Boot open warning when boot is shut. Resolved.
Discussion
Car discussed is a 2006 DB9 Volante but I believe it applies at least to DB9/DBS Coupe and Volante.
Since purchasing the car 5 years ago, I have had an intermittant issue with the dash showing a "boot open" warning occasionally when the boot was clearly clicked fully closed. This is more of an issue on a Volante, because if the car believes the boot is open, it deactivates the roof function so you cannot operate the roof.
I took the car back to the supplying dealers, Chiltern Aston Martin who could not find the problem. The issue persisted so for it's check prior to warranty expiry, I took it into HWM in Walton to look at the problem. Again, it was not diagnosed so I have put up with it for a while.
I recently went out in the car, desperate to have the roof down experience, but the damn roof would not operate due to the warning and it took a good 10 minutes of driving before the car realised the boot was, in fact, shut.
Early on, I tried closing the boot with some force, to no avail, so decided to take a look at the wiring diagrams to try and locate a fault.
It was found very easily, the boot catch sits behind an alloy trim in the boot and when this was removed, the circuitry of the catch was sitting in a puddle of water that had collected in a plastic trim shell enclosing the catch.
I drilled 4 small 4mm drain holes in the shell to allow any water ingress to drain off under the car and found the normal "green" corrosion around the terminal block from the vehicle loom to the catch. The wire that earths the catch when the catch closes was badly corroded in the terminal block, which is not available separately from AM but comes with the complete rear vehicle loom.
The offending wire is the Orange with Blue tracer. Unplugging the connection allows you to access the wire on the catch side of the connection, and cutting it and running a small 4" jump wire from the loom to the catch, soldered and insulated sorted the problem. You can still reconnect the multiplug and refit the catch as there is enough room to do so to reconnect the other 2 wires.
Should you have the same issues, then it would be possible to cut off the multiplug completely from the catch, just 3 wires, White with Green tracer to the motor, Orange and Blue to the boot closed circuit and black directly to earth.
Hope that helps someone out and I am very disappointed that 2 Aston Martin garages could not find such a simple problem.
8Tech.
Since purchasing the car 5 years ago, I have had an intermittant issue with the dash showing a "boot open" warning occasionally when the boot was clearly clicked fully closed. This is more of an issue on a Volante, because if the car believes the boot is open, it deactivates the roof function so you cannot operate the roof.
I took the car back to the supplying dealers, Chiltern Aston Martin who could not find the problem. The issue persisted so for it's check prior to warranty expiry, I took it into HWM in Walton to look at the problem. Again, it was not diagnosed so I have put up with it for a while.
I recently went out in the car, desperate to have the roof down experience, but the damn roof would not operate due to the warning and it took a good 10 minutes of driving before the car realised the boot was, in fact, shut.
Early on, I tried closing the boot with some force, to no avail, so decided to take a look at the wiring diagrams to try and locate a fault.
It was found very easily, the boot catch sits behind an alloy trim in the boot and when this was removed, the circuitry of the catch was sitting in a puddle of water that had collected in a plastic trim shell enclosing the catch.
I drilled 4 small 4mm drain holes in the shell to allow any water ingress to drain off under the car and found the normal "green" corrosion around the terminal block from the vehicle loom to the catch. The wire that earths the catch when the catch closes was badly corroded in the terminal block, which is not available separately from AM but comes with the complete rear vehicle loom.
The offending wire is the Orange with Blue tracer. Unplugging the connection allows you to access the wire on the catch side of the connection, and cutting it and running a small 4" jump wire from the loom to the catch, soldered and insulated sorted the problem. You can still reconnect the multiplug and refit the catch as there is enough room to do so to reconnect the other 2 wires.
Should you have the same issues, then it would be possible to cut off the multiplug completely from the catch, just 3 wires, White with Green tracer to the motor, Orange and Blue to the boot closed circuit and black directly to earth.
Hope that helps someone out and I am very disappointed that 2 Aston Martin garages could not find such a simple problem.
8Tech.
