Welcome to McGurk Performance Cars! Today, we’re doing a very short guide to discuss what to do if your Aston Martin has a flat battery. We’re talking about a really, really flat battery. It’s important to be cautious about using certain tools that can cause problems with control modules and ECUs. You’d be surprised at what a surge in energy can do when you’re trying to start your car. Just this week, we’ve had a couple of instances where seat modules failed, and we suspect it was because of improper jump-starting techniques.
So, very quickly, if you have a flat battery in your Aston Martin, in this case, a DB9, here’s what you should do:
- Open the Bonnet: Under the bonnet, you’ll find a positive terminal indicated by a little box with a red cross and a negative terminal, which we’re using the alternator bracket for in this case.
- Use a Battery Charger: This is not a trickle charger, but a proper battery charger. A battery charger is the best tool you can use if you have a really flat battery. Ideally, you could connect it directly to the battery itself, but that involves undoing and moving things around. If that seems too complicated, use the positive and negative terminals under the bonnet for the battery charger.
- Give It Some Time: Allow the battery charger to work and give enough energy to start the car properly.
Important Tips:
- Avoid Jump Starting: Jump starting a car can cause issues and could be expensive if it leads to control module failures.
- Understand the Tools: Don’t confuse a battery charger with a trickle charger. A trickle charger is designed to maintain battery levels rather than charging a flat battery. While some of the latest trickle chargers can charge batteries, they may not perform as effectively as a battery charger.
By using a proper battery charger, you’ll be able to start your car without causing any electrical problems to the control modules. Just this week, we’ve had a couple of instances where seat modules failed, and we suspect it was because of improper jump-starting techniques. For maintenance queries, please visit our Aston Martin Servicing page.