DB9 Tyre Pressures - worth adjusting?
Discussion
Hi,
As you probably know, I'm 2 weeks into DB9 ownership (2009, 470hp) and I'm a little disappointed with rear traction when pulling away.
Okay, to get this out of the way first - I know it's a powerful RWD car and the roads in the UK are cold and slippery, however, this isn't my first rodeo in this respect. I used to have a Maserati Grantrurismo Sport (4.7) which was far better in similar conditions.
The tyres are 4-year-old Bridgestone Potenzas with about 6mm tread depth set to the factory's recommended pressures.
I'm not flooring it away from junctions, and I have to be tentative at mini-roundabouts.
I'm just wondering if anyone has had experience with changing the tyre pressures and whether it helped or hindered, or am I expecting too much from a car that wasn't designed for these conditions?
TIA
As you probably know, I'm 2 weeks into DB9 ownership (2009, 470hp) and I'm a little disappointed with rear traction when pulling away.
Okay, to get this out of the way first - I know it's a powerful RWD car and the roads in the UK are cold and slippery, however, this isn't my first rodeo in this respect. I used to have a Maserati Grantrurismo Sport (4.7) which was far better in similar conditions.
The tyres are 4-year-old Bridgestone Potenzas with about 6mm tread depth set to the factory's recommended pressures.
I'm not flooring it away from junctions, and I have to be tentative at mini-roundabouts.
I'm just wondering if anyone has had experience with changing the tyre pressures and whether it helped or hindered, or am I expecting too much from a car that wasn't designed for these conditions?
TIA
It could just be the Maserati traction control intervened earlier than the AM TC does, limiting the power and slip.
On my V8 and V12 Vantage, the traction control on default setting will let you have a bit of fun before intervening. In damp, cold conditions yes you can encounter a bit of wheelspin if you are not gentle with the right foot
On my V8 and V12 Vantage, the traction control on default setting will let you have a bit of fun before intervening. In damp, cold conditions yes you can encounter a bit of wheelspin if you are not gentle with the right foot
Thanks. I should have said that the TC light comes on almost immediately when pulling away unless I'm really careful (which I am), causing me to have cut-up a couple of people that I wouldn't have in previous cars.
I would try playing with the pressures myself but I'm wary of angering the dreaded TPMS system and I wondered if anyone else had been brave!
I would try playing with the pressures myself but I'm wary of angering the dreaded TPMS system and I wondered if anyone else had been brave!
jazz.cat said:
I would try playing with the pressures myself but I'm wary of angering the dreaded TPMS system and I wondered if anyone else had been brave!
I don't think you need worry about the TPMS. Am sure it cannot put your car into 'limp mode'.
Do you know if your TPMS is still working? Many 2009 AMs will have had the system disabled by now. When the sensor batteries fail, a dashboard warning displays, which might rattle MoT testers (although TPMS is not legally required on 2009 cars).
I am not sure which direction, but presumably lowering tyre pressures, would slightly increase grip. A little more rubber on the road. Any difference though might be minimal.
Dewi 2 said:
Do you know if your TPMS is still working?
I had the TPMS warning come up when it was really cold the other morning. It went off after a few miles and hasn't come back. I checked the pressures on Tuesday and they were bang on, but it was significantly warmer. I'm assuming they're functional unless that was a rouge error.jazz.cat said:
Dewi 2 said:
Do you know if your TPMS is still working?
I had the TPMS warning come up when it was really cold the other morning. It went off after a few miles and hasn't come back. I checked the pressures on Tuesday and they were bang on, but it was significantly warmer. I'm assuming they're functional unless that was a rouge error.Seems normal then.
I have a new daily, which has the now obligatory masses of gadgets. A dashboard display can be selected to show the live temperature and pressure for each tyre.
I had not previously realised how much the temperatures and pressures do change.
Starting each time, obviously at the prevailing outside temperature, say 3°C, after a while driving on straight roads, not hard cornering, the tyres have reached 20°C.
The pressures of course also increase, but those figure are displayed in metric, so I cannot remember the numbers.
Over the life time of the DB9 the throttle response has been refined, the early model accelerator pedal was more like an on /off switch.
Your later model will have benefitted from the various refinements.
