What Coolant Should I Use For a 2004 Bentley Arnage T?

Question: What Coolant Should I Use For a 2004 Bentley Arnage T?
Answer: BMW Antifreeze/Coolant (Blue)

Vehicle: 2004 Bentley Arnage T (6.75 Liter V8 Twin Turbo)

Recently, the ENGINE COOLANT notification lit up on my dashboard, indicating that the coolant level was low. Had this been in my old Toyota 4Runner, I would have kicked off the reservoir cap, spit down the tank, slap the cap back on and call it a day! That might be a bit of hyperbole, but I certainly wouldn’t have lost any sleep over such a problem. The Bentley, however- that’s a different story. Low engine coolant can be indicative of something as minor as needing to add a little coolant- or something major like a blown head gasket!

Located under the hood are two labels (next to each tank) that read as follows:

Anti-freeze/Coolant
Use only anti-freeze/coolant purchased from a
Rolls-Royce Franchise Holder – Part number UE70936
Concentration 50% antifreeze/coolant and 50% water
Check anti-freeze/coolant before every winter

If you are like me, you are uncomfortable with the two different spellings of “anti-freeze” and “antifreeze” on the same label. Not exactly the level of perfection I expect from Bentley/Rolls, but I guess I am being too picky- and this is beside the point of this article. 🙂

In the interest of being overly careful, I took the car to a Rolls-Royce/Bentley specialist and he recommended draining and refilling the coolant with BMW blue coolant (which is likely the exact same formula as the Bentley-labeled supply). The aluminum engine requires the blue antifreeze. Using the wrong type of coolant can cause a chemical reaction with engine components causing a premature, and costly failure.

There are two coolant tanks under the hood which are highlighted in this photo. NEVER CHECK COOLANT LEVELS ON A HOT ENGINE. Check the levels of each tank. Both of these tanks can be observed with the engine cover panel on or off.

Here is the video about my ENGINE COOLANT light experience. I must confess, I was a bit nervous initially. Fortunately, this turned out to be a minor issue and was quickly corrected.

Disclaimer:
I am just a guy on the internet. I am not a mechanic. Follow my advice at your own risk. Consult your owner manual or a specialist for professional advice.