Considering a DB9.2
Discussion
Looking to change car next year and my shortlist includes a 2013-on DB9 and a Virage. I've asked some questions about the Virage on another thread but I have a few on the later DB9...
- Is the DB9.2 potentially susceptible to the misfire/cat ingestion issue?
- I understand the later DB9 has more power and more sophisticated active suspension than the Virage. Do these tweaks make for a significant difference?
- How long do the CCM brake discs last and what is the cost for replacements?
- The DB9 has auto-lights and auto-wipers, do the auto-lights include auto high/dipped beam?
- Parking - was a reversing camera an option or standard? Same for front and rear PDC?
- Audio - was there an upgraded sound system option?
- Are there any must-have options to look for?
8bit said:
Looking to change car next year and my shortlist includes a 2013-on DB9 and a Virage. I've asked some questions about the Virage on another thread but I have a few on the later DB9...
My answers:- Is the DB9.2 potentially susceptible to the misfire/cat ingestion issue?
- I understand the later DB9 has more power and more sophisticated active suspension than the Virage. Do these tweaks make for a significant difference?
- How long do the CCM brake discs last and what is the cost for replacements?
- The DB9 has auto-lights and auto-wipers, do the auto-lights include auto high/dipped beam?
- Parking - was a reversing camera an option or standard? Same for front and rear PDC?
- Audio - was there an upgraded sound system option?
- Are there any must-have options to look for?
Cats - Yes, and as the cars get older the (very small) risk of cat breakup and ingestion will increase.
Yes, more power is good and the adaptive suspension suits it.
CCBs - Depends how they’ve been used and cared for. Track days - not long, cleaning with solvents, not long. Normal day to day driving and washing with non acidic cleaners and/or water, many many miles (60-80k). Cost of replacement is around £10k for the fronts.
No auto beam dipping.
Rear camera only, front and rear sensors standard.
Yes B&O, quite rare.
No, buy the spec you like.
The DB9.2 is a great car and one of the prettiest Astons IMO. Still miss mine very much.
Just bought one today. Went to an AM dealer to look at a carbon edition, which I was only semi interested in. They had just taken in an ‘16 model which ticked all the specifications that I was looking for, so I stuck up my hand to save them the trouble of advertising it..
Originally I was thinking about a ‘09-12 model, but with the depreciation now hopefully flattening, I thought I could run to a 2.0. I believe they modified the engine design in ‘08 which largely eliminates to risk of the tick. I think catalyst ingestion is still possible from a misfiring engine but at least any ceramic particles now have somewhere to go rather than been trapped and thus destroying the cylinder lining. (Which is my lay understanding of the situation)
CCBs there are some horror stories out there but I reckon that these must be a positive rather than a negative. My car had done 20k miles and the pad wasn’t yet half worn. So if the disks last 3 pads, 120-150k miles sounds reasonable. Mis/hard treatment will shorten the life. The disc should be smooth and silvery. Feels like a cheese grater - walk away. Bamford Rose have a YouTube on this.
Rear parking camera is standard from 2016
The semi aniline leather (the grain is very muted) is gorgeous to touch
The stereo is awesome, although apparently mine is an upgraded one (not B&O). Mine had been also upgraded to CarPlay. As usual, my grandkids had been mucking about in my Spotify account, so when I played to top of the list, the poor salesman wasn’t quite sure how to react when “My Bum is Itchy” came booming through the car.
The 2017 models have digital control panels which some dislike.
The 2016 model still just qualifies for AMs Timeless guarantee (which only can apply to cars of under 10years old). This must be very valuable for a 9 and a bit old car.
Originally I was thinking about a ‘09-12 model, but with the depreciation now hopefully flattening, I thought I could run to a 2.0. I believe they modified the engine design in ‘08 which largely eliminates to risk of the tick. I think catalyst ingestion is still possible from a misfiring engine but at least any ceramic particles now have somewhere to go rather than been trapped and thus destroying the cylinder lining. (Which is my lay understanding of the situation)
CCBs there are some horror stories out there but I reckon that these must be a positive rather than a negative. My car had done 20k miles and the pad wasn’t yet half worn. So if the disks last 3 pads, 120-150k miles sounds reasonable. Mis/hard treatment will shorten the life. The disc should be smooth and silvery. Feels like a cheese grater - walk away. Bamford Rose have a YouTube on this.
