Hi all,
So my main radiator cracked and needs to be replaced. UK spec car, 2006, some 85k miles on the clock. Car has been serviced by Bentley throughout, slightly extended intervals.
What else should be changed since the front comes off? Belt/tensioner with damper/ Idler pulleys .. anything else ?
Which are must do and which are "would be nice".. What about coolant pump..thermostat (does it only come complete) etc.
Also, a radiator from Bentley is near double price of one from Scuderia UK.. they say it is original Bentley parts too.. Any experience/advice here?

Thanks/regards, Lars

 

All of which you mentioned. The thermostat is Next but can be done without front end being taken apart.

 

Scuderia is where I get 95% of my parts from. The other 5% depends on what I need and who has it. (Rockauto, Bentley, Johnny)

 

Alternator o rings . Two about £ 3 each .
This necessitates removal of the alternator.They are water cooled and the o rings perish seep and leak resulting in a damaged part .The whole front has to come off, “ while you are in there “

Bentley rad Bt tw comes in a pack , new top + bottom hoses to change .

 

Thanks guys for all input. I asked Bentley Surrey about the O-rings, having read the advice on a thread here..they did not recommend it.. ?
So in conclusion I should do everything incl coolant pump and Alt O-rings as must do, or are some of them "excessive"/unnecessary..
Are we forgetting something?

BTW car threw up a long list of fault codes, some of which hopefully clears when this is sorted..It also developed a slight rattling sound from the RH rear..probably exhaust valve? Only on cold start and goes away after 30 secs.. What is the solution here?

 

Arh now we are wading into the classic Bentley dealer parts throwers Vs Indy engineering solutions debate .
Whereby the dealer tech is 24 yrs old and the Indy 54 yrs seen it all .

The O rings alone which my Indy said requires “hands of a gynaecologist “ to remove the alternator probably is not on there “ system “ for billing .
A new one will be I mean the whole thing inc the front off Labour , but not a repair as such .
Rubber perishes - period and they weep .It’s a VAG and German car thing not specific to Bentley btw .

He did say there was one bolt at the back that can be a bugger depending on how much seepage had wetted it over the years = corrosion etc .
So could be 1 hrs Labour or a lot more depending?

It was there idea not mine they volunteered this as part of the “ while we are in there “ conversation .
Worked out fine in the end btw as they not started to seep .
2004 MDL about 2 yrs ago so about the same age as yours the rads corrode bottom inside , they all go I was told .
Rad pack was about £900 inc taxes from Bentley they used the genuine but offered a pattern part for about £500 , as said the Bentley one comes with a new pipe / hose pack .

Yes had the poly belt £100 and tensioner £40 done .
Water pump was not mentioned so I can only assume with the W12 the specialist think it’s a none event ?

When I got it 2017 there was a fault with the AC so I took it to Bentley Leeds for a full diagnostic about 1 hrs Labour paid up front with the promise “ they would fix it “ if not certainly tell me what’s wrong .

2/3 hrs later ( only billed for the hr ) a very apologetic senior tech came and sat down with another coffee and laid it all out for me .
Its had a loom splice from a previous they think flooded scuttle.MoT history shows it was off the road 2011-2013 .
So to trace the wiring and find the fault they said Bentley would want us to take out the splice and putt everything back to standard .They could take hrs @ over £200 / hr etc .
Crucially he whispered in my ear “ take it to a specialist “ gave me the details about 500 M away tucked up in a unit .
The two guys at Prestige services Leeds are ex Bentley RR techs .

So off I went with the dealers tech name and the indys phoned him ( they are in regular contact every day ) and theses indys found a loose wire and soldered it up and basically fixed the issue .

Billed me for the time and tiny parts etc . About 4 hrs Labour to fully test find it dismantle , fix etc .They also replaced a duff air vent flap motor there computer threw up .

That’s the point uk dealers have there hands tied and if the “ computer says no “ they can’t do it .
The Bentley dealers tech was talking to his system and it suggested removing all the dash etc to “ put it back to std “

So you need ideally to find a B dealer that’s works closely with a nearby Indy …..the indys are normally guys who have left to set up on there own but keep a close working relationship.

Hope this helps .

 

While on the Dealer vs Indy debate .
The B dealer did a full check on the car and the tech reported it had “buckled wheels “
No symptoms .
So I said ( as I was quite alarmed from a safety pov ) what can be done ?
He said every part ex car that comes through the dealer network they find buckled wheels and have to factor in replacements if the vehicle is going to be Bentley approved .
They all have them don’t worry about it .

Mean while at the indys they said yes technically they are buckled but the B dealers parameters are so high the slightest out of round the rims are they shout “ buckled “
40000 miles later no issues , no vibrations as the tyre fitters balancing easily copes .
I suspect once theses wheels go on a tyre fitters machine to press the tyres off = they buckle .But to what degree ? That’s the Q ?

All depends where you set the bar when measuring 0.01 mm out of true or 0.1 or 1.0 mm I don’t know ?
Remember zero vibrations and perfectly balanced on regular Joes tyre fitting equipment.

Food for thought .

 

Great input John, thanks !
Will ponder over the w/e. BTW refuse to take the car to the dealer down here in Marbella..service is awful and they've misdiagnosed before.. so I'm with a recommended Indy. Bentley here wants 1600 EUR with the VAT for the Rad pack.. seems quite steep ref your £900 ..

 

I am sure one of these Rad specialists can rebuild these rads. Can they not be recored? People think these are Bentley so only new will do. These are old cars now so best to shop around me thinks.
https://www.adrad.co.uk/car/radiators/

 

Hi again, so whilst waiting for the parts .. my Indy has pulled off the front.. He says the aircon condenser looks worn .. i have had no issue with the aircon system nor any leaks that I am aware of.. Any experience here? Are they prone to crack too? It is easy to say "change it" but these are quite costly parts to change if not necessary.. He suggests to pressure test it, which makes sense of course..Any advice based in experience?
Thanks!

 

Mine failed recently. Quite a lot of labour to get in there. How old is your car?

C

 

2006 as on top of thread..so yes the question is whether to change the aircon "radiator" whilst the front is off for the main coolant Radiator..

 

Ahh didn't see it. I think, on balance, I'd change it. 15 years old. It can't have much more life in it. As I said, mine went and it's a 2007. Not that there's a direct correlation between age and failure, but they are exposed to all sorts of weather

C

 

OK yes but on that note there would be an awful lot to change ; )
What symptoms when it went, how urgent an issue.. is it a matter of loosing pressure and aircon function, or worse?
And, is it a part also used in Audi/Phaeton W12 for example?

 

When it goes you'll lose pressure and function. If it goes because of corrosion, my experience is it'll go suddenly.

No idea about the part comparison, but to do mine was about 50/50 labour vs parts (499 for the part 570 for the labour)

C