Lots of Dash Warning Lights - Vantage Roadster

Lots of Dash Warning Lights - Vantage Roadster

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Discussion

Manwhoneverwas

Original Poster:

598 posts

130 months

Sunday 20th July 2014
quotequote all
I drove over to see my parents and the V8VR was fine,
Came back and parked the car in my driveway and about 15 minute later went out to start it and had numerous and spurious error messages on the dash.
Sometimes even when I switched the car off and removed the key some dash errors symbols still remained.
Phoned the AA and the guy is on his way.
Just tried the car again before he arrives and everything is now okay.

Will get him to check it out anyway, really weird

Manwhoneverwas

Original Poster:

598 posts

130 months

Sunday 20th July 2014
quotequote all
An update post the AA visit just now.

The battery voltage was checked out first and recorded 12.66V (good), so he then linked his laptop to the diagnostic port under the steering column.
No error codes were stored on the cars ECU.

Since the car was now working okay, there was not much more the guy could do.
He did check through the AA database of previous problems recorded against the Vantage.

I have now taken the car out for a test drive ad all was well, will just have to keep an eye on things.

Either that or I have a car which self heals

JACK6284

326 posts

222 months

Sunday 20th July 2014
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Mine did this just before the battery completely failed. Good luck

steveatesh

4,893 posts

163 months

Sunday 20th July 2014
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My Z4 did just this too. Battery failed completely shortly afterwards.

Start looking smile

DAMIT

341 posts

162 months

Sunday 20th July 2014
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Could be a case of the roof module failing. Common failure that causes all the warnings as well as not operating the roof.



Manwhoneverwas

Original Poster:

598 posts

130 months

Sunday 20th July 2014
quotequote all
The AA guy did have a record on his database about the roof module and told me it is Fuse 69 (5A) located in the footwell which is the fuse to reset the module.
I did test the roof and all was working.
I also did wonder about the door modules since the car recently had the passenger door off (yet again) to be repainted at the AM approved body shop to fix the paint bubble which appeared in a different location to when the car was repainted last year.

X7LDA

940 posts

203 months

Sunday 20th July 2014
quotequote all
Classic symptom of V8V battery about to die a death on you.

Happened to me twice in two separate V8V cars. Battery read fine, died days later.

Manwhoneverwas

Original Poster:

598 posts

130 months

Monday 21st July 2014
quotequote all
Following on from the advice given here about the possibility of the battery failing after my adventure yesterday.

I went to Costco this morning and bought a Bosch S5013 battery.
Just fitted it to my Roadster which was very easy since I had looked up various posts on here about fitting the battery (thanks guys).

I had a close look at the AM Varta battery that I removed to try and determine how old it is (I have had the car for 18 months now)

On the negative terminal it is marked 33 07 which would indicate week 33 of 2007 (Aug 2007).
This would indicate it is the original battery since my Roadster was registered Nov 2007.

It was also a lovely sunny day to do this with the roof down for easier access to the battery compartment.

mikey k

13,011 posts

215 months

Monday 21st July 2014
quotequote all
Manwhoneverwas said:
Following on from the advice given here about the possibility of the battery failing after my adventure yesterday.

I went to Costco this morning and bought a Bosch S5013 battery.
Just fitted it to my Roadster which was very easy since I had looked up various posts on here about fitting the battery (thanks guys).

I had a close look at the AM Varta battery that I removed to try and determine how old it is (I have had the car for 18 months now)

On the negative terminal it is marked 33 07 which would indicate week 33 of 2007 (Aug 2007).
This would indicate it is the original battery since my Roadster was registered Nov 2007.

It was also a lovely sunny day to do this with the roof down for easier access to the battery compartment.
Both my roadsters showed your similar symptoms and were solved with either a loom change or a new battery.
Those Varta batteries are no the most robust
I will be moving to another brand and probably an AGM type battery when this one dies.

David W.

1,905 posts

208 months

Monday 21st July 2014
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mikey k said:
Both my roadsters showed your similar symptoms and were solved with either a loom change or a new battery.
Those Varta batteries are no the most robust
I will be moving to another brand and probably an AGM type battery when this one dies.
Surprised you say that about Varta, they come OME on many quality German machines I have and always have lasted longer than their replacements!
dw

Manwhoneverwas

Original Poster:

598 posts

130 months

Monday 21st July 2014
quotequote all
Just tried the Roadster again and the dash has the same error messages as yesterday, so looks like it was not the battery after all.

The car always starts but the dash either fluctuates between showing absolutely nothing, no rev counter, all gauges reading nothing or it then kicks in to life with various error messages.
I did try and remove the fuse for the Roof Module and the two fuses for the door modules, but no luck.

Will call AM in Edinburgh tomorrow, but may have to get the AA to relay it to them if the dash is not working?

Yet another disappointment of AM ownership


peterr96

2,226 posts

174 months

Monday 21st July 2014
quotequote all
Manwhoneverwas said:
Just tried the Roadster again and the dash has the same error messages as yesterday, so looks like it was not the battery after all.

