What does a Bentley Continental GT service include?
Servicing a Bentley Continental GT, like any modern Bentley, starts from the schedule the manufacturer sets for the model, the engine and the year. Launched in 2003, the Continental GT first came with a 6-litre twin-turbo W12, joined in 2012 by a 4-litre twin-turbo V8; the Flying Spur followed the same path. Two engines mean two lists of work: a Continental GT V8 is not serviced like a W12.
The car is road-tested first, then lifted and inspected. Stored fault codes are read with a diagnostic tool, everything we find goes into an itemised estimate, and nothing is added without your approval. The detailed invoice that follows becomes part of the service history, which matters on the day the car changes hands. Our general approach to servicing and maintenance has a page of its own.
- Engine oil and filters, coolant, brake fluid
- Gearbox and differential oils, according to the manufacturer’s schedule
- Spark plugs, ignition coils, air and pollen filters, auxiliary belt
- Hoses, clamps, engine mounts, leaks and weeps
- Air springs, lines and compressor of the air suspension
- Brakes, ball joints, bushes, alignment and tyre age
W12 or V8: what each engine needs
The W12 is short, yet it fills the engine bay from one side to the other. Twelve cylinders arranged in a W, two turbochargers, cooling and vacuum circuits packed tightly together: every job has to be planned, and some routine tasks call for substantial dismantling first. A coolant leak or an oil weep has to be traced methodically before it reaches a hot component. Bentley stopped building this engine in 2024, which is all the more reason to look after the cars that have one.
The 4-litre twin-turbo V8, lighter over the front axle, places its turbochargers inside the vee of the engine, where heat concentrates. On both, we check plugs and coils, boost hoses and idle quality, then drive the car once it is fully warm. The latest generations move to plug-in hybrid drivetrains, whose high-voltage side follows specific procedures.
Bentley air suspension: when should you worry?
The Continental GT, Flying Spur and Bentayga ride on electronically controlled air suspension, which sets both ride height and damping. Over time the rubber of the air springs cracks, a leak appears, and the compressor works harder to make up for it until it wears out in turn. The first sign is often subtle: a car sitting lower on one corner after a night parked, or a warning message at start-up.
Diagnosis separates a leaking air spring from a leaking line or valve, and from a tired compressor, before anything is replaced. After the repair, ride height is recalibrated with the diagnostic tool. For a Bentley that spends the winter indoors, storage with seasonal preparation makes it possible to spot such sagging before it wears out the compressor.
Bentley brakes: more than two tonnes to stop
A Continental GT weighs more than two tonnes, a Bentayga more still, and all of them can go very fast. Their brakes work accordingly: large-diameter discs, multi-piston callipers, pads and discs that wear faster than on a light car. Brake fluid, which absorbs moisture, is renewed according to the manufacturer’s schedule, even when the car covers few miles.
Some versions were offered with optional carbon-ceramic brakes. They wear little on the road, but they are not checked like steel discs, and replacing them is a decision to weigh carefully: a close inspection avoids condemning them too early or keeping them too long. Our page on brakes explains the method, from measuring the discs to the road test.
Bentayga, Arnage, Mulsanne and Turbo R: different engineering
The Bentayga, unveiled in 2015, shares its platform with other Volkswagen Group SUVs. It has been offered with the W12, then a twin-turbo V8, a diesel V8 in some markets and a plug-in hybrid with a V6: each has its own schedule. As on the Continental GT, the electronics are dense, and a suitable diagnostic tool is essential to read faults and carry out the adaptations required after any work.
The Arnage from the 1999 Red Label onwards and the Mulsanne of 2010 to 2020 rely on the 6¾-litre V8, with a central camshaft and pushrod-operated valves, in forced-induction form. It is a torque-rich, robust engine that needs healthy fluids and a cooling system in good order; the early Arnage, known as the Green Label, uses a BMW-sourced twin-turbo V8 of an entirely different design. The Turbo R, introduced in 1985, shares its platform with the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit: a high-pressure hydraulic system handles braking and self-levelling, and both its fluid and its accumulators need close attention. For these sister cars, see our page on Rolls-Royce servicing.
Warranty, parts and remote follow-up
European law allows a car to be serviced outside the manufacturer’s network, including during the warranty period, provided its schedule is followed with parts of equivalent quality. For every job we state where the parts come from: original, equivalent quality or reconditioned, depending on availability and your choice. A single team looks after the car, and photographs of the key stages are sent to you while the work is under way.
A Bentley’s cabin wears too: seat leather, steering wheel, veneers. Our page on Bentley upholstery describes what we do there, and the Bentley page covers all the models we see in the workshop. For a first opinion, request an estimate: photographs and a short description are enough to begin.