Sorry Sean, I didn't.
Its pretty straightforward though. All you need toolwise is an 8mm and 10mm socket or spanner, plus a T30 or T27 (I cannot remember) screwdriver.
You will see 2 holes in the alloy boot trim. Inside these are torx screws. Undo them and lift the back inch of the boot floor carpet to reveal 4 small screws.
Remove these screws and lift up the alloy trim to remove it. This exposes the 2, 8mm bolts holding the boot catch to the bracket. Remove them.
Remove the 4, 10mm bolts and take away the bracket. You will now clearly see the connection to the catch and the plastic trough below it.
Refitting is, as they say, the reverse of the removal procedure but a good tip is to start the 2 torx bolts removed initially by finger because you can now see the trim is slotted, so you can slot it down over them, refit the 4 undercarpet screws and then tighten the torx screws.
Time for all the above is under 10 minutes, the time is taken up disconnecting, soldering in the jump cable and reconnecting. If all you need is to hand, that adds another 10 minutes. Crimps or spade connectors would work but they are a little bulky and not as reliable as a soldered joint.
Note: the 8mm HEADED bolts are M6's and the 10mm HEADED bolts are M8's.
8Tech.
Its pretty straightforward though. All you need toolwise is an 8mm and 10mm socket or spanner, plus a T30 or T27 (I cannot remember) screwdriver.
You will see 2 holes in the alloy boot trim. Inside these are torx screws. Undo them and lift the back inch of the boot floor carpet to reveal 4 small screws.
Remove these screws and lift up the alloy trim to remove it. This exposes the 2, 8mm bolts holding the boot catch to the bracket. Remove them.
Remove the 4, 10mm bolts and take away the bracket. You will now clearly see the connection to the catch and the plastic trough below it.
Refitting is, as they say, the reverse of the removal procedure but a good tip is to start the 2 torx bolts removed initially by finger because you can now see the trim is slotted, so you can slot it down over them, refit the 4 undercarpet screws and then tighten the torx screws.
Time for all the above is under 10 minutes, the time is taken up disconnecting, soldering in the jump cable and reconnecting. If all you need is to hand, that adds another 10 minutes. Crimps or spade connectors would work but they are a little bulky and not as reliable as a soldered joint.
Note: the 8mm HEADED bolts are M6's and the 10mm HEADED bolts are M8's.
8Tech.
Had been getting this intermittent message on my 09 DB9 Volante so took everything apart with @8Tech’s instructions yesterday. Somewhat disappointingly no sign of corrosion, so cleaned and reseated connector. Will see if that makes a difference.
Pics here for the next person who needs this thread.
Pics here for the next person who needs this thread.
Apologies for the untimely delay in response, missed the notification..
so cleaning the connector did not help. Problem went away for a bit but has resurfaced. I do however have a better diagnosis now. The boot latch has a microswitch inside it. Over time the microswitch starts to fail. Failure is hastened as the boot struts wear because the boot starts to shut too heavily. You can get a little life back by exerting some force with your hands on the latch to move its position a little but ultimately the latch needs to be replaced. Part number is 6G33-31253052-AA. I have the part on order (and a new set of boot struts) will report back when installed to confirm all sorted.
so cleaning the connector did not help. Problem went away for a bit but has resurfaced. I do however have a better diagnosis now. The boot latch has a microswitch inside it. Over time the microswitch starts to fail. Failure is hastened as the boot struts wear because the boot starts to shut too heavily. You can get a little life back by exerting some force with your hands on the latch to move its position a little but ultimately the latch needs to be replaced. Part number is 6G33-31253052-AA. I have the part on order (and a new set of boot struts) will report back when installed to confirm all sorted.
Job done. All good. I did try and take the old latch assembly apart for interests sake, but it is not possible without destruction. It is a volvo part, trunk latch from an S60 (part number 31253052). So if Aston ever run out we can get the next one from Volvo. A quick price check seemed to indicate it was more expensive as a Volvo part, so that would be a first.
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