Hi all,

I recently purchased a 2007 Vantage, which I absolutely love. I have noticed a creaking/pinging sound emanating from the rear passenger side of the car when I drive. It's not a squeak as you would expect to hear from two materials rubbing against each other, so I don't think it's the hatch seal rubbing against the body of the car. Instead, it sounds like the kind of noise you get when metal flexes. Could this be the rear pillar? I apologize if that is not the correct term for the interior tubular member near the hatch.

Has anyone else encountered this problem? If so, how did you resolve it? My car is under the original warranty for one more month. Would this be covered by the warranty?

Thanks for your help!

 

I would think that it would be covered under warranty. But, I have an '06 and haven't experienced this issue. Hope it gets resolved for you.

 

Thanks. I'm going to contact AM this week and I will post after I hear from them.

 

To close the loop on this one, I got my car back from AM of Atlanta today. They told me the noise was coming from the weatherstripping on the hatch, which they lubricated. I had my doubts as it sounded like a metal noise to me. Sure enough, I drove about 20 feet in my car before I heard the sound again.

I took the service technician for a ride and identified the sound to him. Afterward, I met the head service guy and he told me that Aston's warranty only covers "defects" and that noises are only covered for 12 months (I'm at the end of my 3 yr warranty). He also said they can look into it on my dime, but it'd probably be expensive given that they'd have to remove the passenger seat and all of the trim panels behind it.

Although I believe that the noise I'm hearing is the result of a defect, I didn't press the issue because the noise isn't all that bad and tearing the interior apart could result in more noises instead of less. My concern is that the noise gets worse with time. If it does, I'll bring the car back to the dealer and stick to my guns that it is a defect (one that I identified to AM during the warranty period), and that AM should fix it gratis.

 

Been having a similar issue at very low speed / idle speed (5 to 7 mph) - the principal issue is a creaking or groaning noise which sounds metallic. Certainly not the hatch as suggested by your Atlanta dealer as it eminates from low down in the car. The hatch is solid.

Last week there was an odd metallic ping noise (just one ping which I have not heard before or since) and yesterday (Monday 23 November 2009) an odd metallic splintering sound which lasted for 2 seconds (a very similar sound to that made by my 911 just before the hydraulic clutch slave cylinder failed). I drove the car back home after that - about a 6 mile journey from where I was at the time and the sound was not repeated nor was there any difference in the feel to the clutch pedal travel or resistance nor any change to the gear change. All very odd.

The car is going back to the Aston Martin factory on 2 December 2009 for these issues to be investigated. I will let you know what the factory says in case of any relevance to your issue.

 

...when I say factory, I mean Aston Martin Works Service in Newport Pagnell. Decided they might be better placed to investigate than a local AM dealer.

 

are any of these noises that you are experiencing when exiting a junction on lock, if so try turning off the traction control and retry, if the noise disappears the chances are it is an issue with the rear brake pads, also i have seen issue with the rear driveshafts, which is quite easy to rectify,

 

Thanks. The cause of my noise was the trim panel beside/behind the passenger seat. When I realized that the noise goes away when I applied light pressure to the panel, I "fixed" it by placing a piece of foam between the seat and the trim panel. This gently pushes the trim panel inward and has stopped the problem. Chalk one up for a Rube Goldberg solution.

 

Can you give more details about the rear driveshaft issue? Thanks!

 

there is an issue with noise from the rear of the cars (DB9 & V8) this can be from where the driveshaft joins the hub, releasing the outer nut, tapping the driveshaft in, then apply a threadlock solution, to the exposed splines before re tightening cures this, hard to describe the noise on some almost like a metaillic knock on acceleration deceleration on others more evident on cornering and makes a cracking noise, the slow speed grating vibration on turning is usually caused by the rear pads because of the traction control, deglazing , chamfering and fitting anti rattle pads to the rear of the brake pads is the fix for this, as mentioned previously turning off the traction control is the way to tell if it is the pads or another suspension or driveline problem,

 

Great info. The grinding from the rear end was the last residual issue that I needed to get sorted out, so now I should be able to get it taken care of with that info.

 

Thanks for the useful info. I don't think it is the brakes/DSC function. The sound is audible at very low speeds -- and can also be heard in a straight line at low speeds whether DSC is on or off. Another affliction (which may or may not be related) is the car's tendancy to jolt/jerk forward when creeping forward at idle speed with no throttle. Difficult to describe but almost feels like a slackness in the drivetrain that gets taken up and the unfurls again. It can be cured by pressing the clutch to biting point and releasing or given a gentle amount of throttle to break through the problem.

Am hoping AM can sort these issues when it goes in on 2 Dec. Will mention the info you have provided in the hope that it helps them identify the issue.

 

the issue you mention with edging forward is usually a sticking throttle flap,can also cause flat spots on acceleration when changing gear, quite easy to rectify and worth a try, here is a link on how to do it,

http://www.derbymotorservices.com/fa...n+a+V8+Vantage

 

Rick -- you are a wealth of information! Many thanks for this.

 

...The flat spots on acceleration when changing gear I was putting down to my inability to learn how to shift gear in the Vantage (causing me endless ego issues, as I used to like to think of myself as having a faultless gear change technique in the 911 -- since buying the Vantage I was starting to think the Porsche simply flattered me and that i was unable to adapt to a different car).