Use my Ferrari trickle charger on Bentagia?
Discussion
Nurburgsingh said:
Louis Balfour said:
Just got my Bentley back after using the wrong charger on it. Total bill just over £3000.
What did they say was wrong with it and how did you/they conclude it was the charger that caused it?After the discharge, the boot would not open. Bentley diagnostics said the boot control unit had failed and deep discharged the ancillary battery, thus killing it. However, when they were changed the boot would not close reliably and it required a motor and struts.
My research suggests the whole mechanism related to the boot on them is an Achilles heel. When the cars were under OEM warranty, and a boot fault occurred (a common problem), they routinely changed every component as standard, because it was the only guaranteed way of fixing them. Which is probably why the dealership keeps the components in stock.
The replacement boot motors are modified. I suspect that the new control units might be too, which is possibly why the the motor stopped playing nicely after the control unit was changed.
Incidentally, I went to some lengths to quiz the service manager about the diagnostic process, because I was concerned that they were diagnosing the fault by throwing parts at my car, at my expense. But I also spoke to a Bentley independent who confirmed what I was being told. It came down to me paying to replace what Bentley would have swapped out themselves, at their expense, had the car been under warranty.
I could have saved some money, potentially, by taking the car away from Bentley and giving it to a local independent who will repair boot motors. But the saving may not have been massive, I may still have needed the motor, it would have been inconvenient and I would not have the 2-year guarantee that I now have. Also, the boot motors are on back order (according to the indy)
An aside - the Bentley service manager said that, if it had been his car, he'd have disconnected the boot entirely and used it manually, because they are a pain in the neck. My view was that I don't want a luxury car on which not everything works. I could have got away with half the bill if I had been prepared to compromise.
Edited by Louis Balfour on Saturday 18th February 17:52
Oaky said:
Completely agree. I got my boot motor repaired as the back-order thing was so long. Hope it was not too costly an experience
I've got my old motor, struts and battery charger which I will put on Ebay spares or repair. I might be able to mitigate my bill, at least slightly. 
Louis Balfour said:
Just got my Bentley back after using the wrong charger on it. Total bill just over £3000.
What was the “ wrong “ charger model and what model charger have Bentley given you instead ?I am assuming that the CTEK itself didn’t cause the boot motor to malfunction though ?
alscar said:
Louis Balfour said:
Just got my Bentley back after using the wrong charger on it. Total bill just over £3000.
What was the “ wrong “ charger model and what model charger have Bentley given you instead ?I am assuming that the CTEK itself didn’t cause the boot motor to malfunction though ?
It seems to have been a chain of events, but started by the C-Tek flattening the left battery.
My motor repair including new struts (was not convinced they were required but didn’t want to jinx things) was £600. New battery £170 plus £110 fitting. Standard ctek charger MXS7.0 was £110. VAT included in all figures.
So £3k from main dealer sounds about right. But didn’t you say the motor was on back-order but somehow you avoided that potential delay? ETA ah - main dealer stock
So £3k from main dealer sounds about right. But didn’t you say the motor was on back-order but somehow you avoided that potential delay? ETA ah - main dealer stock
Edited by Oaky on Tuesday 21st February 01:37
Gassing Station | Ferrari V8 | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff