Bentley Arnage T buyers guide

[alisdairsuttie]

Hi all,

I'm writing a buyers guide for PH about the Arnage T and I'm looking for any information about what to look for, what goes wrong, what's great about them and any other info you would pass on to a potential buyer of this car.

Thanks.

[WightGT]

The most worrisome aspect of the Arnage T, and to a lesser extent the R, is that they were prone to camshaft noise and rapid tappet wear. This applied to cars from 2002 to 2006 VIN 8200 onwards.

Tappets are £175 each (you need 16) and camshafts are £1025, both figures plus VAT. Hence if the problem strikes, you are looking at £5,000 worth of parts plus labour - a £10,000 bill perhaps more?

Hope this helps.

[alisdairsuttie]

Thanks, I'll keep this in mind.

[POORCARDEALER]

Head gasket failures 40 hours work to sort

[alisdairsuttie]

Wow, that's a huge amount of work. Is that to strip the engine to get at the heads?

[POORCARDEALER]

Its just a long big job to carry out, 5 or 6 grand at main dealers

[Bluebottle911]

alisdairsuttie said:

Hi all,

. . . what's great about them . . .

Drive one and you will not need to ask!

[alisdairsuttie]

I've driven a few in my time, but the guide also includes the experiences of owners, so just trying to get a few first-hand insights.

Always loved the Arnage and Arnage T in all its guises, even with a BMW engine instead of the Crewe V8.

[ShallowBrown]

Don't forget the suspension. Lots of things to need repair/replacement in this heavy car. Gas springs in the rear have a lifespan. Struts can leak. I've needed a front suspension overhaul and new gas springs in the past few months at 72,000 miles (also a leaking steering rack replaced). Body rust is generally ok except where chrome meets steel, e.g. door locks or where there is road debris thrown up around the lip on rear wheel arches. Lacquer can flake around the edges, needing a respray. If not a daily user you really need a trickle charger which is easy to install and use. I've had no recent battery problems with my moderately used one, but difficult to diagnose current leaks have occurred in the past. Sat nav is now practically useless on older cars. Periodic leaks from engine/coolant and electrical gremlins seem to be unavoidable.

[alisdairsuttie]

Thanks for the info. Do you have a dedicated lead for the trickle charger fitted to the car or battery?

[ShallowBrown]

Yes,
I use the Bentley fitted trickle charger and it is very convenient except that the extension lead is thick so closing the boot lid needs a bit of positioning of the lead. Cost about £200 I think fitted by a main dealer several years ago. I also routinely use a ctek charger on another car, where I just attached the lead to the battery terminals and it works very well. I have little doubt that it would also work on the Bentley when connected to the main battery, which I think is the left-side one. A lot cheaper from Amazon and self-fitting is easy.

[WelshBentleyBoy]

I just bought a plug to connect my Ctek to the socket in the boot. Works without problem so long as you get the wiring right. Cost £40

The Sat Nav can be updated to an Alpine NVE 099p About £100 on ebay latest maps 2010 or an NVE M300p About £390 (latest Maps Sept 2013 and future updates available)

Paul

[EdwardC]

I could be wrong but my understanding was that the trickle battery charger only charged the second auxiliary battery which powers the car's 'goodies'. I think that the one used for starting the engine and firing the plugs can only be charged by removing the cover and topping up direct (i.e. not using the Bentley plug and transformer which runs off 240v mains).

[meistro]

As far as trickle charging the batteries is concerned, the factory connection will definitely charge both batteries. I have checked it out with my meters. It just seems to take a long time to charge the first battery completely but after that the starting battery definitely showed higher voltage.

[r4_rick]

really enjoyed the buying guide, even had me looking at the classifieds, its also made me realise how lightly i got off with a new short engine in my RRS....not suggesting they are in the same class, more reconfirming that I can't really afford one yet.

[alisdairsuttie]

Thanks R4 Rick. I think the Arnage T is that kind of car, it just gets your interest.