It is worth remembering that the 82% of the engine torque is on tap at 1500 rpm. (Might be slightly different on later vehicles)
Whether or not one uses winter tyres is a personal choice, but it is worth noting that a constant 7deg C and less is the recommended cut for winter tyres, so if on the occasions you use the car in those temperatures, no doubt a certain amount of care would be prudent, when starting off, once warmed up, should be OK.
Worth checking the date for when the tyres were manufactured.
From a personal point I have never really found much difference with the handling due to tyre pressures but then again I do not have TPMS to contend with. The vagaries of the British climate, will play havoc with cold tyre pressures and can vary day to day.
I believe inflating tyres with nitrogen gives more stable readings.
Your later model will have benefitted from the various refinements.
It is worth remembering that the 82% of the engine torque is on tap at 1500 rpm. (Might be slightly different on later vehicles)
Whether or not one uses winter tyres is a personal choice, but it is worth noting that a constant 7deg C and less is the recommended cut for winter tyres, so if on the occasions you use the car in those temperatures, no doubt a certain amount of care would be prudent, when starting off, once warmed up, should be OK.
Worth checking the date for when the tyres were manufactured.
From a personal point I have never really found much difference with the handling due to tyre pressures but then again I do not have TPMS to contend with. The vagaries of the British climate, will play havoc with cold tyre pressures and can vary day to day.
I believe inflating tyres with nitrogen gives more stable readings.
jazz.cat said:
I had the TPMS warning come up when it was really cold the other morning. It went off after a few miles and hasn't come back. I checked the pressures on Tuesday and they were bang on, but it was significantly warmer. I'm assuming they're functional unless that was a rouge error.
If you get a TPMS warning when cold that then goes away chances are the batteries in your tpms sensors are on the way out. You can check them (the sensor batteries) with an autelTS408 scan tool. A worthy investment as you can use it to clone your current sensors. DB531 said:
Worth checking the date for when the tyres were manufactured.
Yeah, I checked that before handing over the cash for the car. October 2021 so I'm happy with them.Simpo Two said:
But if you're losing grip that would reduce acceleration rather than cause you to cut up cars.
Sorry, that was poor wording. What I meant to say was that I was pulling out of junctions in what I thought was good time but was unable to accelerate sufficiently due to a combination of wheelspin and traction control which meant the other driver had to slow. Something I hate to do.Simpo Two said:
In terms of torque you've gone up from 520 to 601Nm. That could be part of it.
I hadn't thought of that. Good point.Simpo Two said:
I think you just need to adapt to it.
You're probably right. I'm already doing so. Hopefully, the weather warms up soon and it won't be an issue. mrpseudonym said:
If you get a TPMS warning when cold that then goes away chances are the batteries in your tpms sensors are on the way out. You can check them (the sensor batteries) with an autelTS408 scan tool. A worthy investment as you can use it to clone your current sensors.
I'll look into it. Thanks.I found the sensors to be a little inaccurate on a V12 and used a manual pressure gauge to check and adjust them before every trip to settle my paranoia.
It was a 2011 car and at the end of our road is a slight incline on a junction where you wait to be let out on occasion due to flow.
Concur with the above as after thousands of miles driving and knowledge of the car, I could still inadvertently get the rear tyres to break traction almost just feathering the throttle when a gap was left to exit. If it was wet I reckon the difference between gentle progress and sideways glory was less than a mm (or it certainly felt that way).
Under hard acceleration on an uphill section of dual carriageway near here, the car could easily break traction when changing up through almost every higher gear, but it was the most powerful car I had owned.
I needed to switch tyres for wear (not age) and it was surprising the difference a new set made to the above issues and overall handling. AM told me they generally switch for age on p-ex cars even if in decent condition as the age of the tyres has such a bearing on them.
As the compound gets brittle, it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy and the tyres break traction more and wear faster. Didn’t help in my case they’d be cold at the end of the street and more susceptible to spinning.
A bit annoyed when AM then fit a 2 year old tyre to mine according to the date code (found that hypocritical) when the rear pair needed changing.
It was a 2011 car and at the end of our road is a slight incline on a junction where you wait to be let out on occasion due to flow.
