Sportshift Launch Control ?

[X7LDA]

Can I ask why having LC is so important? I've never used it on my F430 as it lunches the clutch. Never tried to use it on any of my Aston's either.

Reading between the lines here all I can tell is you want to floor it off the lights and do burnouts for your mates...? Hopefully this is not the case, given it's an Aston, not an Astra.

(sorry for being cynical if this is not the case)

[Laser Sag]

Bleen said:

Very disappointed in this car, a total let down and a turn off for the brand entirely.

Edited by Bleen on Tuesday 19th August 16:05

So a unit which is a mesh of rotating parts fails after being given some abuse, unfortunate but a "dissapointment, total let down and a turn off for the brand" !!!!

If you subject mechanical items to abuse there is a chance they will fail, that isn't Aston Martins fault it can happen on any car.

[Phil74891]

Personally I couldn't think of anything worse than nailing 0-60mph times in a cloud of smoke and straining mechanicals in an Aston. Kawasakis or Caterhams are better for that.......

[divetheworld]

X7LDA said:

I've never used it on my F430 as it lunches the clutch.

I tried it once when the curiosity got the better of me.
You're right. It lunches the clutch.

Note to self. LC in a V8VSS is for hooligans and muppetry. The DBS on the other hand just lunches PZero's .......

[KarlFranz]

As I mentioned in the other forum, this isn't really "launch control"; it's really more of a "burnout mode". Real launch control would not have you turn off traction control as that is counterintuitive. The Vanquish has true "Launch Control" with a dedicated button on the center console labeled as such for this purpose.

[Neil1300r]

I'm confused. You bought a 2nd hand car, so don't know how it was treated by previous owner, with a dodgy clutch. Replace it with a non manufacturer clutch, then when trying racing starts you break the car and it's the manufacturer's fault?

[Bleen]

Neil1300r said:

I'm confused. You bought a 2nd hand car, so don't know how it was treated by previous owner, with a dodgy clutch. Replace it with a non manufacturer clutch, then when trying racing starts you break the car and it's the manufacturer's fault?

I've seen this kinda reply more and more now... trying to blame me. It's clear on the video how this happened and the "abuse" the car took...

I bought a second hand car yes.

I replaced the clutch, which left me stranded with no warning. This is already a big issue by itself. Not the fact that the clutch was on the way out, or that it lasted 26k miles... but the fact that it just leaves you stranded.

I replaced it with an OEM clutch. No modifications to the vehicle.

Trying racing? This is the first time I tried this procedure, and the car breaks. I abused my old (bought used) SLK and M3 20 times more than this, I took the cars drag racing and to the track. Not one mechanical problem.

I agree with Karl, this is not even worth to be named launch control... calling it that is grossly misleading.

It is the manufacturer's fault. A SPORTS car with 28k miles shouldn't have these issues.
Why would a factory feature included in the car break a stock car?!

Also, they should support their customers and sell parts, not making me have to either fabricate the part, look on Ebay or have to buy the whole transaxle.

Edited by Bleen on Tuesday 19th August 23:26

Edited by Bleen on Tuesday 19th August 23:27

[roughrider]

What year car? Launch was only meant for early sportshift with bolted in driveshafts, not pop-in driveshafts.

[Bleen]

roughrider said:

What year car? Launch was only meant for early sportshift with bolted in driveshafts, not pop-in driveshafts.

09

[Laser Sag]

Bleen, many clutches will just fail especially on higher output cars. Having read the manual on my 09 SS I can't find a reference to launch control.
Even if there were there are other examples where early launch control was a problem, Nissan GTR anyone.
If you want to launch any car off the line aggressively then you run the risk of breaking drive shafts, diffs.
Amazing that someone who has abused their previous cars without problem has now only done one wheel smoking start in their current vehicle.

Who is to know how the previous owner used or abused your car, I have watched numerous owners of very nice cars give demonstrations of their tyre shredding ability in a car that they have just started up with cold oils.

You purchased a car that you don't know the history of had your fun and unfortunately paid the price, it is a chance that those of us who can't afford new cars have to take.

[X7LDA]

The irony in all of this is that some people won't touch your car now come re-sale, as your freely admit in an open forum that you want to abuse the st out of it (at traffic light GP's, for example...)

[DB9VolanteDriver]

Bleen said:

Trying racing? This is the first time I tried this procedure, and the car breaks. I abused my old (bought used) SLK and M3 20 times more than this, I took the cars drag racing and to the track. Not one mechanical problem.

Suggest you go out and buy an SLK or M3 to abuse, then.

[Bleen]

Laser Sag said:

Amazing that someone who has abused their previous cars without problem has now only done one wheel smoking start in their current vehicle.

Yes, after the clutch went during the first few weeks I babied this car and only pushed it on the canyons.

This was a chance to have a public road just for myself (since it was closed for a shoot).
So I decided to do a few runs.

First time, it dies...

Why would you own a high performance car if you can't push it a little?

[Neil1300r]

Bleen said:

Laser Sag said:

Amazing that someone who has abused their previous cars without problem has now only done one wheel smoking start in their current vehicle.

Yes, after the clutch went during the first few weeks I babied this car and only pushed it on the canyons.

