ASM2 Gearbox Failure
Discussion
Well said Frankie.
You have made us happy.
I wish you well with your SP10. You will be looking forward to it. I remember the feeling.
A couple of points that might help.
You state 'perfect, beautiful and aspirtional car'.
I agree with you, but I gather the lust for more power is connected with a comment frequently mentioned on this forum for V8 owners. 'Do not test drive a V12, because you will buy it.'. My own 4.7 is a keeper so that won't be a temptation for me, but some who are tempted by more power, often find an enormous price leap from their existing V8, to a new V12. That I think is when the modification route is followed.
I only know of BR from this forum, but some of the people there used to be engine development engineers at Gaydon. The engine in your car therefore, might already have some of their skill inside. If you read some of the BR posts, there certainly is some very technical engineering knowledge there. By lacking an engineering degree, I don't know what they are talking about some of the time. Good results with Vantage race engines as well.
Hope you do not mind me mentioning some of this older background.
Enjoy your car. Get ready for the compliments from strangers.
Jon.
You have made us happy.
I wish you well with your SP10. You will be looking forward to it. I remember the feeling.
A couple of points that might help.
You state 'perfect, beautiful and aspirtional car'.
I agree with you, but I gather the lust for more power is connected with a comment frequently mentioned on this forum for V8 owners. 'Do not test drive a V12, because you will buy it.'. My own 4.7 is a keeper so that won't be a temptation for me, but some who are tempted by more power, often find an enormous price leap from their existing V8, to a new V12. That I think is when the modification route is followed.
I only know of BR from this forum, but some of the people there used to be engine development engineers at Gaydon. The engine in your car therefore, might already have some of their skill inside. If you read some of the BR posts, there certainly is some very technical engineering knowledge there. By lacking an engineering degree, I don't know what they are talking about some of the time. Good results with Vantage race engines as well.
Hope you do not mind me mentioning some of this older background.
Enjoy your car. Get ready for the compliments from strangers.
Jon.
Edited by Jon39 on Saturday 8th March 19:51
FrankieV8VSP10 said:
Yes I probably did jump in with both feet, fuelled by a Friday evening large dose of Rioja! It is true I am very new to Aston ownership, in fact I haven't picked the car up yet but this will happen in less than a fortnight now...it's a manual SP10 coupe as if you could not guess by name! I'm buying the car from AMW and have been completely seduced by the folk, heritage and enthusiasm there.
The point I was trying to make, albeit looking back now with a blunt instrument and being new to Aston is in part my defence here is that I can't understand why would anyone want to tinker/improve, what for me is, a beautiful perfect and aspirational car. For me the pinnacle of vehicle ownership. And why would anyone want to use a non Aston independent to work on these gorgeous cars.
I of course realise I am extremely fortunate living 5 minutes from AMW and will naturally use them for anything that happens to go wrong and service my soon to be new P&J.
I don't claim to know more than anyone that has owned Astons for numerous years. But sometimes a simple perspective on don't mess with perfection is required. For me my new SP10 is pure perfection, however those that have owned Astons for some time may say different and laugh at my naivety.
Apologies for any offence my Rioja hazed posts caused.
The point I was trying to make, albeit looking back now with a blunt instrument and being new to Aston is in part my defence here is that I can't understand why would anyone want to tinker/improve, what for me is, a beautiful perfect and aspirational car. For me the pinnacle of vehicle ownership. And why would anyone want to use a non Aston independent to work on these gorgeous cars.
I of course realise I am extremely fortunate living 5 minutes from AMW and will naturally use them for anything that happens to go wrong and service my soon to be new P&J.
I don't claim to know more than anyone that has owned Astons for numerous years. But sometimes a simple perspective on don't mess with perfection is required. For me my new SP10 is pure perfection, however those that have owned Astons for some time may say different and laugh at my naivety.
Apologies for any offence my Rioja hazed posts caused.
and enjoy the car it is totally worth the wait - my first AM and after 8 months ownership still smiling and absolutely the best car I've ever owned. To modify or to keep standard is all part of the joy of ownership and what makes this such a special marque - fair play to you for saying what you said - not many would and get some pics up when you take delivery.
FrankieV8VSP10 said:
But sometimes a simple perspective on don't mess with perfection is required. For me my new SP10 is pure perfection, however those that have owned Astons for some time may say different and laugh at my naivety.
Apologies for any offence my Rioja hazed posts caused.
Apologies for any offence my Rioja hazed posts caused.
I'm still working on "my" perfection 
And thank you
Edited by mikey k on Saturday 8th March 20:28
Well said Frankie
As a %, most owners choose never to modify their cars, much like the bulk of Ferrari Lambo and Porsche owners.
But others do and it's a hell of a lot of fun and excitement (sometimes terror), finding out what your car could have been without accountants or marketing people getting involved.
I have an early DB9 Volante, Astons waftmobile. But it has a manual box, 522bhp, switchable suspension, 6 pot brakes and a stiffened fooorpan. It's a monster and I love it
As a %, most owners choose never to modify their cars, much like the bulk of Ferrari Lambo and Porsche owners.
But others do and it's a hell of a lot of fun and excitement (sometimes terror), finding out what your car could have been without accountants or marketing people getting involved.