Concur with the above as after thousands of miles driving and knowledge of the car, I could still inadvertently get the rear tyres to break traction almost just feathering the throttle when a gap was left to exit. If it was wet I reckon the difference between gentle progress and sideways glory was less than a mm (or it certainly felt that way).
Under hard acceleration on an uphill section of dual carriageway near here, the car could easily break traction when changing up through almost every higher gear, but it was the most powerful car I had owned.
I needed to switch tyres for wear (not age) and it was surprising the difference a new set made to the above issues and overall handling. AM told me they generally switch for age on p-ex cars even if in decent condition as the age of the tyres has such a bearing on them.
As the compound gets brittle, it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy and the tyres break traction more and wear faster. Didn’t help in my case they’d be cold at the end of the street and more susceptible to spinning.
A bit annoyed when AM then fit a 2 year old tyre to mine according to the date code (found that hypocritical) when the rear pair needed changing.
Edited by 996Type on Friday 31st January 09:19
jazz.cat said:
What I meant to say was that I was pulling out of junctions in what I thought was good time but was unable to accelerate sufficiently due to a combination of wheelspin and traction control which meant the other driver had to slow. Something I hate to do.
I think the term is 'getting the power down'. Lots of power but you have to connect it to the road using your skill and judgement. Turning right into a junction last week at perhaps slightly more pace than usual the back end went a foot sideways. The roads are very slippery at present.996Type said:
I found the sensors to be a little inaccurate on a V12 and used a manual pressure gauge to check and adjust them before every trip to settle my paranoia.
It was a 2011 car and at the end of our road is a slight incline on a junction where you wait to be let out on occasion due to flow.
Concur with the above as after thousands of miles driving and knowledge of the car, I could still inadvertently get the rear tyres to break traction almost just feathering the throttle when a gap was left to exit. If it was wet I reckon the difference between gentle progress and sideways glory was less than a mm (or it certainly felt that way).
Under hard acceleration on an uphill section of dual carriageway near here, the car could easily break traction when changing up through almost every higher gear, but it was the most powerful car I had owned.
I needed to switch tyres for wear (not age) and it was surprising the difference a new set made to the above issues and overall handling. AM told me they generally switch for age on p-ex cars even if in decent condition as the age of the tyres has such a bearing on them.
As the compound gets brittle, it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy and the tyres break traction more and wear faster. Didn’t help in my case they’d be cold at the end of the street and more susceptible to spinning.
A bit annoyed when AM then fit a 2 year old tyre to mine according to the date code (found that hypocritical) when the rear pair needed changing.
It was a 2011 car and at the end of our road is a slight incline on a junction where you wait to be let out on occasion due to flow.
Concur with the above as after thousands of miles driving and knowledge of the car, I could still inadvertently get the rear tyres to break traction almost just feathering the throttle when a gap was left to exit. If it was wet I reckon the difference between gentle progress and sideways glory was less than a mm (or it certainly felt that way).
Under hard acceleration on an uphill section of dual carriageway near here, the car could easily break traction when changing up through almost every higher gear, but it was the most powerful car I had owned.
I needed to switch tyres for wear (not age) and it was surprising the difference a new set made to the above issues and overall handling. AM told me they generally switch for age on p-ex cars even if in decent condition as the age of the tyres has such a bearing on them.
As the compound gets brittle, it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy and the tyres break traction more and wear faster. Didn’t help in my case they’d be cold at the end of the street and more susceptible to spinning.
A bit annoyed when AM then fit a 2 year old tyre to mine according to the date code (found that hypocritical) when the rear pair needed changing.
Simpo Two said:
Turning right into a junction last week at perhaps slightly more pace than usual the back end went a foot sideways. The roads are very slippery at present.
Thanks, I'm glad I'm not the only one!There's a T-junction near me where, at certain times of day, the only way to get out is a deep breath and a sympathetic fellow driver!
In general, I've found that I've been let out more often whilst driving the Aston than I was in my Porsche or Maserati. I don't know if that's by chance or if there's a palpable difference in attitude between Astons and other premium marques. Only two weeks and 1,000 miles isn't a big sample size though!
