vanquish owners?

It is perfect and if I didn't know they didn't initially come with this gearbox you would never know.

Must have upgrade. In fact the press car they used (Aston Martin UK) is now Manual gearbox conversion must say something about how the HQ thinks about the original transmission in these cars.

 

Good to know. Thanks very much.

 

Nicest, most precise shift action of any car I have ever owned. Feels like a top quality bolt action rifle.

 

What seems to be a collector's grade 06 S with 4K miles. I doubt 10 years from now you'll see many cars that mint with that low mileage.

Crave Luxury Auto - 2006 Aston Martin Vanquish S - The Woodlands , Texas

 

Hi All,

So, I've got an issue. The car after a brief run (about 5 kilometers) is "percolating" upon turning the car off and I am getting some water/coolant??? draining from the bottom of the car. This strikes me as clearly not right for a such a short drive. It is hot where I am driving the car but even still... The car is not running hot --- half-way between the C and the F on the far right instrument display. Has anybody encountered this? Any thoughts or advice?

 

To add to the above post, the leaking is coming from the front driver side of the engine. I do not hear any fans kicking in... the car is making a gurgling/percolating sound until it gets cool and stops the effort to gurgle/percolate. In hindsight, the drive that I took was probably 10 kilometers each way. So a 10K drive, followed by a 45 minute interval with the car parked and off (but in the sun) and then a 10K drive back to my house.

 

I don't have any experience with Aston Martin vehicles (2000 jaguar xkr), but there may be similarities in how they both deal with engine coolant overflow. When you say the leak is coming from the drivers side of the engine, can you see any leaks from the top? If not, try to find a coolant system diagram to see to see where coolant overflow exits the car. It's possible the coolant could be coming from the overflow. If so, the reason could be very simple, it could be as simple as a faulty reservior cap if its one designed to bypass during extreme pressures in the coolant system, the coolant will then flow into the overflow container and then to the ground if full. (on a 2000 xkr it is located in the passenger wheel well and then drains overboard when full). If there are no issues with the cap, then you will have to find out why there is excessive pressure, either the car is overheating (stuck thermostat) or something else.

Or I might just be wayy off base, but it's worth a try.
Jim

 

Thanks Jim Angle --- worth a try and a great thought. I will share your comment with my mechanic who helped get the car up-to-date with servicing a month or so ago. Very much appreciate your insights and any others who have a view or idea or perspectives. Kind regards, Steve

 

Sounds like something minor, you mentioned the fans - maybe their not activating due to a connection/fuse/relay etc., let us know what your mechanic finds....

 

Pull the cover off the engine bay fuse box and check for water ingress. I've just changed out a fuse box, relays and repaired wiring on one because of this. Also check that the steel coolant pipe on the right hand side of the engine hasn't rubbed through on the belt tensioner, thus is also common and they made an updated pipe ( £700!!!!) to overcome this issue..

 

Thanks all - keep the insights coming. I am not very mechanically inclined but will check out all of these thoughts. Kind regards, Steve

 

Interesting...tell us more...what exactly is the sport exhaust and how is it different from the original?

 

Are you sure it's not just water from your a/c condensation?

 

yes I'll ask the same. first, find out what fluid this is. Greasy and colored? or smooth and odorless.. if you are adventurous, taste it...(yeah, I known... but sometimes you got to do what you got to do..)
if this is water and you have run your AC, it is likely condensation. that is normal In humid weather, you may be surprise about how much you could find under some cars.

 

^^Exactly - 90% of the time it's just water and nothing to be worried about.

 

Its just louder mufflers.

 

Was it worthwhile to change to sport mufflers, are these by Quicksilver?

 

It was probably 90% clear/water with maybe a 10% pinkish hue... It was about 2 cups a week ago and then with the larger percolating incident two days ago (after the car had been parked for about 5 minutes) it was about 4 cups. The "leak" was coming from very far forward on the car and very far to the left (USA, drivers side).

 

On LHD cars, the radiator expansion tank is located in front of the left front wheel, behind the front splash shield. The header tank up by the firewall is NOT the actual expansion tank. You have to remove the left front wheel and the inner front splash shield to inspect the expansion tank. Yours could be overfull for any number of reasons as stated by prior posts.

 

yes as i have been told

 

The type of fluid is a good thing (water), but the amount (5 cups) and color seems odd. I think the most I get out of mine is 2 cups. Any speculation on color?

 

pinkish makes no sense. it is usually gearbox oil, what I know now to be a common leak issue but not in front.

can you do this since you know the exact location of leak: 1, drive the car with no A/C. park the car and put a clean cup under the location and see what comes out. if it is coolant, I am sure that can be tested at a shop with so many cups and it should be sweet tasting, in case you just don't want to take the car there. I cant see what could be 90% water mixed, even coolant.

 

It could be dexcon (sp) coolant. It has an orangish pinkish color, and doesn't really have a sweet smell to it.

 

One of the best features of the Vanquish is the exhaust note. Better than a Ferrari V-12 IMO.
Its hard for me to fathom an improvement without being obnoxiously louder.

 

For sure the Vanquish/S has one of the best engine sounds ever... really really incredible.