Some newbie questions
Discussion
Picked up the V8V on Friday - already read the owner's manual cover to cover and bough the "definitive guide", but I still have some questions:-
The build sheet says it came with a battery conditioner - where will this be stored if it's still with the car? I'm guessing it has been mislaid over the years, and I know a CTEK 5.0 will do the same job, but there's no point in buying a new CTEK if the Aston charger is hidden somewhere that I haven't found yet
The build sheet also says it has TPMS (was it standard?) - how do I know if it's still fitted & working? (without letting a tyre down...)
The brakes (presumably fronts) have a bit of a judder - is it worth going for the Reyland two-piece discs (£800 the pair), or are the one-piece normally good enough?
The bonnet will only just stay up (and sometimes it won't, as I found out this morning). I'm guessing genuine Aston bonnet struts aren't cheap - is there an alternative?
The rear section of the parcel shelf / boot cover drops down from the hatch to the point where I can see the luminous boot pull in the rear view mirrow - is it supposed to do this or should it be higher?
I'm sure there wil be lots more questions as my tinkering expands
The build sheet says it came with a battery conditioner - where will this be stored if it's still with the car? I'm guessing it has been mislaid over the years, and I know a CTEK 5.0 will do the same job, but there's no point in buying a new CTEK if the Aston charger is hidden somewhere that I haven't found yet
The build sheet also says it has TPMS (was it standard?) - how do I know if it's still fitted & working? (without letting a tyre down...)
The brakes (presumably fronts) have a bit of a judder - is it worth going for the Reyland two-piece discs (£800 the pair), or are the one-piece normally good enough?
The bonnet will only just stay up (and sometimes it won't, as I found out this morning). I'm guessing genuine Aston bonnet struts aren't cheap - is there an alternative?
The rear section of the parcel shelf / boot cover drops down from the hatch to the point where I can see the luminous boot pull in the rear view mirrow - is it supposed to do this or should it be higher?
I'm sure there wil be lots more questions as my tinkering expands
Congratulations on your new car. They are a special thing.
TPMS can give trouble, I deactivated mine by using an "Aston Installations" device (£20) that disables it but removal would make the system work again. If yours has one of these fitted, it will be under the passenger side dash, look up under the footwell. The TPMS sensor unit sits under the glove box and has a few flashing lights on it.
Some of the guys remove the sensors in the wheel when getting new tyres so you may find one of the above has happened to yours.
Front brakes shouldn't judder but nothing wrong with the originals really.
Bonnet struts are cheap, same as boot and door struts. Find a good Aston independent if you aren't able to change them yourself, it's an easy fix really.
Plenty of places sell them one of these is "Aston Bits" amongst others.
Parcel shelf shouldn't dip down. I'm sure you've already done so however, just make sure the whole shelf is seated correctly. It's not a great design in all honesty.
Most of all enjoy your new toy.
TPMS can give trouble, I deactivated mine by using an "Aston Installations" device (£20) that disables it but removal would make the system work again. If yours has one of these fitted, it will be under the passenger side dash, look up under the footwell. The TPMS sensor unit sits under the glove box and has a few flashing lights on it.
Some of the guys remove the sensors in the wheel when getting new tyres so you may find one of the above has happened to yours.
Front brakes shouldn't judder but nothing wrong with the originals really.
Bonnet struts are cheap, same as boot and door struts. Find a good Aston independent if you aren't able to change them yourself, it's an easy fix really.
Plenty of places sell them one of these is "Aston Bits" amongst others.
Parcel shelf shouldn't dip down. I'm sure you've already done so however, just make sure the whole shelf is seated correctly. It's not a great design in all honesty.
Most of all enjoy your new toy.
Edited by BiggaJ on Sunday 17th October 19:31
Nigel_O said:
The build sheet says it came with a battery conditioner - where will this be stored if it's still with the car? I'm guessing it has been mislaid over the years, and I know a CTEK 5.0 will do the same job, but there's no point in buying a new CTEK if the Aston charger is hidden somewhere that I haven't found yet
Congrats and lots of pleasure on the journey...There are not many places where a conditioner could possibly hide - checked the lower shelf behind the seats?
Congratulations on your car and welcome to the forum.
I guess the obvious place for the battery conditioner would be in the boot, but it’s most likely been mislaid and wasn’t with the car. Could you ask the seller to clarify? If not, you can get a suitable replacement here. Same item as the AM branded one but somewhat cheaper!
https://www.cccharger.co.uk/
With regards to the TPMS, it will depend on the age of your car. The older system is fitted if you have coloured plastic rings at the base of each valve stem. There will also be a small control box located underneath the glove box. With the later system you should be able to scroll through the display within the dash to see the pressure in each tyre.
Can’t help re the brakes or bonnet struts, but the parcel shelf problem doesn’t sound right. I’d take it out completely, check the attachment lugs, the tailgate hooks, and the string, as it may not be seated correctly. Imho it’s not a great design really.
Good luck and enjoy your new car.
Best Regards
Minglar
I guess the obvious place for the battery conditioner would be in the boot, but it’s most likely been mislaid and wasn’t with the car. Could you ask the seller to clarify? If not, you can get a suitable replacement here. Same item as the AM branded one but somewhat cheaper!
https://www.cccharger.co.uk/
With regards to the TPMS, it will depend on the age of your car. The older system is fitted if you have coloured plastic rings at the base of each valve stem. There will also be a small control box located underneath the glove box. With the later system you should be able to scroll through the display within the dash to see the pressure in each tyre.
Can’t help re the brakes or bonnet struts, but the parcel shelf problem doesn’t sound right. I’d take it out completely, check the attachment lugs, the tailgate hooks, and the string, as it may not be seated correctly. Imho it’s not a great design really.
Good luck and enjoy your new car.
Best Regards
Minglar
TR-Spider said:
There are not many places where a conditioner could possibly hide - checked the lower shelf behind the seats?
Yup - found the toolkit (for what it's worth) and the first aid kit, but no chargerjohn ryan said:
Are the parcel shelf strings attached to the tailgate?
Yes - the parcel shelf lifts up with the tailgat, but when the tailgate is shut, the parcel shelf drops too far - looks like the strings are a bit too longBiggaJ said:
Bonnet struts are cheap, same as boot and door struts. Find a good Aston independent if you aren't able to change them yourself, it's an easy fix really.
Plenty of places sell them one of these is "Aston Bits" amongst others.
Found them at about £28 each from Aston Bits - thanksPlenty of places sell them one of these is "Aston Bits" amongst others.
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