V8V hatch emergency release cable

[Nigel_O]

I noticed that the cable for the emergency release is really badly frayed - only three or four strands left. A quick google search only came up with a DB7 release cable at over £200

I’ve never needed to use it, but I just know that if I ignore it, the main electrical release will fail and then I’ll be looking at a huge bill just to open the hatch.

So - has anyone done it? Can the cable be substituted with another cable type that doesn’t cost a fortune?

[LTP]

What hatch emergency release?

[Nigel_O]

LTP said:

What hatch emergency release?

This one - looks like the cable isn’t available separately

[LTP]

Nigel_O said:

This one - looks like the cable isn t available separately

Well every day's a school day! I've had mine 6 years and I never noticed it had an emergency tailgate release.

To be frank I never looked before because I never expected it to have one, as my (now dim) recollection of the applicable law was it applied to vehicles with a separate luggage compartment, which strictly a 3-door hatch isn't as it's only separated by a removable parcel shelf. However, on the same basis I would have expected one on the Roadster - perhaps AML were just reducing parts complexity.

Whilst I've not seen the cable so may be talking baloney, I wouldn't have thought it would take too much to knock one up. You can probably get cable inner from a bike shop or hardware store, along with solder-on or screw-clamp type nipples, depending on the fittings it requires.

edited to add
In fact, if you have a specialist bike shop close to you, you may find they make up brake cables anyway, so may be able to take the fittings off yours and solder them to a new piece of inner.

Edited by LTP on Sunday 9th November 13:57

[vw_99]

Looking at pic. If its only £50 for latch and cable be well worth changing it all

[Nigel_O]

vw_99 said:

Looking at pic. If its only £50 for latch and cable be well worth changing it all

I couldn't be bothered taking the hatch apart just to see if I could replace the cable with something from the local bike shop, so I just bit the bullet and bought a new latch from Aston Martin Bits.

I'll fit it when the garage temperature is closer to double figures...

[Nigel_O]

I got the new latch fitted a couple of weeks ago, but today is the first time I’ve driven the car since then. Annoyingly, I now have a permanent ‘boot open’ warning on the dash that only clears temporarily with the ‘read’ button and comes back as soon as the speed drops below about 10mph.

It clearly has the electrical connection plugged in, as I can open the boot with the button

Does the new latch have to be coded to the car?

Thankfully, I’m at DAE tomorrow, so I’ll get them to plug in their diagnostic kit

[Nigel_O]

Turns out there was nothing wrong with the latch - I'd slightly lowered the catch and overdone it slightly, so the latch wasn't, er, latching.

Quick adjustment and all is well again