I am referring to the small display between the tach and the speedometer (Driver Information Panel: DIP). Normally it displays door/hood/boot open errors, radio channels, outside temperature, etc. Yesterday, mine went "snowy" (i.e. it looked like pure static and failed to display any information). By playing with the MENU button on the steering wheel, I was able to create a black window in the center but no info. BentleyTech suggested disconnecting the batteries. He was right. It reset the display and put everything back to normal. Of course, whenever you reset the batteries, there are some initializations you have to perform (e.g. clock, trunk, windows, etc.)

 

that is a great quick fix, but I do remember installing software at the dealer to eliminate that so it does not happen again

 

I checked with the local Bentley dealer and was told there is a software update for some cars. The procedure is for the dealer to diagnose a car to see if it needs an update. The cost for this diagnosis is one hour of labour. If the car is a candidate for the software update, the dealer will waive the diagnostic fee but charge $500.00 for the update. If the car is not a candidate for a software upgrade (i.e. it has the latest software) and the problem re-occurs, then the DIP has to be replaced. It has only happened on my car once and the dealer said not to spend any money unless the problem re-occurs.

 

$500 to fix a known manufacturer defect?

 

Don't you just love it? Do we have to consider this yet another "Bentley tax"?

 

I feel we need to get a team of lawyers involved.... seriously.

 

This issue is particularly annoying as it can only be resolved by an OEM dealer.
The first question I have is: is this a Dealer or a Factory pricing policy? I'm doing some research to find the answer and will report back.
If we broaden the focus, forum members will be able to construct a list of "manufacturer defects" (e.g. 3rd brake light, sagging headliner, side-view mirror glass leakage and the dreaded "engine out vacuum leak"). I think most of us feel the factory should come to the party in some fashion. If you wish to discuss this broader topic, please PM me.

 

Excellent idea! We could hand the lawyers copies of receipts and let said legal team keep the benefits of the lawsuit. Sure we already paid for these well-known manufacturer defects and said lawsuit may perhaps only benefit the lawyers and not us, yet we will help future generations of Bentley owners from experiencing the alleged and possible financial, emotional and time loss of use of their known defective products.


The same could also be said for like-parts that costs more because they are within a Bentley box versus that of VW/Audio. As I recall Toyota (or was it Honda) was already found guilty in a court of law of doing the same thing with their upping the parts cost for the same part.



ADDED: In hindsight, perhaps the resale 'value' of the Bentley cars reflect the costs to repair defects. Just sad to see owners endure costs at dealerships that are easily taken care of for far less at independent service providers.

 

Hi Guys,

I am having some strange electrical issues as well that are not, in my opinionuser wear related.

1) Command center boots randomly when driving.

2) Cruise light stays on steady. Cruise control does not work

3) Wind shield wipers activate randomly. (This usually happens when wind shieldwipers do there random thing)

4) If car sits for a few hours, battery appears to be dead. Emergency startgets things going.

5) When car is on the battery tender, the tender never goes to fullycharged, even after charging over night

6) At one point I lost the volume and navigation display in the centerdisplay on the dash. This was resolved after the battery died and an emergencyrestart was performed.

7) When I use turn signals, they blink erratically.

Has anyone had these issues? Or any recommendations on what I might lookfor?

I am dreading taking car to the dealer, as I can only imagine the laborcosts to diagnose and test for this issue.

I will also start a new thread on this as well.

I have 08 cfs

 

The very first thing I would check is the starter battery condition (it is the smaller one on the right when viewing the car from behind). Your problems sound very much like low voltage. If the starter battery is OK, check the "house battery". If both batteries are OK, check your alternator output voltage. However, you will generally get an error on the dash if the alternator is bad (I believe it is the "battery" symbol). I have also posted this reply on your new thread.

 

Sorry to hijack an old thread but my 2004 Bentley car is doing something similar. Can the cluster be opened to de-soldered the faulty DIP and solder another one in its place? It looks like the one from the VW Phaeton looks the same. Would this be a good candidate?

 

Hi Everyone. My display has gotten worse. Please see the pic below. I tried resetting the display by pulling the fuses and it didn't work. Does anyone know anyone in the US that can repair my display by replacing it with a new one? The only I can find is Cartronics in the UK.

 

That looks a bit like fungus that is sometimes on old camera lenses. Are you sure it an electronic issue?

 

When I put a light on the screen when its dark and I don't see any fungus? How can I make sure it isn't?

I do notice that when the screen is dark, it has some bubbles in it like heat has been applied to it.