So what have you done with your Aston today? (Vol. 2)
Discussion
caiss4 said:
Beautiful. I’ve grown to absolutely LOVE these. So much is about the spec. The black pack really makes so much of the design work so well. 
Washed my M2 CS for the last time today. Hang on you say, this thread is about what I have done with my Aston. Well in this case it is what I have done for my incoming Aston. I am really going to miss this car. Possibly the best BMW M car ever made. However. Astons get into your blood like nothing else. More later.
Davil said:
Beautiful. I’ve grown to absolutely LOVE these. So much is about the spec. The black pack really makes so much of the design work so well.
Washed my M2 CS for the last time today. Hang on you say, this thread is about what I have done with my Aston. Well in this case it is what I have done for my incoming Aston. I am really going to miss this car. Possibly the best BMW M car ever made. However. Astons get into your blood like nothing else. More later.
DavidWashed my M2 CS for the last time today. Hang on you say, this thread is about what I have done with my Aston. Well in this case it is what I have done for my incoming Aston. I am really going to miss this car. Possibly the best BMW M car ever made. However. Astons get into your blood like nothing else. More later.
something to add to the white GT?
do tell
Graze
So took the DB9 out for a ride to Hastings, East Sussex on Saturday. It started off clean but got caught in a shower on the way down, so dirty now!
This is a picture at Hasting Country Park just after having Fish and Chips in the car with the sun setting.
Lovely drive out in the morning and back in the evening.
I did the Schedule C, yearly, service on my DB11 V12. Other than check this and check that, the primary service is the oil change. I no longer have a lift in my garage, so doing this the old fashioned way, on jacks and crawling under. The windtray is steel with approximately a quarter million 10mm bolts holding it, and must be removed to access the filter and drain plug. Since this is my second time at it, I've developed a way to remove all the screws except the center front one which I just loosen. Then I can swing the plate in either direction to access what I need. Re-installation is MUCH easier as the steel plate is both awkward and heavy. It can be a bit of a juggling act trying to get it in the proper place and start one of the bolts.
I use the recommended 0W20 oil by Total Quartz. It takes close to 12L on the fill. The oil comes in 5L containers, so I need three as the oil is not sold in single L bottles.
Took about half a day, but then I take my sweet time and play with the car slowly, but when I am done I am confident the entire process is done correctly and no mistakes.
The dash warning was showing service due in 15 days so when time is up I will reset the counter and proceed to the next year of enjoyment of this remarkable car.
I use the recommended 0W20 oil by Total Quartz. It takes close to 12L on the fill. The oil comes in 5L containers, so I need three as the oil is not sold in single L bottles.
Took about half a day, but then I take my sweet time and play with the car slowly, but when I am done I am confident the entire process is done correctly and no mistakes.
The dash warning was showing service due in 15 days so when time is up I will reset the counter and proceed to the next year of enjoyment of this remarkable car.
(Let me acknowledge up front that this is probably the wrong thread to be having a discussion on oil analysis. But since I started it here as a "what did I do with my Aston today" I'm going to make one last reply, and then if there is further interest I'll start a new thread or tack it on to one of the many discussions on V12 engine longevity.)
There are 42 samples in that data set. Those averages are for any year or model vehicle that Aston Martin put that engine in. It’s only engine-specific, not vehicle-specific. I looked through all the data for that engine, and nothing stood out as a common issue. Long ago – like, 10 years ago, we saw more bearing wear (lead) than we do now. Mostly now when something’s out of line it’s copper or aluminum, and that’s not a very common occurrence. Also, it’s hard to draw conclusions on the things that are out of line without context – people sometimes don’t tell us when they’ve had work done, or how long they’ve run the oil, or whether they’re racing, etc. But looking through the data, I didn’t see anything that looked like a common occurrence.
A couple of things that strike me:
- 42 samples is not too bad to be making a few inferences from, but clearly tiny compared to the thousands of samples they're reputed to have for more common cars.
- Their observation on bearing wear being seen only on earlier V12s actually aligns rather well with the oiling problems that AM experienced with the early V12s. I'm actually quite impressed with this.
- The fact that nothing else really stands out would suggest, once again, that the "catalytic converter material being sucked back and resulting in the end of the world" scenario may be less common than one would be led to believe.
Simpo Two said:
Ah yes, you need sample size at the least. Good luck!
I wrote to Blackstone Labs over the weekend and this morning got a nice reply:There are 42 samples in that data set. Those averages are for any year or model vehicle that Aston Martin put that engine in. It’s only engine-specific, not vehicle-specific. I looked through all the data for that engine, and nothing stood out as a common issue. Long ago – like, 10 years ago, we saw more bearing wear (lead) than we do now. Mostly now when something’s out of line it’s copper or aluminum, and that’s not a very common occurrence. Also, it’s hard to draw conclusions on the things that are out of line without context – people sometimes don’t tell us when they’ve had work done, or how long they’ve run the oil, or whether they’re racing, etc. But looking through the data, I didn’t see anything that looked like a common occurrence.
A couple of things that strike me:
- 42 samples is not too bad to be making a few inferences from, but clearly tiny compared to the thousands of samples they're reputed to have for more common cars.
- Their observation on bearing wear being seen only on earlier V12s actually aligns rather well with the oiling problems that AM experienced with the early V12s. I'm actually quite impressed with this.
- The fact that nothing else really stands out would suggest, once again, that the "catalytic converter material being sucked back and resulting in the end of the world" scenario may be less common than one would be led to believe.
Edited by ram_g on Monday 1st April 19:29
Graze01 said:
David
something to add to the white GT?
do tell
Graze
Hey! The white one is an AMR. something to add to the white GT?
do tell
Graze
Yes. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to part with the AMR, it’s such an experience. So yes, I am adding another Aston. I’ll do a post when I pick it up which is either this afternoon or tomorrow. I’m a bit excited.
Davil said:
Hey! The white one is an AMR.
Yes. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to part with the AMR, it’s such an experience. So yes, I am adding another Aston. I’ll do a post when I pick it up which is either this afternoon or tomorrow. I’m a bit excited.
I get that you would be excited - cant wait to see photos !Yes. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to part with the AMR, it’s such an experience. So yes, I am adding another Aston. I’ll do a post when I pick it up which is either this afternoon or tomorrow. I’m a bit excited.
they do get under your skin dont they
Graze
Not technically today but got back from a European tour with some skiing tacked on on Monday but not had chance to write it up until now.
Over the winter the car had some major work done with a new AMR clutch fitted, new Cats and the front cam cover seal replaced as well as engine oil pipes.
We ended up getting a slightly later Eurotunnel due to commitments at home later into the evening which meant a through the night trip down to Switzerland.
A leisurely cruise at 70 all the way returned nearly 28 mpg even with the rack on the roof which was pleasing. The new clutch is a clear improvement on the old one which was pretty shot meaning the thought of a hill start doesn’t leave me reaching for the European breakdown cover. On daybreak we reached the Swiss border and after a customary grilling by the police were released to enjoy the beautiful weather. Not great for skiing but 16 degrees in the town below the resort was a welcome change from last year’s snow adventures detailed earlier in this thread.
The resort has an underground car park with huge spaces which is the perfect place to leave the car for a week and not worry. Not chance of it getting buried under snow or clouted by skis. The unpacking effort shows that the storage space is really quite remarkable and easily compares to a 911, perhaps even better.
We were lucky enough to have some great end of season weather and there was certainly enough snow in resort. On the day we were due to leave it was snowing heavily in resort and down at the car park but wasn’t settling on the roads only in car parks and lay bys. Some conservative driving saw us safely down in the valley but not quick enough for the owner of a Swiss X5 who choose to follow me into a service station lavatory to vocalise his complaints! Certainly one of the strangest experiences I’ve had and a true test of my GCSE German.
With that negotiated we headed up to Luxembourg for a couple of nights. It’s a really interesting city with a long history of conflict due to its position between France and Germany. Certainly worth a road trip out to see. The car sat in an underground parking and I didn’t get chance to get a photo of it with anything interesting.
After a great weekend we took the back roads home to Calais through Belgium to cap off a great road trip. The car didn’t miss a step in 1786 miles and once again proved to be the only car for the job, although driving through Luxembourg City with the skis on the roof isn’t for the introverted. We averaged 27.1 mpg for the whole trip.
I realise this post is basically someone else’s holiday photos but thought it may be of interest. Next time the oil change is due I’ll certainly get it checked out like the post above to see what’s floating about in a 120,000 mile 4.3.
Over the winter the car had some major work done with a new AMR clutch fitted, new Cats and the front cam cover seal replaced as well as engine oil pipes.
We ended up getting a slightly later Eurotunnel due to commitments at home later into the evening which meant a through the night trip down to Switzerland.
