went off on what was nearly the exact anniversary date from the previous year (I had only driven about 5,000 miles in the 12 months, so it wasn’t the miles driven that tripped it).
As readers of this Blog are aware, I try to do most of this kind of work myself, and in fact I have a complete collection of the 1 year and 2 year service steps posted (check them out). When this indicator went off, I had already completed my 1 year service regime about a month earlier. Time to figure out how to turn it off. Continue reading “Resetting the Time for Regular Service Warning on an Aston Martin DB9”
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”
Aston 1936 