2009 DB9 Volante. American passenger side latching mechanism for the rear lid isnt working properly. Making a ratcheting sound and doesn't complete the movement to latch down the rear deck portion. Sounds like a gear may have stripped a bit. I know I've only got one or two more cycles before it's shot so I hesitant to cycle it without having a plan for repair/replacement.
Any assistance out there? It's right at the very end of either the raised or lowered portion of it.

 

You are talking about the tonneau cover, correct?

If so, the latch is opened and closed by a motor and cable system, meaning the motor turns the cable and the cable turns a wheel for a lack of a better description and moves the latch.
On mine the cable was binding and preventing the latch from moving, to check just disconnect the two pistons from the tonneau cover and hold the cover open and have someone open and close the roof with the switch while you watch what happens and you should see where it is binding pretty easily.

Note: Do this will cause you to get a Roof Fault error message, just let the system sit for 15-20 minutes till it unscrambles its brain and then put the key in and close or open the roof, whichever you want.

I suggest either having a battery tender hooked up or the car running, because that roof uses a lot of juice.

 

Thank you. Was on a trip to the coast. Had my emergency allen wrench out and ready to go. Will give it a look Saturday morning.

 

So I disconnected the struts and got a good look. The gear that works the mechanism to lock down the cover is stripped. In order to take the unit out it looks like I have to disassemble a major part of the main roof structure. Looks like it's going to be a dealer fix.
My temp fix was to remove the piece on the cover that it latches to so it would at least sit flush. Top up you can't tell but with it down there is a little rise on the faulty side.
Anyone go through this and have a ballpark estimate?

Quick update - Saw they are for sale on AM Bits for $144 pounds. Gonna give it a try. Checked in the repair manual and apparently the whole top is only held down by 6 bolts. Anticipating it to be a 4 pint job Wish me luck.

 

Good Luck...I have seen you post many times and seem like a good guy! My only thought is simple...fix first then 4 pints...lol

 

Old Phart, thanks for shedding a little more light on this sore subject. I clearly see the stripped gear. Did you end up taking it to the Dealership, or did you end up tackling it yourself? My real question however is how did you get the tonneau cover to release enabling it to be opened manually? Once opened, I’d at least have a chance of figuring things out on what’s going on in there, but getting that cover open seems to be the bigger issue….

 