A leisurely cruise at 70 all the way returned nearly 28 mpg even with the rack on the roof which was pleasing. The new clutch is a clear improvement on the old one which was pretty shot meaning the thought of a hill start doesn’t leave me reaching for the European breakdown cover. On daybreak we reached the Swiss border and after a customary grilling by the police were released to enjoy the beautiful weather. Not great for skiing but 16 degrees in the town below the resort was a welcome change from last year’s snow adventures detailed earlier in this thread.
The resort has an underground car park with huge spaces which is the perfect place to leave the car for a week and not worry. Not chance of it getting buried under snow or clouted by skis. The unpacking effort shows that the storage space is really quite remarkable and easily compares to a 911, perhaps even better.
We were lucky enough to have some great end of season weather and there was certainly enough snow in resort. On the day we were due to leave it was snowing heavily in resort and down at the car park but wasn’t settling on the roads only in car parks and lay bys. Some conservative driving saw us safely down in the valley but not quick enough for the owner of a Swiss X5 who choose to follow me into a service station lavatory to vocalise his complaints! Certainly one of the strangest experiences I’ve had and a true test of my GCSE German.
With that negotiated we headed up to Luxembourg for a couple of nights. It’s a really interesting city with a long history of conflict due to its position between France and Germany. Certainly worth a road trip out to see. The car sat in an underground parking and I didn’t get chance to get a photo of it with anything interesting.
After a great weekend we took the back roads home to Calais through Belgium to cap off a great road trip. The car didn’t miss a step in 1786 miles and once again proved to be the only car for the job, although driving through Luxembourg City with the skis on the roof isn’t for the introverted. We averaged 27.1 mpg for the whole trip.
I realise this post is basically someone else’s holiday photos but thought it may be of interest. Next time the oil change is due I’ll certainly get it checked out like the post above to see what’s floating about in a 120,000 mile 4.3.
Good write-up and pictures. Shows how practical a V8V can be and that they can do mileage.
When you say “…new cats…” are you talking something like 200 cell, or OE replaced like for like?
k yourself with a cactus, you BMW-driving wker”?
When you say “…new cats…” are you talking something like 200 cell, or OE replaced like for like?
Funky Panda said:
Some conservative driving saw us safely down in the valley but not quick enough for the owner of a Swiss X5 who choose to follow me into a service station lavatory to vocalise his complaints! Certainly one of the strangest experiences I’ve had and a true test of my GCSE German.
I studied French at ‘O’ level, not German, so I’m curious. What is the German for “Why don’t you go fk yourself with a cactus, you BMW-driving wker”?LTP said:
I studied French at ‘O’ level, not German, so I’m curious. What is the German for “Why don’t you go fk yourself with a cactus, you BMW-driving wker”?
They are 200 cell cats, I had a couple of sensors replaced at the same time as the ‘Emissions service required’ was constantly on. The old cats were quite discoloured. It wasn’t cheap but became a bit of a ‘whilst we are in here’ job. k yourself with a cactus, you BMW-driving wker”?I was mainly trying to explain I was going as fast as I could given the snow and within 10 kph of the speed limit. I’m too old to stop mid performance now. It was all a bit Magnus Magnusson “I’ve started so I’ll finish”
LTP said:
Good write-up and pictures. Shows how practical a V8V can be and that they can do mileage.
When you say “…new cats…” are you talking something like 200 cell, or OE replaced like for like?
k yourself with a cactus, you BMW-driving wker”?
'But I have an Aston, and you do not'. With a smile. That will fix the beastly foreign chappie.When you say “…new cats…” are you talking something like 200 cell, or OE replaced like for like?
Funky Panda said:
Some conservative driving saw us safely down in the valley but not quick enough for the owner of a Swiss X5 who choose to follow me into a service station lavatory to vocalise his complaints! Certainly one of the strangest experiences I’ve had and a true test of my GCSE German.
I studied French at ‘O’ level, not German, so I’m curious. What is the German for “Why don’t you go fk yourself with a cactus, you BMW-driving wker”?caiss4 said:
I think I may well have seen you… it looked good on the road too! I was en route back to Dorset from Wales via Wilts. Unfortunately not in the Aston as the forecast had been so dire when we headed there last Wednesday!! (And accurately so unfortunately…)
Her ladyship has gone off to Normandy to collect knitted Poppies for the D Day celebrations.
She left me a shopping list so I had a drive out in the Vanquish to the supermarket and the local English butchers.
One of the advantages of living here in France is the empty and pothole free roads, it really does make driving a pleasure.
Have a great weekend folks.
She left me a shopping list so I had a drive out in the Vanquish to the supermarket and the local English butchers.
One of the advantages of living here in France is the empty and pothole free roads, it really does make driving a pleasure.
Have a great weekend folks.
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