Favoured Code Reader ?

[sundayjumper]

Well, day 1 of Aston ownership, about fifty miles covered and "EMISSION SYSTEM SERVICE REQUIRED" ! From Googling it sounds like there's a big dose of TADTS and you just need to reset it and keep driving.

So what's the favoured code reader for an '07 Vantage ? Is it worth getting an Aston-specific one ? I've seen one that will (apparently) read the Aston-specific codes as well as the standard ones, and can also be loaded with the corresponding Porsche software. That would potentially be quite handy as I have a 996 too.

[rovcallum]

I used the Vgate 3 OBD unit. Also get the DashCommand App.
The Vgate 3 unit creates a wifi network so your iphone or android can communicate with the OBD port.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01C5KRZUU/ref...

It takes a bit of fiddling to set up but well worth it.

[Mansfield]

I used a generic ELM327 wifi OBD2 reader along with your prefered iphone/android app to read and clear codes.

Only had to use mine once after a winter lay-up but also read that it should clear itself after so many starts.

This is the type of generic reader i have (although not this particular link as was a few years ago)

http://www.ebay.de/itm/WiFi-ELM327-OBD2-OBDII-Auto...

Edited by Mansfield on Thursday 17th August 21:46

[Manx V8V]

I have this one and it re-set the very fault you are describing a couple of weeks ago with no problems https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00VUW2PB4/ref=mp...

See my thread on psge 4 'OBD Port Location V8V

[James Alexander]

Hi Steve,

If your cars been stood around a bit of time or just fired up to move around the forecourt, the vantage likes to flag up the emissions light....its quite normal.

90% of the time, it will clear itself after a half dozen spirited drives - nothing to worry about..........

Welcome to the club btw !

[redkite]

I had an email this week from these people who i have used for other cars. Anyone tried this ??

https://www.gendan.co.uk/product_FXNT510AM.html

[Funk]

Manx V8V said:

I have this one and it re-set the very fault you are describing a couple of weeks ago with no problems https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00VUW2PB4/ref=mp...

See my thread on psge 4 'OBD Port Location V8V

I have this one as well, works brilliantly.

[morty1961]

I had this message late last year after giving my V8V some beans. MIL light on as well. Bough a reader for a tenner off ebay and cleared it but it kept coming back.......anyway Ive just had a service at Bridge Mill and they reset the error with AMDS (the error was P0410 Secondary Air system fault, most probably the secondary air pump playing up). Ive done around 150 miles since and it hasn't come back (fingers crossed)!! Adam at Bridge Mill told me to use the car more (mines a bit of a garage queen to be honest).

[petop]

rovcallum said:

I used the Vgate 3 OBD unit. Also get the DashCommand App.
The Vgate 3 unit creates a wifi network so your iphone or android can communicate with the OBD port.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01C5KRZUU/ref...

It takes a bit of fiddling to set up but well worth it.

I have exact same setup, VGate with DashCommand. As long as you put it in the right port (!!) then after set up its fine.

[sundayjumper]

Update to this, I ended up buying a Foxwell NT510 Pro from Gendan, loaded with both Aston & Porsche software. It does more than the absolute basics and I'd been meaning to get something like this for ages. I'll write a review once I've had time to play about with it properly.

The emissions warning has now gone But The Wife is out for the evening and The Child is sleeping so I can't go out for a drive

[Manwhoneverwas]

I have one of these and it works well on my 2008 V8VR

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/U480-Scanner-Car-Fault-C...


However from my personal experience the permanent solution was to replace both upstream O2 sensors.
My local AM indy gets them for £60 each and they lasted for 2 years then the emission warning started again every couple of days.
So replaced the O2 sensors again

[V8Andrew]

Manwhoneverwas said:

I have one of these and it works well on my 2008 V8VR

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/U480-Scanner-Car-Fault-C...


However from my personal experience the permanent solution was to replace both upstream O2 sensors.
My local AM indy gets them for £60 each and they lasted for 2 years then the emission warning started again every couple of days.
So replaced the O2 sensors again

I also have a u480 but got it from eBay for about £10. Money very well spent

[wtdoom]

Excuse the stupid question but why do you all have these things ?

[sundayjumper]

wtdoom said:

Excuse the stupid question but why do you all have these things ?

Because I'm a moderately competent mechanic in my spare time, and I don't want to be running to the dealer every time my car sneezes. Partly because of cost but mainly because it's very inconvenient.

(and we have unreliable British cars...)

[wtdoom]

So you fix the fault identified or are there false faults thrown up that you simply cancel ?

[V8V Pete]

wtdoom said:

Excuse the stupid question but why do you all have these things ?

I don't have one and in 4 years and 24,000 miles in Vantages have only ever had one code cancelled (by dealer) which was the usual "Emissions system service required" false alarm. Pretty reliable cars really I think but it may have something to do with the fact that mine have been driven regularly.

[Wayne95]

James Alexander said:

Hi Steve,

If your cars been stood around a bit of time or just fired up to move around the forecourt, the vantage likes to flag up the emissions light....its quite normal.

90% of the time, it will clear itself after a half dozen spirited drives - nothing to worry about..........

Welcome to the club btw !

Exactly the same with me, cleared itself after 4 or so starts and about 150 miles . AM dealer told me not to worry unless it persisted - which it didn't

[rovcallum]

I bought one months ago after reading about them on this forum. At the time I thought "well, that'll probably not see much use".
A couple of weeks ago I went for a short drive to Sainsbury's and once I got there noticed I had an apparently common message about emissions.
I whipped out my phone, started the dashcommand app and had it cancelled in a jiffy, with the assumption that if it was serious it would pop up again.
It never did.
I felt kinda smug after that. The nearest AM Dealer is about 150 miles away.

[bogie]

Had a cheap code reader for about 15 years now, works on any modern car/bike and invaluable for quick diagnostic, putting your mind at reset and saving a dealer visit. Saved me hundreds of pounds over the years on a variety of vehicles.

[hueyhoolihan]

took a 5000 mile trip soon after purchase of a used 2007 vantage v8 with 11000 miles on it. plenty of warning lights (check engine emissions, seat belt malfunctions, air bag malfunction, tire pressure low, etc.) all turned out to be red herrings and were eventually cleared while on the trip. not surprising, the only REAL problem was a defective thermostat that on cold days prevented the heater and defroster from working properly. of course the warning system had nothing to say about this REAL problem...
my take on these elaborate 'warning' systems, is that they are designed to take advantage of paranoid, wealthy and naive car owners that are terrified of a problem leaving them stranded out in the middle of nowhere and in the process enriching the dealerships. it's a scam IMO. not the code readers: they are fine. it's the misleading and incessant warnings.

Edited by hueyhoolihan on Saturday 29th February 17:25

Edited by hueyhoolihan on Sunday 12th April 15:29