Guy claimed Aston Martin dealer quoted him $40,000 to fix his flooded V12 DBS so he did it himself for $50
- This Aston Martin DBS was flooded in a hurricane
- The dealership quoted this YouTuber $40k for a CEM
- But he had a $5 loophole… Would it work?
Published on Mar 05, 2025 at 11:26 PM (UTC+4)
by Jack Marsh
Last updated on Mar 05, 2025 at 11:26 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
After rescuing a flooded Aston Martin DBS, this man claimed the dealership quoted him $40,000 to fix it, but he found a $50 workaround.
As with most luxury car brands, any time a car gets an issue, the owner’s heart stops and the sobs of their nearby wallet can be heard getting louder.
This Aston Martin DBS owner was hit with just that panic after getting a quote for a fix.
But he refused to cash in the $40k cheque and instead found a $50 workaround.
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YouTuber finds $50 workaround for $40k Aston Martin DBS fix
Aston Martin is steeped in prestige and authority, having been the flagship brand behind the transportation for James Bond for decades.
But the UK automakers very much prefer to be the only pair of hands underneath its own hood, evident by the time on British mechanic was given a telling-off for restoring a wrecked DB12.
US YouTuber Samcrac faced a similar problem after he attempted to restore an Aston Martin DBS that was flooded during Hurricane Ian in 2022.
The $286,000 car was recovered and bought for 10 percent of its original price at auction and was found to be in much better condition than he thought.
The water had not damaged the engine, transmission, and drive train, but had completely corrupted the CEM – also known as the ‘brain of a car’.
After reaching out to the Aston Martin dealership, Samcrac was shocked to be hit with a colossal $40k quote.
The quote included $17k of labor in a 60-hour rebuild (for a single part) and an $8 markup on products like key fobs.
So, how about the same fix for $50? Sounds like a good deal, right?
A quick workaround hit a major speedbump
Aston Martin uses a lot of parts from other manufacturers for their cars.
It’s common practice, just like how two $5 Bosch alternative parts and a zip tie prevented this Bugatti Veyron owner from forking out thousands.
In Samcrac’s case, he found that the same CEM systems that Aston Martin also control Volvo cars, and he knew just the place to find one for cheap.
A quick trip to a junkyard saw him pick up a system for just $50, instantly saving him thousands.
The only hitch left was to find someone who had the software tool to match the CEM system to the car, as installation of the part would set off the alarms.
The YouTuber was able to source the tiny microchip that would sync the CEM to the car together, but one final issue arose.
Unfortunately, the car’s CCF (Car Configuration Files) were lost, which was required to activate the sync-up, and the car was left unfixed unless he paid another Aston Martin premium.
The Aston Martin DBS was soon listed for sale and he ended up getting his cash back.
He was hopeful that someone with better connections to Aston Martin would be able to get it synced and running again.
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