Edited by jazz.cat on Friday 31st January 10:01
Edited by jazz.cat on Friday 31st January 10:02
jazz.cat said:
In general, I've found that I've been let out more often whilst driving the Aston than I was in my Porsche or Maserati. I don't know if that's by chance or if there's a palpable difference in attitude between Astons and other premium marques. Only two weeks and 1,000 miles isn't a big sample size though!
I tend to concur. I stopped at a zebra crossing once; the man crossing glanced at my car, then did a double take and gave me a thumbs up. It really can cheer your day.Yesterday I stopped for petrol and the man behind the till said 'What number?' I couldn't remember so I said 'Er, the Aston'. It worked.
I think it's just the nature of the cars. My Rapide S on Bridgestones was the same under moderate acceleration even in the dry. Lit the rear wheels accidentally on a couple of occasions when overtaking. Gearbox kicked down and it tried to go sideways. TC was a welcome intervention as there was some clenching. Pulling away from junctions was definitely a learning curve as I was prodding the accelerator the way I would when in our Volvo estate.
Recently changed to Michelin Pilot Sport 4S but weather's been so crap it's barely moved so can't say if the new tyres have improved it.
You could speak with a dealer or indy about getting a gearbox remap to better suit.
Recently changed to Michelin Pilot Sport 4S but weather's been so crap it's barely moved so can't say if the new tyres have improved it.
You could speak with a dealer or indy about getting a gearbox remap to better suit.
jazz.cat said:
Thanks, I'm glad I'm not the only one!
There's a T-junction near me where, at certain times of day, the only way to get out is a deep breath and a sympathetic fellow driver!
In general, I've found that I've been let out more often whilst driving the Aston than I was in my Porsche or Maserati. I don't know if that's by chance or if there's a palpable difference in attitude between Astons and other premium marques. Only two weeks and 1,000 miles isn't a big sample size though!
You're definitely not. Turning right out of a carpark with restricted vision in my Vantage (on SportContact 6's) last Sunday I gave it a bit of throttle to move off smartish in case there was something coming and the rear was suddenly one foot further across the road than I intended and the traction light was rebuking me - and that's with fewer cylinders and less horsepower & torque.There's a T-junction near me where, at certain times of day, the only way to get out is a deep breath and a sympathetic fellow driver!
In general, I've found that I've been let out more often whilst driving the Aston than I was in my Porsche or Maserati. I don't know if that's by chance or if there's a palpable difference in attitude between Astons and other premium marques. Only two weeks and 1,000 miles isn't a big sample size though!
skyebear said:
I think it's just the nature of the cars. My Rapide S on Bridgestones was the same under moderate acceleration even in the dry. Lit the rear wheels accidentally on a couple of occasions when overtaking. Gearbox kicked down and it tried to go sideways. TC was a welcome intervention as there was some clenching. Pulling away from junctions was definitely a learning curve as I was prodding the accelerator the way I would when in our Volvo estate.
Recently changed to Michelin Pilot Sport 4S but weather's been so crap it's barely moved so can't say if the new tyres have improved it.
You could speak with a dealer or indy about getting a gearbox remap to better suit.
It sounds like I need a right-foot remap! I'll get used to it and the weather will get better.Recently changed to Michelin Pilot Sport 4S but weather's been so crap it's barely moved so can't say if the new tyres have improved it.
You could speak with a dealer or indy about getting a gearbox remap to better suit.
I'd be interested to know what you think of the Michelins once you've got some miles on them. I've heard good things but never had a set. My Porsche and Maserati both had Pirellis, and my 1999 SL320 has Dunlop Sports Maxx (but that's a different driving experience).
Rappa said:
Hi Ronnie,
I used to have this on the Bridstones. Changed to Michelin Pilot 4S and the problem went away. The OEM tyres even new and with lots of tread are ecilipsed by a more modern tyre.
Hope this helps.
Sean
That does help. Thanks, Sean. Mine's on Bridgestones. If they had less tread on them I wouldn't feel so bad replacing them. Mind you, the amount of wheel-spinning I'm doing, perhaps they will need replacing soon anyway I used to have this on the Bridstones. Changed to Michelin Pilot 4S and the problem went away. The OEM tyres even new and with lots of tread are ecilipsed by a more modern tyre.
Hope this helps.
Sean
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