ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SERVICE URGENT ASTON DB9 2007

[Aston-1927]

Hello DB9 owners,

I 've got a new and hopefully by the community known problem with my Aston Martin DB9. Since a few months I get while driving the message "ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SERVICE URGENT" together with the battery light on. After turning the engine off and on again the message is gone and returns after a while or sometimes does not return. There is no regular pattern. But what I notice is, that the second attempt to crank the engine is very weak, so obviously the battery has been drained while driving during the message appeared.

I have replace the alternator and the battery agains new parts.

The problem remains, but in addition to the old problem, sometimes I only hear the starter clicking without starting the engine. I used a little trick and pushed the gas paddel for dry motoring and suddenly the engine started normally when I left my foot of the paddel while doing it. In between of all that strange behavior I also drove the car normal without any issues several times. Now I wanted to start the car and nothing happend at all although the battery was fully loaded. When I tried to start the engine with an external battery via the external + pole at the engine bay. The engine started as it should via the start button. Because the clicking + start button problem came in addition to the originial problem with the message, I changed again the battery towards an unit fitting closer to the AM requirements of 90Ah. The one before had 110Ah and the one I have used five years in a row had 95Ah without any issues until the message appeared for the first time. So I do not really think it has something to do with the capacity of the battery, I just wanted to rule out that potential cause.

I would be very pleased if someone could share his knowledge with me if he had such an issue as well or has any idea to solve the problem.


Best regards from Germany (sorry for my written English)!

[Neil1300r]

No idea apart from something causing a battery drain? Has it still got the AM tracker connected Astley are known to cause problems as they age

[Jon39]

Neil1300r said:

No idea apart from something causing a battery drain? Has it still got the AM tracker connected Astley are known to cause problems as they age

The predictive text can be quite humorous sometimes.

Would that be Rick Astley, or his brother As they ? -


( Sorry to our new German friend. Rick Astley is an English singer. )

[bullet7]

I would start with checking the earth straps on the car and also the connections to the starter motor. It's often the simple things that cause problems.

[thom77]

I’m having a similar issue on my 08 Vantage.

I’ve intermittently gotten the ‘Electrical system service urgent’ since I bought the car a few years ago. Almost always while idling in neutral and usually in hot weather. It’s always cleared by restarting the car.

Battery and alternator are fairly new.

However, I recently put my car on a ctek battery tender for over a week because of snowy weather and now I’m getting it every time the car idles in neutral. At exactly one minute and thirty seconds of idling, the message appears.

Note that there’s no other issues. I never have trouble restarting the car, no weak cranking, no limp modes, nothing.

I ordered a foxwell scanner that can monitor voltage and battery health real time, so I’m going to see if anything obvious shows up. If not I’m going to make it the mechanics problem on my next visit. Unless anyone here has any ideas.

[Neil1300r]

Jon39 said:

The predictive text can be quite humorous sometimes.

Would that be Rick Astley, or his brother As they ? -


( Sorry to our new German friend. Rick Astley is an English singer. )

[LTP]

Neil1300r said:

Looks like you've been Rickrolled

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMW4AqbuSGg

And now back to the serious stuff......

[Aston-1927]

Dear AM owners,

thank you very much for your replies and yes Rick Astley is a great singer !

Regarding the car. I havent done anything with the tracker, so I guess it is still there or connected. As far as I know the tracker has to be disconnected (where exactly?) and afterwards the module (which one?) has to be reprogrammed by an AM dealer. The connection (+ red pole cable) between the alternator and battery is clean and tight as it should be. Because the problem emergered already a year ago but developed in terms of intensity until even becoming an starting issue, I do not really have a clue. But maybe the tracker could be the reason for it. According to Bamford Rose it is often the root cause for almost every strange electrical problem.

[bullet7]

I didn't think European cars were fitted with factory trackers? No doubt someone will correct me if I am wrong.

[LTP]

bullet7 said:

I didn't think European cars were fitted with factory trackers? No doubt someone will correct me if I am wrong.

They were (my V8V has a Vodafone Cobratrak). They used different model (I don't know the changeover) and the latest ones are (allegedly) less likely to screw the electronics when the batteries fail.

[Aston-1927]

bullet7 said:

I didn't think European cars were fitted with factory trackers? No doubt someone will correct me if I am wrong.

my DB9 is an U.S. model! So probably tracker equipped I guess.

[bullet7]

LTP said:

bullet7 said:

I didn't think European cars were fitted with factory trackers? No doubt someone will correct me if I am wrong.

They were (my V8V has a Vodafone Cobratrak). They used different model (I don't know the changeover) and the latest ones are (allegedly) less likely to screw the electronics when the batteries fail.

Is yours a UK car though LTP?

US owners on here have previously indicated they do not have factory-fitted trackers.trackers.

[LTP]

bullet7 said:

Is yours a UK car though LTP?

Yes, assuming UK cars class as European - mine was built when we were still in the EU