Further to my post of 30/05/23.
I concluded that the issue was the "Tonneau Latch Motor"
This is situated under and behind the left or right passenger side window.
To access the motor(s) you have to remove all the associated interior, starting with the rear seating arrangement and work your way across.
I came across an eleven page AM Service Bulletin "SB-01-0336" which I will try and attach.
I proceeded to take all the interior items out. I will say now that it is a task and a half to do, as there are one or two potential snags and fiddly bits.
Such as part of the trim panel is secured from the top (I ripped mine out and had to affect a repair on reassembly).
From memory, the glass has to line up exactly to access a couple of bolts. As the glass is only controlled by the roof switch it recommends splicing in a temporary connection to control the glass, I didn't want to start cutting in to the wiring so i just used the roof switch. This worked but was fiddly and ran the battery down. So maybe I should have spliced.
So eventually I got access to the motor. It sits right on the bottom and is a pain to get out. It works by revolving a worm gear.
And eventually I got the motor out and it was seized up. So I replaced it. Later I took the motor apart and cleaned everything up and when i tested it
I could go on and on at this point but I am hoping the attached "Service Bulletin" will be good enough to explain everything.The above is a very condensed version of the job.
So the tonneau now opens and shuts but not perfectly.
When opening the roof, the rear doesn't completely close and and when closing the roof the front takes 2 button presses to close.
So I lived with that for a few months until the instrument pod started blacking out, it would go off then come back on. According to my research that was a symptom of a failed CRM "Convertible Roof Module" so I attempted to obtain a replacement.
Unfortunately there was nothing available new or second hand. Scuderia informed me that the modules were on back order. As the factory had had a "thermal event" i.e.a fire, it would be about six months before they were available. So I had no choice but to wait.
Meanwhile the car was running ok until, we were about 100 miles from home when it went out completely, everything else seemed to be working ok apart from indicators and infotainment, so I decided to slowly risk the journey home. We arrived back without too much Hassel but when we got home and parked up the cooling fan went into I'll please myself mode and kept switching itself on and off. Manually checking the engine temperature it didn't seem overly hot so I just left it to cool off.
So what to do next!
I decided to contact Adam at AM Performance Ltd | Independent Aston Martin Specialists in Macclesfield, they have a great reputation online. I thought if anybody can get a CRM they can. So I arranged for them to look at the car.
They diagnosed the instrument pod was dead so I sourced a replacement and had it sent to Macclesfield and they fitted it. Adam also said the CRM needed replacing but they weren't available. He left it disconnected. So I said when I get one I will come back, as the module has to be reprogrammed.
The car was now running ok, obviously no roof function. Four or five months later I got the new CRM, fitting is fairly straightforward, its situated under the passenger side (UK) rear wheel arch next to the roof hydraulics. There are 2 plates set in under the arch, the smaller one is the CRM. It just unscrews and slides down. There is not a lot of length to the 2 cables, you can just about get to the connectors. I unscrewed the hydraulics plate and lowered it slightly thinking the CRM cables might be wedged above it. I gave the CRM cables a bit of a tug and it did give me a bit more length.
Fitting is a reverse of the removal, but when you have the 2 plugs securely fixed in the CRM, wrap a cable tie(s) round the smaller one to stop it unplugging when you push it back up, as it is not a very positive fit in its socket.
So a trip back to AM Performance for an MOT and the module reprogrammed. Everything working good and a new MOT except the closing stage of the roof still takes 2 button pushes. I have discounted the hall effect sensor on top of the windscreen.
The lad that works with Adam (can't remember his name but he knows his stuff) said it was because of a faulty sensor in the driver side (UK) of the hood, the sensor not being readily available, possibly involving an expensive wiring loom!
So I will live with that for now.
The joys of motoring?
Philip Walsh
.

 

The eleven page AM Service Bulletin "SB-01-0336" mentioned in my last post hasn't attached so I will try again here.
SERVICE BULLETIN Workshop Procedure
Replace the Tonneau Latch Motor for the Convertible Roof
Reference SB-01-0336
Issued:
14 July 2011
FOR
Aston Martin Technician(s) (and others)

 

Thanks for posting this, always good to know (lesser of two evils!) whats in store for us.
Did you remove the window regulator to get access to the motor/housing?
Think i saw a thread that implied you could gain enough access with the regulator and glass insitu - just raised as you outlined.
My motors are running ok at the moment, but considering applying the AM "fix" of drilling holes in the base of the housing to ensure no build up of water inside in the future, whilst i have all the interior out to fix the tonneau latch issues i am having...

 

Hi Rush42. As I remember it the latch motor sits at the bottom and directly behind the glass mechanism. I had to release as much as possible to move it to one side to get access behind it to remove the latch motor.
I have attached a screen print from the DB9 WorkShop_Manual. If you look at pictures 13 and 14 the plate and those nuts and bolts are also the adjusters that dictate the angle for the glass closing. If I remember rightly also there was some kind of special washer involved. So try and take note of the position of everything. I do remember that it was particularly tight moving it to one side, it just goes in the left corner and was even harder getting it back in, but I was apprehensive in actually removing the whole unit. So when its moved you should have access to the roof latch. I must comment that the only sign of any water ingress was when I took the offending motor to pieces to establish why it had seized up, all I could find was some rust on the motor shaft that when cleaned up enabled the motor to run. I still have it as I used a replacement on reassembly. I have read somewhere that water might be getting in down the worm gear cable that runs up to the top roof opening mechanism. It has a seal where it enters into the bottom of the window space mine was out of position when I checked. So that's a maybe?