DB9 power upgrade (main dealer)?
Discussion
Was with my car in the local dealer workshop today and when they were running the computer diagnostics I happened to see a big button labelled ‘DB9 Power Upgrade’. I asked about it and was told it is an engine remap/software update and that it had only been available for a couple of months, and was available for all DB9’s. Service people are going to get me more details, but in the meantime does anyone here know about this? I know there are after market power upgrades, but this is the first I have heard of an AML one.
You may find that it is simply a generic remap. There are a few maps available commercially in the specialist aftermarket, some better than others.
Whether or not it has been mapped by Aston Martin themselves is unknown.
The maps are sold to various tuning companies who sell them as their own and I know that BMW were doing this a while ago using generic maps, doubling the price and selling them as their own upgrades. I would say though that if it is being sold through a main dealer then it will be a map from one of the better programmers. All the good remapping companies garantee their work with any engine failures or similar caused by the remap will be covered under their warranty.
The less well known maps may give more power, but at the expense of reliability and often do not offer a warranty for obvious reasons.
The maps should increase the engine performance overall and not focus on all out power figures.
Whether or not it has been mapped by Aston Martin themselves is unknown.
The maps are sold to various tuning companies who sell them as their own and I know that BMW were doing this a while ago using generic maps, doubling the price and selling them as their own upgrades. I would say though that if it is being sold through a main dealer then it will be a map from one of the better programmers. All the good remapping companies garantee their work with any engine failures or similar caused by the remap will be covered under their warranty.
The less well known maps may give more power, but at the expense of reliability and often do not offer a warranty for obvious reasons.
The maps should increase the engine performance overall and not focus on all out power figures.
mrpseudonym said:
Was with my car in the local dealer workshop today and when they were running the computer diagnostics I happened to see a big button labelled ‘DB9 Power Upgrade’. I asked about it and was told it is an engine remap/software update and that it had only been available for a couple of months, and was available for all DB9’s. Service people are going to get me more details, but in the meantime does anyone here know about this? I know there are after market power upgrades, but this is the first I have heard of an AML one.
It has now happened 
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Seems that it's only available for MY13 - MY15 and seems to apply the DB9GT software and put it inline with the GTs power output.
Shame really because the MY13+ cars didn't really need the extra power IMHO! It's the 450HP cars that need the boost! Seemed a little too good to be true, a simple power upgrade.
Shame really because the MY13+ cars didn't really need the extra power IMHO! It's the 450HP cars that need the boost! Seemed a little too good to be true, a simple power upgrade.
Crazy_Sean said:
Seems that it's only available for MY13 - MY15 and seems to apply the DB9GT software and put it inline with the GTs power output.
Shame really because the MY13+ cars didn't really need the extra power IMHO! It's the 450HP cars that need the boost! Seemed a little too good to be true, a simple power upgrade.
I think I will wait until I get the price tomorrow before I start to dream of the extra horses.Shame really because the MY13+ cars didn't really need the extra power IMHO! It's the 450HP cars that need the boost! Seemed a little too good to be true, a simple power upgrade.
I was looking at DB9GTs last weekend on the web thinking about the missing 30bhp and this thread. Must be fate lol.
Some obvious questions:
1. Has anyone driven the GT and 2013 DB9 back to back? If so, can you feel those extra 30 horses?
2. Has anyone asked a dealer how much the upgrade costs? I believe they also do a bit of work on the exhaust note.
I would be tempted if it wasn't too expensive, though I AM still crying into my porridge over last week's payment to HMRC, which has left me with very significantly lighter pockets, this time.
1. Has anyone driven the GT and 2013 DB9 back to back? If so, can you feel those extra 30 horses?
2. Has anyone asked a dealer how much the upgrade costs? I believe they also do a bit of work on the exhaust note.
I would be tempted if it wasn't too expensive, though I AM still crying into my porridge over last week's payment to HMRC, which has left me with very significantly lighter pockets, this time.
Crazy_Sean said:
What about us poor 450HP DB9ers? You think there will be an upgrade or power map for us?