The car always starts but the dash either fluctuates between showing absolutely nothing, no rev counter, all gauges reading nothing or it then kicks in to life with various error messages.
I did try and remove the fuse for the Roof Module and the two fuses for the door modules, but no luck.

Will call AM in Edinburgh tomorrow, but may have to get the AA to relay it to them if the dash is not working?

Yet another disappointment of AM ownership
I'm not sure that removing the fuses will resolve the problem. Unless anyone knows otherwise, switched off modules still attached to the bus stand a good chance of preventing comms between working modules so your symptoms would persist.
Removing fuses and replacing may reset modules, but it's hardly likely to effect a long term fix. Chances are it is putting off the inevitable.
As I understand it, yours sounds like a classic case of dying roof module.

moveover

345 posts

162 months

Monday 21st July 2014
quotequote all
Manwhoneverwas said:
Just tried the Roadster again and the dash has the same error messages as yesterday, so looks like it was not the battery after all.

The car always starts but the dash either fluctuates between showing absolutely nothing, no rev counter, all gauges reading nothing or it then kicks in to life with various error messages.
I did try and remove the fuse for the Roof Module and the two fuses for the door modules, but no luck.

Will call AM in Edinburgh tomorrow, but may have to get the AA to relay it to them if the dash is not working?

Yet another disappointment of AM ownership
It does sound like the roof module failing, and because its on the main CANBUS (I think its referred to), it causes the whole car to throw a hissy fit. You can disconnect the roof module by removing the tyre pump on the RHS of the boot and feeling around above the wheel arch for the connector. There are other threads on how to do this, and it will resolve all the warning lights. This is what happened to mine, and the eventual solution was to replace the roof module. Mucho ££££s for a little black box of crappy electronic gadgetry no doubt made in China.

DAMIT

341 posts

162 months

Monday 21st July 2014
quotequote all
moveover said:
It does sound like the roof module failing, and because its on the main CANBUS (I think its referred to), it causes the whole car to throw a hissy fit. You can disconnect the roof module by removing the tyre pump on the RHS of the boot and feeling around above the wheel arch for the connector. There are other threads on how to do this, and it will resolve all the warning lights. This is what happened to mine, and the eventual solution was to replace the roof module. Mucho ££££s for a little black box of crappy electronic gadgetry no doubt made in China.
Totally agree with this, except the module is made in Germany!

mikey k

13,011 posts

215 months

Tuesday 22nd July 2014
quotequote all
David W. said:
mikey k said:
Both my roadsters showed your similar symptoms and were solved with either a loom change or a new battery.
Those Varta batteries are no the most robust
I will be moving to another brand and probably an AGM type battery when this one dies.
Surprised you say that about Varta, they come OME on many quality German machines I have and always have lasted longer than their replacements!
dw
I've had two Varta batteries die in Astons, both in warranty and one after only 3 month
I also know of two other Astons that have suffered a similar fat in the first year.

Manwhoneverwas

Original Poster:

598 posts

130 months

Tuesday 22nd July 2014
quotequote all
The AA were called out again this morning after replacing the battery did not work and all credit to the AA technician who arrived at the house, he was very well clued up on Astons and suspected the Roof Module.

Since the speedo, rev counter, indicators et al were all disabled a low loader was sent out to cart it off to AM Edinburgh

AM Edinburgh have confirmed indeed it was the Roof Module and strangely enough none in stock at the dealer or the factory???

So they will remove one already fitted to a Roadster at the factory since my car is effectively off the road (while its scorching here in Glasgow and Roadster weather indeed)

One consolation is that I have insurance through my AA membership which covers up to £500 of electrical parts failure which renders the car not drivable

The module itself is £416.12 + VAT which is £500 + £240 to install and code to the car

While it is in I am getting the gearbox oil replaced as part of routine maintenance and have asked them to hook up their diagnostics tool and give an indication of the clutch wear on my Sportshift
(23,000 miles on the clock at the moment, mainly motorway miles since I got it at 12,000 miles)

I am not a car manufacturing engineer, but you have to seriously ask why if a roof module fails, it just doesn't stop the roof working. But effectively renders the car not drivable




Edited by Manwhoneverwas on Tuesday 22 July 16:29

LordBretSinclair

4,285 posts

176 months

Tuesday 22nd July 2014
quotequote all
It's not just on the Vantage frown
IanV12VR had a similar problem with his DB9 Volante a couple of years ago in France and his dashboard lit up like Blackpool too.

eybic

9,212 posts

173 months

Tuesday 22nd July 2014
quotequote all
Manwhoneverwas said:
An update post the AA visit just now.

The battery voltage was checked out first and recorded 12.66V (good)
Is that with the engine running or on tickover? I know on tickover, the voltage on most cars should be around 14v but 12v with the engine off.

Manwhoneverwas

Original Poster:

598 posts

130 months

Tuesday 22nd July 2014
quotequote all
eybic said:
Is that with the engine running or on tickover? I know on tickover, the voltage on most cars should be around 14v but 12v with the engine off.
12.66V with the engine off

eybic

9,212 posts

173 months

Tuesday 22nd July 2014
quotequote all
OK, I'll get back in my box now biggrin