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Aston Martin Tracking Product Information for Dealers

 

1. Background Information
Across Europe the sales of stolen vehicle tracking systems are growing rapidly in response to the 1.5 million cars stolen each year costing owners and insurers more than €20 billion.  Already, the installation of these products on Aston Martin models is mandated or strongly recommended by insurers in most European countries. 

The next stage of development being driven by police and insurers is to require remote immobilisation of the vehicle via the tracking system.  This requires much greater intervention into the workings of the vehicle than before and the nature of the threat this poses if attempted with an unauthorised product by unqualified personnel can be easily realised.

Therefore, Aston Martin has released a state-of-the-art stolen vehicle tracking system under the name “Aston Martin Tracking” in the 2007 Model Year on DB9 and V8 Vantage and for all future models. 

Aston Martin Tracking is fitted as standard for the UK market and provided as a production fit option for other European markets and elsewhere.  This product has been rigorously tested and is fully covered by the vehicle warranty. No other tracking system is authorised for installation or remote immobilisation on DB9 or V8 Vantage from 2007 Model Year.

2. Product Overview
Aston Martin Tracking consists of a tracking system installed in the car together with an externally sourced communications & tracking service package. 

The hardware configuration has a number of elements.  These are:

 

  • A 'state of the art' GPS/GSM tracking system
  • CAN bus interface - for functions such as remote immobilisation
  • Automatic Driver Recognition (ADR) – which is optional for use in markets where insurers require it

The communications & tracking service package is provided by “EUROWATCH”, which operates a dedicated network of monitoring centres across Europe and elsewhere.  Its service operates 24-hours a day in more than 42 countries and each centre is directly linked into the police in each country.  This means that customers get priority attention from police if their car is stolen and, even if it is driven into a foreign country, it can still be tracked and the police in that country notified. 

Aston Martin Tracking has insurance approvals in all the markets that demand them.  For these, it is generally a requirement to have an Automatic Driver Recognition (ADR) function that uses Driver Recognition Devices that are separate to the car keys.  To provide this, the car is delivered with two Driver Recognition Tags which are credit card sized transmitting devices that communicate with the tracking system to confirm the driver’s identity independently of the vehicle key. 

As an alternative to carrying a ‘Tag’, an Aston Martin customer can choose to use a personal mobile device with Bluetooth (e.g. a mobile phone or PDA) to communicate with the system.  This provides the same function as a Tag but avoids the need to carry the additional item. Setting up their Bluetooth device and commissioning it with the system is described in the customer User Guide.

In the event a Driver Recognition Device is NOT detected when the ignition is turned on, the vehicle Passive Anti-Theft System (PATS) red lamp continues to illuminate for 60 seconds after the vehicle has started.  This is to show that the system has NOT disarmed. If the car is then driven off, after 100m a silent alarm is transmitted.

In some markets, insurers do NOT require ADR and in these the customer may prefer to not use it.  It can be disabled simply by not commissioning any Driver Recognition Devices and the Tags provided withdrawn from the Welcome Pack.

If an alarm is received by the tracking service a “CrimeAlert” message is automatically transmitted to the customer by SMS, Voice Call or email.  If the vehicle is stolen the customer should call the Aston Martin Tracking emergency number immediately to report this.  If a theft is in progress the vehicle is remotely tracked and its location passed to police.  If in a foreign country then the police there are notified and it is tracked until it is recovered. 

If it has NOT been stolen and the alarm is therefore false, the customer can immediately use their tracking service PIN code to cancel the alarm.  If they do not cancel within a period of approximately 2 minutes, the alarm diverts to a service operator who contacts them for verification.

Aston Martin Tracking includes “Remote Immobilisation”.  This enables the service operator, under police instruction, to send a command to the car that prevents the engine being restarted once the ignition has been turned off.  This is reversed once police have secured the car.

Once the police have released the car, the service operator liaises with the customer to organise the return.  In some cases the customer may request the vehicle is returned first to their Dealer to check over for any damage. 