There is possibility for power upgrade on 2013+ DB9 derivatives because the motor in those cars is an identical copy of the 565BHP Vanquish motor. For the DB9.2 application a throttle restriction / limitation map in the software was applied to keep power at 510BHP. At DB9.2 launch if the factory offered 565BHP to DB9 customers when Vanquish 6 speed was current, that would clearly tread on Vanquish toes, so factory separated DB9.2 and Vanquish engine performance solely on a software map. Because Vanquish 6 speed is now in the past, flashing DB9.2 to full fat BHP does not matter (to them) anymore.I’ve seen the DB9.2 upgrade file is on the factory diagnostic tool meaning anyone equipped with said tool can reprogram / upgrade with the full fat file, so cost of upgrade comes down to who charges less to hit a return key on a laptop.
The 2004 450 BHP and 2009 470 BHP cars are already at full throttle to achieve the respective power outputs (no throttle restriction going on as in the case of DB9.2), so any meaningful power increase on those cars must come from hardware changes to increase airflow in, so unfortunately for those cars there is no magic return key on a laptop to increase power.
soofsayer said:
So the numbers from JCT for the AM power upgrade to the DB9.2:
£2656.80 incl VAT for the power upgrade plus
£2076.70 incl VAT for the power upgrade
Holy crap.
Anyone get better?
£2656.80 incl VAT for the power upgrade plus
£2076.70 incl VAT for the power upgrade
Holy crap.
Anyone get better?
For that money you should go for the BR 'Full Monty' (Primary de-cat & ECU remap etc). It would deliver much more than 30 BHP. Mike?
I dont mind paying a bit but that seems excessive to me?
I was thinking it would be something in the hundreds not in the thousands.
I know with my bikes that ecu upgrades are locked by the manufacturer so the dealer has to buy a one-off activation/auth key to make the upgrade work with a particular VIN. so it would be useful if a dealer could ellude to whether this is the case with AM or not?
I was thinking it would be something in the hundreds not in the thousands.
I know with my bikes that ecu upgrades are locked by the manufacturer so the dealer has to buy a one-off activation/auth key to make the upgrade work with a particular VIN. so it would be useful if a dealer could ellude to whether this is the case with AM or not?
soofsayer said:
I know with my bikes that ecu upgrades are locked by the manufacturer
The reflash option / power upgrade file is on the diagnostic tool which all franchised dealers and most independents have access to. In that case the ECU side of the power upgrade is a press of a button to program a software file that does not have the throttle limitation map. It’s as simple as that!If the kit price stated includes different exhaust tail pipe finishers and the like, great, but whilst looking nice, have no influence on power delivered.
BamfordMike said:
The reflash option / power upgrade file is on the diagnostic tool which all franchised dealers and most independents have access to. In that case the ECU side of the power upgrade is a press of a button to program a software file that does not have the throttle limitation map. It’s as simple as that!
If the kit price stated includes different exhaust tail pipe finishers and the like, great, but whilst looking nice, have no influence on power delivered.
So do you have the button Mike? I am not bothered about the exhaust finsh stuff.If the kit price stated includes different exhaust tail pipe finishers and the like, great, but whilst looking nice, have no influence on power delivered.
HBradley said:
For that money you should go for the BR 'Full Monty' (Primary de-cat & ECU remap etc). It would deliver much more than 30 BHP. Mike?
If someone wanted to upgrade performance from restricted 510 to close on Vanquish BHP it appears the franchised route is to press a return key on a laptop and that appears to cost +2k. An alternative approach would be to have the risky primary cats removed as an insurance policy to not be forced to spend circa 20k on rebuilding an engine should a misfire cause the worst, so investing a similar sum to remove primary cats, re-program ECU without throttle restriction and achieve about 580BHP with a more purposeful exhaust roar / burble is perhaps the wiser decision than a press of a return key for similar spend.
I thought it would be helpful to update this thread as it has been a while....
So I did go to BR and have the primary cats removed along with their ecu remap to take the power up to around 580bhp. I dont know the exact bhp and it seems that going to a rolling road would be a waste of time as the figures can (and are) manipulated to fit the agenda. However I can comment on the car and how it feels, post the work.