Rear parking camera is standard from 2016
The semi aniline leather (the grain is very muted) is gorgeous to touch
The stereo is awesome, although apparently mine is an upgraded one (not B&O). Mine had been also upgraded to CarPlay. As usual, my grandkids had been mucking about in my Spotify account, so when I played to top of the list, the poor salesman wasn’t quite sure how to react when “My Bum is Itchy” came booming through the car.
The 2017 models have digital control panels which some dislike.
The 2016 model still just qualifies for AMs Timeless guarantee (which only can apply to cars of under 10years old). This must be very valuable for a 9 and a bit old car.
M1AGM said:
My answers:
Cats - Yes, and as the cars get older the (very small) risk of cat breakup and ingestion will increase.
Yes, more power is good and the adaptive suspension suits it.
CCBs - Depends how they ve been used and cared for. Track days - not long, cleaning with solvents, not long. Normal day to day driving and washing with non acidic cleaners and/or water, many many miles (60-80k). Cost of replacement is around £10k for the fronts.
No auto beam dipping.
Rear camera only, front and rear sensors standard.
Yes B&O, quite rare.
No, buy the spec you like.
The DB9.2 is a great car and one of the prettiest Astons IMO. Still miss mine very much.
DB9.2 are just awesome cars, very quick and still an understated styling, just before the agressive look came in. Andy's (M1AGM) car was superb, wish I could afford one.Cats - Yes, and as the cars get older the (very small) risk of cat breakup and ingestion will increase.
Yes, more power is good and the adaptive suspension suits it.
CCBs - Depends how they ve been used and cared for. Track days - not long, cleaning with solvents, not long. Normal day to day driving and washing with non acidic cleaners and/or water, many many miles (60-80k). Cost of replacement is around £10k for the fronts.
No auto beam dipping.
Rear camera only, front and rear sensors standard.
Yes B&O, quite rare.
No, buy the spec you like.
The DB9.2 is a great car and one of the prettiest Astons IMO. Still miss mine very much.
Many thanks all for the input. Very useful.
68Jaybee said:
Just bought one today.
Congrats! Pics?68Jaybee said:
I believe they modified the engine design in 08 which largely eliminates to risk of the tick. I think catalyst ingestion is still possible from a misfiring engine but at least any ceramic particles now have somewhere to go rather than been trapped and thus destroying the cylinder lining. (Which is my lay understanding of the situation)
Interesting, thanks. So was/is the "tick" issue related to the cat ingestion issue? When you say "ceramic particles now have somewhere to go" do you mean the DB9.2 engine was revised in some way which makes the severity of a disintegrating catalyst less destructive? Say, compared to an earlier DB9 or a Virage?8bit said:
Interesting, thanks. So was/is the "tick" issue related to the cat ingestion issue? When you say "ceramic particles now have somewhere to go" do you mean the DB9.2 engine was revised in some way which makes the severity of a disintegrating catalyst less destructive? Say, compared to an earlier DB9 or a Virage?
The tick is a specific issue with early DB9 engines and was engineered out I think. It s different to the cat ingestion issue. The cat ingestion issue: the NA V12 engine has a system that returns unburnt exhaust gas into the cylinders (an EGR - exhaust gas return valve, if memory serves). The primary cats are very close to the cylinder bank and the EGR though. A misfire can result in enough unburnt fuel hitting the hot cat to cause a small bit of burning, and then bits of burning ceramic cat get drawn back into the cylinder head with not great results.
AFAIK there was no redesign to moderate cat ingestion issues, and they are common to DB9s, Virages, NA DBSs, mk 2 Vanquishes, Rapides and V12 Vantages, all of which use fundamentally the same exhaust manifold design with cats proximate to the EGR valve.
McGurk hates Bamford Rose and the feeling is reciprocated as far as I can tell. BR considers cat ingestion to be a genuine risk; recommends (and sells) primary cat deletion to safeguard against it, and says it has a mortuary of knackered V12 engines. McGurk says it s never seen cat ingestion and has written to the DVLA to get confirmation that cat deletion makes a car illegal (and has posted as much online).
If you had suspected cat ingestion, I doubt you d take your car to McGurk but you might take it to BR. The fact one of them says they haven t seen it and the other says they ve seen a lot of it may simply reflect where they each position themselves on the matter.
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