3. Key Features and Benefits
Aston Martin Tracking is designed to be a complete offering for each market.  It has every feature required to meet all insurance standards that exist throughout Europe and elsewhere. Its features include:

  • Highest level insurance certificates for all markets such as UK (Cat5) and Holland (TT03 Class 5)
  • Fully tested and warranted
  • Secure, encrypted communications to police approved monitoring centres
  • Rapid customer notification of alarms via CrimeAlert
  • Customer control – customers can deactivate alarms triggered in error by using service PIN
  • Ease of use – customers can make their own choice of Recognition devices or be totally passive if system is non-ADR
  • Remote immobilisation - stops thieves from restarting the car once it has been switched off
  • On-line registration of customer details - minimises paperwork
  • On-line commissioning - ensures full quality test completed before customer delivery
  • Unlimited roaming GSM usage -  no further charges to customer
  • Roams across all domestic and international GSM networks thereby minimising any lack of coverage
  • Pan-European service for customers who travel abroad for business/sport/holidays.

4. Service Registration
Registration for the service is performed online by the Dealer at www.astonmartintracking.com. 

First, each Dealer must register their dealership details and be issued with a login and password.  Dealers should go to the website and click on “Contact Us” and send a request with the following information:

  • Dealership name, address and telephone number
  • Nominate “Key Contacts” and give their details (name, email, telephone).  These should include a ‘sales contact’ for any queries regarding customer information and a ‘service contact’ for any queries regarding service issues.

On receipt, a login and password is issued and sent with details of how to use the registration process.  Once set up a Dealer is able to:

  • Register online a customer for a subscription and make a payment on their behalf
  • Search and amend existing subscriptions

Payment can be made on-line by credit card or by electronic payment.  If the Dealer wishes to pay the subscription on behalf of the customer and incorporate this cost into his billing, then this option can be selected and the Dealer is invoiced direct. 

A step by step guide to this is shown in the “Dealer Handbook”.

5. Commissioning
Before the vehicle is delivered to the customer a commissioning process takes place in order to ensure that the system is correctly functioning and to activate the Aston Martin Tracking service (thereby starting the customer's subscription term).

In the event that ADR is used, the two Driver Recognition Tags that accompany the vehicle will require pairing with the system as part of the commissioning process.  However, if the customer has chosen to use a Personal Bluetooth Device, the Dealer must pair this Device(s) with the system.  This is a straightforward process that does not take more than a few minutes and is set out in detail in the customer User Guide.

For commissioning to take place, the Dealer logs into www.astonmartintracking.com and on the Dealer Homepage select the option ‘Commissioning’.  This process is shown in detail in the Dealer Handbook. 

6. Training
A series of training activities are available to support the introduction of Aston Martin Tracking.  These include:

  • Learning Centre modules covering in-depth awareness of Aston Martin Tracking for both commercial and technical staff
  • Regional training events

7. Brochures
An Aston Martin Tracking Technical Guide has been produced for use alongside other existing Technical Guides.  Supplies are available through the normal channels.  Each customer that takes Aston Martin Tracking receives a User Guide (Part Number – 7G43-19A415-AA).  Each Dealer that registers for a website login is sent a Dealer Briefing and Dealer Handbook.  Vehicle brochures and price lists will be updated as they are reprinted.

8. Hotline/Field Technical Support
Technical support for Dealers on Aston Martin Tracking is provided by the Dealer Technical Helpdesk.

9. Diagnostics
Should problems be experienced either before or after delivery to customer it is possible to request a diagnostics message through www.astonmartintracking.com that can identify any faults that exist in the tracking system or its installation.  This might identify faults, for example, in the system itself or in the vehicle connections or antennae. 

10. Servicing of the Vehicle
When the customer delivers a car for servicing, he should call the Aston Martin Tracking Service Centre to put the system into “Service Mode” to prevent false alarms being transmitted (for example, on battery disconnect).  Putting the system in Service Mode can ONLY be done with the customer’s personal authorisation to stop criminals also trying to do it.  When the vehicle is collected from the garage, the customer should call again to request the unit to be put back into Operation Mode.

11. Change of Ownership
If the customer sells the car during the subscription period then any remaining subscription can be transferred to the new owner.  This should be notified on the Change of Ownership form provided otherwise the original owner will continue to receive all alarms and will remain liable for any False Alarm costs if the system is misused.  When the new owner takes possession of the vehicle, they should request their Dealer (if involved) or the Aston Martin CRC to register this transfer and enter in their personal details. 
 

Welcome to the Aston Martin Tracking Dealer Information Page.  On this page you will find all the latest information on Aston Martin Tracking that you may require.

 

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