First off, noise. As AM owners it is a critical part of ownership to have that v12 (or v8) sing in its best baritone. As part of the decat process, BR fitted a toggle switch just below the trim on the drivers inside footwell area, it is very discreet and you wouldnt know it was there. The toggle switch manages the valves to the rear exhaust box. There are 3 settings, normal (everything is just the same as factory default), quiet, and loud. From collecting the car I have been running the car in loud which is simply fabulous. Lots of grunt and grumble, startup is epic, it sounds how you would want a slightly unhinged v12 to sound. Havent used normal mode other than to check it works. Quiet mode really is quiet (er), and very useful when getting home late at night after kids are asleep, or going anywhere where I dont want to attract attention as I arrive. So noise, big tick.
Secondly, performance. The car wasnt exactly sluggish before the decat and remap. Now the car has far more urgency after 3k revs and sometimes I get caught out on the limiter in 2nd gear because I cant hit the paddles quickly enough for 3rd when planting the throttle open. I did the Rockingham trackday and held my own against the v12vs cars, although they pretty much pulped me in the chicane and hairpin due to the longer wheelbase and weight of the db9 in comparison. Fair enough. Recently I did a trip up to Gleneagles with a friend who has a AMG-GTR and he had to work a little to keep up on the scenic routes I chose. So overall I am delighted with the improvement and added urgency of the car when I want to give it the beans.
Thirdly, piece of mind. Some might think I am nuts getting the car decatted. However the ‘primary cat ingestion’ issue is very real, and very expensive (£20k+?) should it happen, which it can and does. Removing the primary cats solves this and the piece of mind is worth every penny without the added noise and performance benefits.
In summary, if you have a db9.2 this is a great way to spend even more of your childrens inheritance.
For the record I have no vested interest or affiliation with BR. Infact Mike hasnt replied to an email I sent him weeks ago but that doesnt detract from the excellent job they did with my car.
So I did go to BR and have the primary cats removed along with their ecu remap to take the power up to around 580bhp. I dont know the exact bhp and it seems that going to a rolling road would be a waste of time as the figures can (and are) manipulated to fit the agenda. However I can comment on the car and how it feels, post the work.
First off, noise. As AM owners it is a critical part of ownership to have that v12 (or v8) sing in its best baritone. As part of the decat process, BR fitted a toggle switch just below the trim on the drivers inside footwell area, it is very discreet and you wouldnt know it was there. The toggle switch manages the valves to the rear exhaust box. There are 3 settings, normal (everything is just the same as factory default), quiet, and loud. From collecting the car I have been running the car in loud which is simply fabulous. Lots of grunt and grumble, startup is epic, it sounds how you would want a slightly unhinged v12 to sound. Havent used normal mode other than to check it works. Quiet mode really is quiet (er), and very useful when getting home late at night after kids are asleep, or going anywhere where I dont want to attract attention as I arrive. So noise, big tick.
Secondly, performance. The car wasnt exactly sluggish before the decat and remap. Now the car has far more urgency after 3k revs and sometimes I get caught out on the limiter in 2nd gear because I cant hit the paddles quickly enough for 3rd when planting the throttle open. I did the Rockingham trackday and held my own against the v12vs cars, although they pretty much pulped me in the chicane and hairpin due to the longer wheelbase and weight of the db9 in comparison. Fair enough. Recently I did a trip up to Gleneagles with a friend who has a AMG-GTR and he had to work a little to keep up on the scenic routes I chose. So overall I am delighted with the improvement and added urgency of the car when I want to give it the beans.
Thirdly, piece of mind. Some might think I am nuts getting the car decatted. However the ‘primary cat ingestion’ issue is very real, and very expensive (£20k+?) should it happen, which it can and does. Removing the primary cats solves this and the piece of mind is worth every penny without the added noise and performance benefits.
In summary, if you have a db9.2 this is a great way to spend even more of your childrens inheritance.
For the record I have no vested interest or affiliation with BR. Infact Mike hasnt replied to an email I sent him weeks ago but that doesnt detract from the excellent job they did with my car.
Jon39 said:
' ... cars which have suffered completely failed engines due to primary cat failure and subsequent ingestion of the broken cat debris '
Is it only V12 engines that are at risk, or has this happened to the V8s as well ?
Edited by starlight225 on Monday 16th July 09:27
Gassing Station | Aston Martin | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff