I thought it was just another sign of getting older.  I was having a hard time getting out of my Aston Martin DB9.   I’d be seated in the car and it felt like I had to push the door open and hold it up while extricating myself from the car.  Turns out it wasn’t me, it was the Door Check Arm Gas Struts were getting weak.

The Swan Wing doors are one of the distinct features of the DB9.  The doors open ‘up’ at an angle of about 12 degrees, creating a Swan like look.  Unlike other road cars with normal horizontal doors, the DB9 requires Gas Struts to help open and hold open a door.

My car is 15 years old, and Gas Struts don’t perform well forever.  They have seals and begin to loose pressure very gradually (getting weaker).  You won’t notice it right away, but eventually the door may start to not hold itself open.  One day that Swan is going to bite you in the ass, and you’ll know its time to change them. Continue reading “Changing the Door Gas Struts in an Aston Martin DB9” →