On my 3000 mile trip driving my new, to me, 09 Vantage home I noticed a couple of rattles over rough pavement. There sounds like a loose screw in the rear of the drivers door. My local service tech said he has seen the screw back out on the window regulator. Can anyone tell me how difficult of a job it is to remove the door trim panel to get at this loose screw?

I also found a shaking/vibration in the air bag/horn area on the steering wheel. I had the same problem on my 08 Vantage and I had it fixed under warranty. Unfortunately the warranty has expired on this car. I don't know if I want to try to tackle something involving the airbag unless it is very simple and straight forward.

Third issue is a rattle in the glass bezel above and below where you insert the key in the dash. I have since looked at other 09 and newer cars and their glass parts don't move at all while mine are loose in the bezel housing. The dealer quoted me $850 to replace the entire ignition bezel assembly.

 

The "screw in drivers door" ..I've seen the drivers arm rest pad come loose and the nut drops off..is the arm rest pad loose?? ..also seen phillips screws on the back side of the panel come off..if your sure it's in the door somewhere..door panel can be removed with ease to inspect..

Steering wheel Airbag bolts have plastic sleeve spacers that either aren't there(early models) or they are there but worn out and will need to be replaced..if you hold up on the airbag the noise woul dbe deleted..if so..replace the 2 plastic bolt sleeves..

The Emotion unit glass bezels can be replaced if they are the ones that are loose..the screws on the center upper console trim can be secured if there are loose from teh back side...I've never seen the Emotion unit break that it would become loose and need to be replaced all together

 

Thanks irish07! The sounds is definately inside the drivers door toward the upper back. To remove the door panel can I simply use the plastic trim removel prying tools to pull the panel away from the door frame or are there screws to remove first?

The car build date was 07/08 and only has 5300 miles on it. I can push up on the center horn/air bag approx 1/8-1/4 in. of play.

It is both upper and lower glass pieces of the Emotion unit that are loose inside the bezel. 2 different people at my local Seattle dealership said they have seen it a few times and the dealer in Dallas who did my pre-buy inspection said he stocks this part because he has seen it happen enough.
Thank you!

 

For the door panel there are torque screws at the bottom side of the panel..the hex bolts holding handle need to come off and cable detached from handle..near the front section of the panel at mid height there is a another torque screw in that hole you see..lower window by switch then tilt panel to remove electrical connectors from behind..then lift panel straight up(make sure connectors are off or you chance breaking the window switch connector...there are no plastic clips to pry

If there is good amount of play in the airbag..remove the torque bolts(x2) on back side of steering wheel..turn wheel to access bolts..see if plastic sleeve are over bolts..if none or worn..fit new ones, there a few cents..

Wow..never would of guessed on the emotion unit(never had to replce one for that reason)..then again, could be a heat issue..I can see the unit getting hot in dallas under the sun..do the temps get hot where you are?

 

Thanks again irish07 for the detailed explainations! I will take a crack at these things and see if I can actually fix more than I end up damaging
Where would I get the plastic sleeves for the bolts on the airbag? Are they some sort of AM propriatary part?

As far as the high temp damaging the glass bezel, it would make sense that it may be more common in Texas, but in Seattle people freak out when they see the sun for more than a few days at a time and the temps reach into the 90's.

 

Hehe...I can send you few feet of snow if you want??

The sleeves are available from your aston dealer(don't know anywhere else)..there not pricy..you need 2 of them.. here's the part 9G43-33698-AA

 

OK, one down. I took out the airbag bolts and there is nothing over them. I will call my dealer to see if he happens to have them in stock.

Next I will try the door panel.
Thanks again!

 

OK, sorry to bother you again but the door panel is ready to come off but I can't figure out how/where to disconnect the latch cable???

 

Thanks irish07. I stopped by my local shop today and the tech had a door apart and showed me that I didn't pull hard enough on the metal door handle to separate it from the soft door panel. No wonder I couldn't see how to disconnect the cable.

 

hehe..dumbbells are on special at walmart this week

..but better safe than sry

 

irish07, I also showed him a picture of the airbag out and about the suggestion of putting the plastic sleeves over the 2 hex bolts. He said he thought the 09 Vantages bolts had already compensated for that in a newer design and didn't need the plastic sleeves. Do you know anything about that? Since my airbag hangs down the 1/8" it makes sense to me to put in the plastic sleeve to hold it up and take out the play that rattles over bumps. My car was built 07/08.
Thanks!

 

If I remember right, the newer models come with the sleeve over the hex 6mm bolt..here are the safe VIN's:

Safe VINs: DBS - 01082, V8 Vantage - 13104, DB9 - 12179

If your before that, you would need the sleeve to delete the concern..

 

Alright, mine is 11884 and since you said they were cheap I will go ahead and get them and see if that does the job.
Thanks much!

 

..even with a price markup you shouldn't be paying more than 5$ total

 

Yes, they are $2 ea and will be in stock tomorrow.