I have an early DB9 Volante, Astons waftmobile. But it has a manual box, 522bhp, switchable suspension, 6 pot brakes and a stiffened fooorpan. It's a monster and I love it
FrankieV8VSP10 said:
... I can't understand why would anyone want to tinker/improve, what for me is, a beautiful perfect and aspirational car. For me the pinnacle of vehicle ownership. And why would anyone want to use a non Aston independent to work on these gorgeous cars.
Is that you George? 
Frankie you caved in too soon matey - most people agree with you and never modify their Aston. I didn't touch my DB9 and I firmly believe that modders are generally big girls - Mikey, Yeti, Mikey, PiloteAM, Mikey, Molly etc.
Yet, if your wife was Helena Bonham Carter wouldn't you reserve the right to get her a boob job? I mean these cars certainly have an illusion of perfection but then you look at the adequate tyres they put on them, the adequate colour schemes, the adequate Sat nav, the adequate performance etc and you soon see why the big girls want to go and spend their illegal dosh on improving them.
Btw lanzarote is a bit cloudy this morning
Jockman said:
Is that you George?
Frankie you caved in too soon matey - most people agree with you and never modify their Aston. I didn't touch my DB9 and I firmly believe that modders are generally big girls - Mikey, Yeti, Mikey, PiloteAM, Mikey, Molly etc.
Yet, if your wife was Helena Bonham Carter wouldn't you reserve the right to get her a boob job? I mean these cars certainly have an illusion of perfection but then you look at the adequate tyres they put on them, the adequate colour schemes, the adequate Sat nav, the adequate performance etc and you soon see why the big girls want to go and spend their illegal dosh on improving them.
Btw lanzarote is a bit cloudy this morning
As always the devil finds work for idle hands!Frankie you caved in too soon matey - most people agree with you and never modify their Aston. I didn't touch my DB9 and I firmly believe that modders are generally big girls - Mikey, Yeti, Mikey, PiloteAM, Mikey, Molly etc.
Yet, if your wife was Helena Bonham Carter wouldn't you reserve the right to get her a boob job? I mean these cars certainly have an illusion of perfection but then you look at the adequate tyres they put on them, the adequate colour schemes, the adequate Sat nav, the adequate performance etc and you soon see why the big girls want to go and spend their illegal dosh on improving them.
Btw lanzarote is a bit cloudy this morning
So this thread had me worried about my ASM2 and on the spirited drive back from Shelsley Walsh i changed gear and get the same feeling a F1 driver gets - the dash says no gear is available, it's in neutral and saying 2nd. Cruise to a stop and nothing works. Turn off the engine after a few minutes of fiddling with the controls back on, and all back to normal except my confidence. Strange.. But it still has 33 months of warranty remaining!
Edited by Jon1967x on Sunday 9th March 12:54
My V8S is fitted with ASM2, car is 8 months old and has completed 8000 miles. 3800 of those were on a hard charging Alpine tour. With the problem Mikey has I was worried so Bamford Rose emptied the gearbox and thoroughly checked the oil then duly replaced it. I am very happy to report that there is no cause for concern the old oil was in good condition with no unwanted deposits. So to those of you out there with concerns you may rest easy.
My heart goes out to Mikey, seems that he has just been rather unlucky. However I understand that if you are speccing a new V8S with sports pac you will be asked if you would like a transmission oil cooler!! Based on that I think that I will be ringing Bamford Rose to retro fit one. The joys of owning an Aston Martin are many fold.
My heart goes out to Mikey, seems that he has just been rather unlucky. However I understand that if you are speccing a new V8S with sports pac you will be asked if you would like a transmission oil cooler!! Based on that I think that I will be ringing Bamford Rose to retro fit one. The joys of owning an Aston Martin are many fold.
robgt said:
My V8S is fitted with ASM2, car is 8 months old and has completed 8000 miles. 3800 of those were on a hard charging Alpine tour. With the problem Mikey has I was worried so Bamford Rose emptied the gearbox and thoroughly checked the oil then duly replaced it. I am very happy to report that there is no cause for concern the old oil was in good condition with no unwanted deposits. So to those of you out there with concerns you may rest easy.
My heart goes out to Mikey, seems that he has just been rather unlucky. However I understand that if you are speccing a new V8S with sports pac you will be asked if you would like a transmission oil cooler!! Based on that I think that I will be ringing Bamford Rose to retro fit one. The joys of owning an Aston Martin are many fold.
Glad to hear yours passed the test My heart goes out to Mikey, seems that he has just been rather unlucky. However I understand that if you are speccing a new V8S with sports pac you will be asked if you would like a transmission oil cooler!! Based on that I think that I will be ringing Bamford Rose to retro fit one. The joys of owning an Aston Martin are many fold.
robgt said:
However I understand that if you are speccing a new V8S with sports pac you will be asked if you would like a transmission oil cooler!!
Found out this is also true on V12VS apparently as they don't have the cooler fitted to 6MT or ASM1 
(boy some one at Gaydon is being a real arse!)Turns out the crown and pinion are common across ASM2, ASM3 and DBS so why the hell it has taken 10 weeks to get a set I have no idea
(it feels like AM just can't be bothered)Anyway light at the end of the tunnel as the parts are due in next week and BR can crack on.
We discussed and agreed on adding some extra oil pipe work to better distribute the cooled oil through the box as well as shot peening to improve the surface of the gears
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shot_peening
Interestingly, getting my hands on the failed part and having a close look at it last week it was definitely a fault in the manufacturing of the gear. You can clearly see where flakes have progressively come off just one face of one tooth. No other signs on any other teeth.
Once again thanks for the support Gaydon
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