This was a chance to have a public road just for myself (since it was closed for a shoot).
So I decided to do a few runs.

First time, it dies...

Why would you own a high performance car if you can't push it a little?

How did the previous owner treat the car? A clutch failing at that low mileage is an indicator of an uncaring owner.

[Laser Sag]

Neil1300r said:

Bleen said:

Laser Sag said:

Amazing that someone who has abused their previous cars without problem has now only done one wheel smoking start in their current vehicle.

Yes, after the clutch went during the first few weeks I babied this car and only pushed it on the canyons.

This was a chance to have a public road just for myself (since it was closed for a shoot).
So I decided to do a few runs.

First time, it dies...

Why would you own a high performance car if you can't push it a little?

How did the previous owner treat the car? A clutch failing at that low mileage is an indicator of an uncaring owner.

As Neil has replied if your clutch goes at low miles it would suggest some abuse may have been handed out wether by you or the previous owner/owners.
Your previous comments suggest that you don't push your cars a little but rather a lot which is your perogative but when they then fail which mechanical things do all the time then surely you must accept you have had your fun and unfortunately paid the price.
You may just have been unlucky or the previous owner had decided that they were god when it came to leaving the lights and had given the diff and the clutch too much abuse.
These things happen, bemoan them if you will but why slag off the marque when they have produced a fast road car not a rrag car. If you want something that will do burn outs all day long then get the diff, driveshafts, clutch etc upgraded to suit and even then there is a chance one of them will break.

[Biggriff]

All upgrades simply transfer the weak point along the chain. Everything breaks (read the GTR forums to see how many of them have had warranty claims turned down by Nissan).

Laser Sag sums it up nicely. I suspect it sounds like the previous owner was unsympathetic and when you added to it the component failed.

[Bleen]

Interesting points raised. I talked to the AM dealer that serviced the car for the 2 previous owners and he said it was a nice car, had nothing wrong to say about it. Also did a PPI with AM Galpin and no issues other than the clutch.
Of course this doesn't mean that the previous owners didn't abuse the car, but I find it unlikely.

As I said before, this car had been driven fairly carefully by me since I bought it because of the clutch. This was the first time I actually ran it through its paces. Other than that, I just drove it half a dozen times in the canyons...

I'll ask my mechanic about his theory and see if he has seen this happen before. I don't think I've read about this happening to anyone else...

[Laser Sag]

Bleen said:

Interesting points raised. I talked to the AM dealer that serviced the car for the 2 previous owners and he said it was a nice car, had nothing wrong to say about it. Also did a PPI with AM Galpin and no issues other than the clutch.
Of course this doesn't mean that the previous owners didn't abuse the car, but I find it unlikely.

As I said before, this car had been driven fairly carefully by me since I bought it because of the clutch. This was the first time I actually ran it through its paces. Other than that, I just drove it half a dozen times in the canyons...

I'll ask my mechanic about his theory and see if he has seen this happen before. I don't think I've read about this happening to anyone else...

So if you follow through on your course of logic ie that this seems to your knowledge to be the only AM Vantage that has done this then surely you are the victim of a very unlucky pre-existing manufacturing defect in a part bought in by AM.

So whether you follow the forum possibility of previous abuse, or yours of one off part failure how do you end up with a total let down of the car and a turn off for the brand entirely.

Understand you are pi**ed off but do think you need to be a realist, cars that get driven hard will be prone to failure. Parts can and will have small faults in them which if subjected to a hard life can fail.

Hopefully you will soon have the car fixed and then be able to enjoy it.

Edited by Laser Sag on Thursday 21st August 07:36

[Bleen]

Laser Sag said:

So if you follow through on your course of logic ie that this seems to your knowledge to be the only AM Vantage that has done this then surely you are the victim of a very unlucky pre-existing manufacturing defect in a part bought in by AM.

So whether you follow the forum possibility of previous abuse, or yours of one off part failure how do you end up with a total let down of the car and a turn off for the brand entirely.

Understand you are pi**ed off but do think you need to be a realist, cars that get driven hard will be prone to failure. Parts can and will have small faults in them which if subjected to a hard life can fail.

Hopefully you will soon have the car fixed and then be able to enjoy it.

Edited by Laser Sag on Thursday 21st August 07:36

I am just concerned next time I floor the car while driving, something else will break...
Just because only one part failed, doesn't mean that other parts of the drivetrain aren't strained to breaking point. Who knows.

The other issue is the spare parts situation...

I'm trying to make up my mind in calling this a $20k mistake and getting rid of it as soon as I get it back, or give it a third shot.

[Laser Sag]

Bleen said:

I am just concerned next time I floor the car while driving, something else will break...
Just because only one part failed, doesn't mean that other parts of the drivetrain aren't strained to breaking point. Who knows.

The other issue is the spare parts situation...

I'm trying to make up my mind in calling this a $20k mistake and getting rid of it as soon as I get it back, or give it a third shot.

Many on here I feel certain drive their cars quite hard without any misfortune, some will probably be unlucky but on the basis that you don't read about them breaking that often it would suggest that there isn't an inherent design flaw in the drive train.
Hope you do give it another go and that you then find some love for it. They are great cars but like any car when they fail they really do p*ss you off.