Evo Fast Fleet AMV8 is a lemon !

Evo Fast Fleet AMV8 is a lemon !

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Discussion

360stimo

Original Poster:

701 posts

235 months

Monday 30th January 2006
quotequote all
Guy has had his car 22 days and been able to drive it for just 7, having failed twice. Once while up North, he had to drive home in a courtesy Merc after a door relay needed 're-booting' and an earth strap relocating.

Then, after he got it back, he went to put it in the garage and the same thing happened again. All the warning lights came on and wouldn't start.

The guy goes on to say that AM assist, run by Mondial UK is a total joke and didn't help at all. The only time things happened is when Aston Martin themselves got involved to sort the car out.

bund

2,624 posts

228 months

Monday 30th January 2006
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This sounds like great news for people expecting there amv8's (me included) but you always get a couple of wrongons(hopefully mine isnt one of them) so im not botherd yet, also when i had trouble with my porsche it was the rac or aa who came out to see it and they didnt have that much of a clue either.

360stimo

Original Poster:

701 posts

235 months

Monday 30th January 2006
quotequote all
bund said:
This sounds like great news for people expecting there amv8's (me included) but you always get a couple of wrongons(hopefully mine isnt one of them) so im not botherd yet, also when i had trouble with my porsche it was the rac or aa who came out to see it and they didnt have that much of a clue either.



bad news for AM that one of the ones that 'went wrong' was from a guy who's car was going to be featured in Evo mag !

rich1231

17,331 posts

267 months

Monday 30th January 2006
quotequote all
Thats a bit sh1te....
Bound to be a few erm less than sorted cars coming out of the the first months production.

but have bad'uns in all brands.

My 360 Spider roof failed bigtime at a VWaters meet. Took it to Maranello's to help me close it and they just carried on watching TV when I asked how to close roof manually.

V12AML

209 posts

226 months

Monday 30th January 2006
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I think it was Jeremy Clarkson who advised against buying an Aston in its first 2 years of production (i don't agree with that, you can get a dodgy car at any stage of production) Come to think of it, im sure JC owned a DB7 at one point, anyone know if he did?

richb

52,770 posts

291 months

Monday 30th January 2006
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Don't know but his Ford GT was so poor he returned it!

V12AML

209 posts

226 months

Monday 30th January 2006
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He still has his Ford GT, he returned it and then bought it back when it was fixed.

Andrew Noakes

914 posts

247 months

Monday 30th January 2006
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V12AML said:
im sure JC owned a DB7 at one point


Would Clarkson fit in a DB7? They're a bit tight for space and he's ludicrously tall.

V12AML

209 posts

226 months

Monday 30th January 2006
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Yeah ive seen him on Top Gear driving one numerous times, he does complain they are small though

Andrew Noakes

914 posts

247 months

Monday 30th January 2006
quotequote all
I'm sure he could wedge himself in to test drive it, but would you buy a car you weren't comfortable in?

desmo

144 posts

227 months

Tuesday 31st January 2006
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The first few V8's and most DB9 require the door modules reflashing to update the soft ware. It prevents excessive battery drain. It's a 20 minute job so don't see were the other 14 days have gone? the battery cable mod is just an extra tie strap.
It's not always the car's fault, there are as many bad clients. I recently did a 800km round trip to sort out a DB9 Volante, The hood would not close, the repair took less than 2 minutes. He had flattened the battery by leaving the lights on, so the window memories were wiped, recharged the battery,then he opened the roof while it was raining to close the doors, and couldn't close the roof, because the system requires the window position to operate. We spent some time explaining over the phone, switch down hold 4 seconds followed by switch up hold 4 seconds! not complicated. But he said it did not work and the car was rubbish etc. When I arrived the next day, said hello, got keys, closed the doors, set the windows, closed the roof job done. Client's friend was amused, I think he was embarrassed but I'm not there to rub it in, only repair the car.

erichmichael

9 posts

231 months

Thursday 2nd February 2006
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Clarkson did in fact own a DB7, and he's still complaining about it.
He once referred to it as being "built like Mr. Potatohead;
it just fell apart."
I will always remember the immortal words of the jezzer, "shall we
take the Aston?"
"And that sounds pretty good doesn't it?"
...so that alone makes it good enough for me.

hendry

1,945 posts

289 months

Thursday 2nd February 2006
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Door software! Window memories! Has the world gone mad? The fact is that not all Aston drivers are going to have doctorates in software design from Cambridge and batteries do go flat. If Aston are producing cars that need instruction on how to operate bloody doors and windows when they fail, what the hell is lurking under the bonnet to go wrong!

Just picturing Q walking Bond round his next steed now, explaining that he will need to hold the window switch down for 4 seconds, then up for 4 seconds...

"Does that activate the radar jammer and encrypted GPS based location finder back to headquarters Q?"

"No Bond, it closes the roof. Pay attention double oh seven..."

friscorays

72 posts

233 months

Thursday 2nd February 2006
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Welcome to 2006 Hendry! I can assure you that almost every car manufactured today has the vast majority of its functions (even seemingly minor ones) controlled / monitored by a CPU.

John

hendry

1,945 posts

289 months

Thursday 2nd February 2006
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Bristol Blenheim 3...?

I guess I was forgetting that in Aston terms this is mass produced. Systems are of course all fair, but need they trip out so easily? Just seems a touch off that Aston probably has as many software technical support guys these days as it had aly panel beaters in the old days.

Andrew Noakes

914 posts

247 months

Thursday 2nd February 2006
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More, I should think. They even have a robot now.

V12AML

209 posts

226 months

Thursday 2nd February 2006
quotequote all
erichmichael said:
Clarkson did in fact own a DB7, and he's still complaining about it.
He once referred to it as being "built like Mr. Potatohead;
it just fell apart."
I will always remember the immortal words of the jezzer, "shall we
take the Aston?"
"And that sounds pretty good doesn't it?"
...so that alone makes it good enough for me.


He must of had the 3.2, because the DB7 Vantage is built quite well ive noticed, the 3.2 had a couple of problems with the windows and aircon ect.

silverspeed

1,505 posts

237 months

Thursday 2nd February 2006
quotequote all
[quote=desmo]The first few V8's and most DB9 require the door modules reflashing to update the soft ware. It prevents excessive battery drain. It's a 20 minute job so don't see were the other 14 days have gone? the battery cable mod is just an extra tie strap. [quote=desmo]

Desmo

You say most DB9's require door modules re flashing to update software. My DB9 has had disc 10 software loaded - would this cover the door modules. I am driving it to Italy next month and could do without any dramas ! I have never had any battery drain problems in the 12 months of ownership.

Thanks

desmo

144 posts

227 months

Thursday 2nd February 2006
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For your information hendry, the part that gives all the trouble is actually made by VOLVO. Also the same part is used in some BMW models and according to BM mechanics I've heard they have similar shit. Lets face it, clients want more complicated cars, if you can press a button to raise a window it should not take a PHD from Oxford to hold the switch down for another 4 seconds when instructed to do so.
The fact remains that the v8 is a great car and so is the DB9.

desmo

144 posts

227 months

Thursday 2nd February 2006
quotequote all
Silverspeed, no the Field Service Action 137 is not on disc 10, it is on disc 11; however do not worry! The problem only affects a few cars, if you have not had a problem in the last 12 months, then you should not have a problem. Also, the fact that you will be driving the car on holiday would keep the battery up anyway. It takes about 5 days leaving the car locked with a faulty module to drain sufficiently not to start.
Enjoy your holiday, the next time your at the dealer for a service , they should automatically do the updates.