It can be frustrating and annoying when the alarm of your Bentley Continental keeps going off unexpectedly. What is causing this to happen? We researched this question to find out the reasons and help you solve this problem.
The car alarm in your Bentley Continental can keep going off due to the following reasons:
- Low battery
- Faulty key fob
- Overly sensitive alarm
- Improperly installed alarm system
- Malfunctioning electronic control module
- Damaged or faulty wiring
Keep reading to learn more about the reasons your car alarm keeps going off and how to solve this problem. To stop the alarm, which can definitely be a nuisance, you need to know how to disable the alarm quickly. In this post, we'll also cover the costs of repairing the alarm of a Bentley Continental.
Why Does Your Bentley Continental Alarm Keep Going Off?
A car alarm that goes off suddenly can cause panic. If a car alarm repetitively does this, something is wrong with it. Below are the most common reasons for this continuous occurrence and what to do about it:
Low Battery
There are various reasons your Bentley Continental's battery may be low. Leaving the headlights and interior lights on for an extended period when you are not using your car can deplete the battery’s charge.
You may find that you left the lights on overnight on one occasion or another, only to wake up and find a low battery.
Another reason could be that you have not been taking care of your battery, such as not cleaning the terminals.
Corrosion or the accumulation of dirt on the battery terminals can impede the proper flow of an electrical current, causing the alarm to turn on. The battery could have also frozen due to cold weather, triggering this issue.
Due to these and other reasons, if you start your car on a low battery, it can give a false alarm. This is because car manufacturers have designed some cars this way to alert you that your battery's charge is low.
To bring your battery back to life, you need to recharge it. But if you need to get your car to a place where you can charge it, you might first have to jumpstart it.
Jumpstarting does not charge the battery. It only helps to start your car in an emergency so that you can drive it to the required destination.
How To Recharge Your Car Battery
The following are the steps to charge your battery:
- Switch off your car and ensure the charger is off.
- Attach the positive cable of the charger to battery's positive terminal.
- Likewise, connect the charger’s negative cable to the battery’s negative terminal.
- Turn on the charger and set the timer. If your charger is automatic, it will turn off when the battery is fully charged.
- After fully charging the battery, switch off the battery charger, and unplug it from the power source. Afterward, remove the charger’s negative cable, followed by the charger’s positive cable.
Note that when connecting the charger, you should start with the positive cable, followed by the negative cable. The reverse happens when disconnecting the charger: begin with the negative cable, followed by the positive cable.
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You can watch this video for more information on the process covered above.
Faulty Key Fob
A faulty key fob can cause the alarm to go off unexpectedly. The first thing you should do is change the fob’s battery.
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But if the problem continues, try resetting the fob by checking your manual or contacting the manufacturer or your dealer. Alternatively, you can use an OBD2 scanner to scan for codes to help you find out what is wrong with the key fob.
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Overly Sensitive Alarm
There are several sensors in your car that monitor the activity going on in and around your car.
Some of these sensors include door sensors, hood sensors, trunk sensors, tilt sensors, and proximity sensors, among others. When any of these are faulty or highly sensitive, the alarm can go off.
In most cases, when a sensor is faulty, it’s best to replace it. For an overly sensitive alarm, you can reduce sensitivity on some or all of the sensors if need be. This can be a complicated job that is best handled by a professional.
Improperly Installed Alarm System
Did you try installing the alarm yourself? Perhaps you did it incorrectly and that’s why your alarm keeps going off.
However, if your alarm was installed at your dealer’s workshop, you should take the car back there and have it checked out. An improperly fitted alarm system can have loose connections, non-aligned wiring, or an incorrect setting.
Malfunctioning Electronic Control Module
Electronic control units (ECU) process lots of mechanical information that is connected to the car alarm control system. If the ECU stops functioning, it can send the wrong signals to different components of your car.
Subsequently, your car may interpret the signals to mean that there's a breach in your car’s security. To solve this, the ECU in your car will need to be reprogrammed. Due to the complex nature of this a task, it is best done by a professional.
Damaged Or Faulty Wiring
If the wires connected to the electronic control module are damaged, your car alarm can go off. Also, faulty wiring connections can cause the module to set off the alarm.
How To Disable The Alarm
In the previous section, we discussed what causes the alarm to go off and what to do about it. But no one wants to hear that loud alarming noise. Therefore, you need to act fast to disable it. Below are some ways you can do this:
Start Your Car
Start your car by inserting and turning the key in the ignition. Most car alarms will stop when you start the car.
Unlock The Door
First, try opening the door physically. If that doesn’t work, unlock the driver’s door with the key. The alarm should turn off. If the door is unlocked, try locking and unlocking it again.
Additionally, you could try pressing the lock or unlock button on your key fob, which should turn off the alarm. You could also try opening the trunk with the key fob or pressing the panic button.
Remove The Fuse
Look for the alarm fuse and remove it. If you are not sure where the fuse is located, check your user's manual.
Disconnect The Battery
Remove the negative terminal from the battery, which should shut down the alarm. After a few minutes, reconnect it. If the alarm does not go off, then you have managed to reset the alarm.
However, if it still goes off after resetting, disconnect the negative terminal of the battery and call your mechanic.
Cost Of Fixing Your Alarm
If charging your battery is not helping to bring your battery to life, it could be at the end of its lifespan. Most batteries last between three and four years. Replacing the battery in a Bentley Continental will cost between $45 and $250.
The cost of reprogramming the key fob of a Bentley that’s causing the alarm to keep going off starts at $75. If you need to replace the key of your Bentley, the costs start at $80.
If you need to replace the electronic control module of your Bentley, be prepared to pay around $300. That’s for parts and labor.
In Closing
Car alarms prevent unwanted entry into your vehicle. But the alarm can be a nuisance if it keeps going off. The first thing you need to do is quickly disable the alarm.
Next, you need to find out what is causing the alarm to go off and have the problem fixed. You may be able to fix the problem yourself, but some issues are too complex, and you may need the help of a professional.
Alarm repair costs for a Bentley Continental vary depending on the cause of the problem, complexity, and the cost of parts and labor.
Check out our previous posts related to car alarms by clicking the links below: