Yesterday, I took back my Arnage from an annual service (a little early) and a number of other jobs that needed doing. As it is not my main car I was in no hurry and it's just as well as one part took a little longer to get than others. More about that very soon.
I did forget to mention that just before the Arnage went off to car hospital, I replaced the ancillaries battery with a new one due to low battery warnings even though the battery should have had good charge. £79.95 for Numax Premium. We'll see how we get on with this. I tend to buy my batteries locally (Longton Battery Services) and having fitted Numax's to other cars I have no doubt it will be up to the job.
On to the service and repair. Bowling-Ryan know their stuff and John Bowling can be found regularly haunting the various Bentley and Rolls-Royce groups providing valuable and free advice. I am lucky that their workshop is about half an hour away, so entrusting my pride and joy to just any old place is not an issue, as the "any old place" knows what to do and how to look after these beasts.
Now, I took it in for service with a few issues, some not worth bothering about and others in need of some sort of reparation. Anyone that knows about the Arnage will know that at any point in time, turning the ignition key is like playing warning light roulette. In my case the turbo warning light had been on and off like a celebrity engagement and needed sorting. Couple that with a need to get rid of brake judder that I thought (and turned out to be) warped discs and I realised that the bill would not be small. No bill is small with these cars. However, as you will plainly see, there is no need for the bill to be out-of-this-world.
I dropped the car off and later that day John sends me a video of the underneath, it needs a few licks of paint/Waxoyl and two pipes are showing corrosion but easily treatable. That's a summer job to get mucky with. However, the bushes (too many to mention) has seen better days. Some better than others. I decided to bite the bullet and get them all done, that were in anyway suspect. I mean no one likes bits dropping off their bush, or the bush of their nearest and dearest (vehicle).
So off it went. The turbo light it was reported was the boost pressure control solenoid. And this is where John's expertise and that of his staff comes in very handy and saves money. "Are you wanting to keep it looking original underneath the bonnet?" is the question. I suspect John deals with many people for whom strict originality is paramount for their motor vehicles. I personally don't mind too much. I mean, I would stop short of him replacing the engine with a two-stroke Wartburg engine, but overall if it works, then that's a good thing. John thought that he had identified a suitable replacement at a fraction of the cost (about 80% less) that the original part. The difference? It appeared that the replacement would be square and the original is round. A visual kick in the nuts for the purist, but a veritable "I can eat this month!" moment for me.
The part of a Porsche part and (this is where my knowledge gets sketchy) the bore of the pipe is right which is crucial. John wasn't sure it would work, but hec, let's give it a go. More than £200 for the original, less than fifty quid for the Porsche bit.
Taking time in the post meant that the car was there longer than anticipated. But it was worth waiting for. The list of things done included an annual service, new plugs, Front discs and pads, a new front lower ball joint, rear bushes, new dust covers for (I think) all the joints, the boost control valve, new brake sensor, check noise from viscous fan (it might be all in my head). For this I was relieved of one thousand five hundred of our finest British pounds. A result, in my book.
I have been advised that the rear suspension spheres will require changing, probably next year (with luck), but at least I can prepare myself and my bank balance for that day.
When I picked her up I was amazed at how different she felt. A little tighter, a little more responsive, and I fell in love with this motor again. And having started her up several times over the past day - no warnings! At least not yet, but there's time. So long as I can get her through her MOT next week. Report on that will follow once done.
I really must fix the window on the drivers door, as it's still not working and I have the IETIS system that enables me to print off the worksheet for repairs, so there's really no excuse. I am terrible at taking pictures, but I will post a step by step of a first time removal of door furniture, hopefully this weekend.
So finally, on the subject of running costs. I took delivery of Eris (I do like that name) in May last year (2020). The service was done yesterday, in March 2021, so in all ten months and about 3,000 miles of motoring. I have records of fuel which I will do another time. Now, I mentioned many costs previously, but in total over the ten months, everything included (except fuel and insurance - the insurance is peanuts) I have spent the grand total of £3,948.55p or roughly £1.24p per mile.
I will let you decide whether or not running an Bentley and paying that price just on parts and servicing is worth it. I can tell you, the smile on my face says it's worth it. Every time I turn the key.