Releasing stuck bonnet spring catch
Just bloody brilliant!
noticed my bonnet was wobbling a bit and decided to shut it firmly. But as per usual the catch release didn't quite release it - often needs one person to pull the release and another to pop up the bonnet. Cept this time it would not release.
Like a mug I decided to poke a bar through the front grill to help the catch along (left to right). You guessed it, slipped and straight through 3 fins on the top of my rad. (and the skin of my knuckle)
So now I need to get the rad repaired (££) and worse I still cannot get the bonnet up to get the rad out.
Seems like the bonnet will only pop up a centimetre (half inch) and its not the safety catch stopping it (I can just get to that). The travel on the release lever seems to be at its max and I just can seem to shift the thing a tad further.
Sawing through the high tensile steel spring and post seems to be a bit drastic and would take ages.
I'm fed up. What a stupid sequence of events on a perfectly sunny day in my own driveway.
For your radiator problem try, Berkshire Radiators, I have used them many times:
www.iberkshire.co.uk
To try and resolve the bonnet problem, try to undo the radiator grille from the bottom, there are two bolts on a rubber mount (If the mounts do not start turning on you). You may need to remove or loosen the front bumper to give you room to allow the grille to lift.
If this is successfully, you can lift the radiator grille to work the bonnet latch from the bottom.
Alternatively, if the bonnet has adequate lift, try to unscrew the bonnet striker with some long nosed vice grips too get to the shaft of the sticker and hopefully unscrew that, releasing the bonnet.
Good luck,
Thanks,
I managed to loosen the strike plate with its 10mm bolts. Then banging on the spring and post witha wooden rod I maned to pop it free. I think the alignment of the post with the hole was the isue, coupled with a lack of grease after the winter.
Then I realised the front grill has to come off plus the steel under-plate to relase to 2 rad retaining bolts below. Every nut and bolt rotated.
I have to repair 4 central rad fins for the slip-of-the-stick I had ! I will try your recommendation for that.
Any idea how I can replace the bonnet pull lever in the passenger well !
What a day. multiple scars on my knuckles now.
Hi JD
what has probably happened is the inner "piano wire" has seized in the outer sheath..if you cannot get the bonnet open with the lever /wire in the footwell grab the complete cable close to where it enters the front bulkhead and pull ..this will release the bonnet catch...after that you can access the pinch bolt that holds the inner "piano wire" and release that end ..draw the outer sheath through the hole in the bulkhead and soak the complete cable in boiling water for 15 minutes ....grip the "piano wire" in a vice and pull the outer sheath off ...clean the "Piano wire " with steel wool and drizzle WD 40 into the outer sheath until it runs out of the opposite end... insert the "piano wire" and push it until both ends are visible slide wire in a out until free ..withdraw coat with grease and re-instal ...or....buy a new one ....GBP 58 at the last count ...
As a precaution to your adjustment, you will need to shut the bonnet to try opening again. So, not to lock your self out of the bonnet, I would suggest hooking a separate and temporary wire to the bonnet latch so that if the bonnet release does not work, you could at least pull on your substitute wire to pull and release your bonnet.
Now that's a good idea - I'll definitely do that.
It wasn't a seized 'piano wire' though, it was was more a lack of grease in the strick place coupled with the post being slightly out of alignment with the hole - unless the latch was absolutely all the way open it wouldn't release it.
I can give it a good service now its off.
The radiator is being repaired at Berkshire Radiators in Reading.
I've resprayed the front grill and did the airbox at the same time to brighten the engine bay a bit.
I think I'll put a photo of the bonnet mechanism on this thread when I'm done.
(darn, hit 'save' twice again!)
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Oh, it just keep getting better, NOT
I removed the cable end from the lever inside the passenger well, so I could pull purther on it with some pliers. Caught the free lever while doing that and its snapped off at the pivot point - fantastic.
Also tried to release the bonnet lock mechanism completely as I could just get to the two retaining bolts(10mm), but they turn out to have nuts underneath which I cannot get to and which just rotate now loosened.
The Radiator re-coring shop I used a few years back is also now shut.
I really think I should give up today - too many bad vibes.
So...
Anyone got recommendations for a Radiator Repair centre close to Oxford/Reading?
Anyone got a diagram of the lock mechanism so I can look at it (withouhg peering through the front grill)?