Maintenance Guide
DISCLAIMER
The information provided here is for general guidance purposes only. It is a combination of manufacturer guidance, first- and second-hand experience, and personal opinion. It may me inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated.
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Maintenance of any car is important, and Aston Martins are no different. The items and intervals listed in this Maintenance Guide are based on the service guidelines of Aston Martin. If you track your car, you’ll want to do these tasks more often.
Months and Miles
Aston Martin recommends service be done based on intervals of 12 months (1 year) or 10,000 miles, whichever comes first. Most Astons aren’t driven 10,000 miles per year, so the simplest approach is to pick a time of year to get your service done and stick with that. In other words, if you like doing your maintenance every Spring, pick a month and then do your annual service during that month each year. It doesn’t have to be exact, it’s just a way to remember when to do things.
If you’re one of the few that does drive your Aston more than 10,000 miles each year, then it’s best to do your service based on miles.
Service Intervals
This is a general outline of the service intervals for each maintenance item. If you’re not sure when a given task was last performed, it might be worth just doing it based on the age of the car, or to play it safe you can do everything and restart with a clean slate.
The Service Guidelines for all Gaydon-era Aston Martins is basically the same, so the below guidance can be used for all models. I’ve added a few things that I recommend but aren’t part of Aston martin’s actual guidance and noted them accordingly. For those tasks that have models listed below, those links will take you to the DIY Guides for those cars. If the task itself is a link, then the job is the same (or close enough to it) for all models.
I have DIY Guides for most of these to show how each is done, and also sell many of the parts and supplies needed to do them in my Online Store. So if you want to do any of these yourself and find the DIY Guides valuable, please show your support by shopping on Redpants!
Every 1 Year / 10k Miles
Engine oil change
- V8 Vantage
- V12 cars
Every 2 Years / 20k Miles
Brake fluid flush
Replace engine intake filters
Replace cabin (pollen) filters
Replace key fob batteries
Replace windshield wiper blades
Every 4 Years / 40k Miles
Gear oil change
Replace PCV valve (V8 Vantage) *
* This is not included in Aston Martin’s service guidelines. However, I’ve been told that the PCV valve on the V8 Vantage tends to start failing after about 40,000 miles.
Every 5 Years / 50k Miles
Coolant flush *
Replace thermostat (V8 Vantage) **
* The coolant I have used for a while and that I reference in much of my content is from Motul, but as of the relaunching of the Redpants website (May 2021), this is no longer available in the US. The OEM coolant is from Havoline and it does the job just fine so there’s no reason not to use it if it’s available. Havoline XCL coolant is available as a premix and also as a concentrate. If neither is available, Zerex DEX-Cool OAT coolant may also be a viable option.
** This is not included in Aston Martin’s service guidelines. However, I see the thermostat in the V8 Vantage starts to fail after 5 to 7 years, so I recommend replacing it preemptively at the same time as the coolant is being flushed.
Every 6 Years / 60k Miles
Replace spark plugs
- V8 Vantage
Replace coil packs *
- V8 Vantage
* This is not included in Aston Martin’s service guidelines. However, the coil packs tend to start failing not longer after the service life of the spark plugs has passed. Since the labor required to replace the coil packs is already part of the spark plug job, it make sense to replace them all at the same time if you want to do it preemptively. They can be replaced individually when they fail to save money. On the V8 these are easy to replace. On the V12, more work is required.
Every 15 Years / 150k Miles
Replace the FEAD belt
- V8 Vantage
Other Maintenance Items
In addition to the routine maintenance items listed above, there are more seldom things that need to be done. The time frames and mileage estimates for these items are based on my own observations and can vary considerably. These should be replaced as needed. They’re listed below in alphabetical order.
Brake pads (2-3 Years / 20-30K Miles)
Brake rotors (3-5 Years / 30-50K Miles)
Car battery (5-7 Years)
- V8/V12 Vantage
Clutch (5-7 Years / 20-70K Miles)
Door struts (5-7 Years)
Handbrake pads (3-5 Years / 30-50K Miles)
Hood and trunk struts (6-10 Years)
Upstream o2 sensors (5-10 Years / 40-60K Miles)
Tires (2-5 Years / 20-40K Miles)
Power steering fluid (10-15 Years)
Service Stamps and Resale
Service history is an important factor in the resale value of a car. For some buyers, that means seeing a dealership stamp in the owners manual for each year, or maintenance records showing what was done and when.
If you do your own maintenance, keep a detailed log book. Keep track of when you do your service, and exactly what you did. Include the date, odometer reading, service task performed, and any relevant information about each task. For example, for an oil change you should list the brand, type, and weight (e.g., Motul X-Power 8100 10w60) of the oil used, the brand of filter (such as, “OEM”), etc. The more information you keep in your records, the more likely a potential buyer will accept the records despite not being serviced by a dealership.