Bonnet Wont Release!

[wattsie]

Came to fitting my disks and pads today, and tried to open the bonnet to remove the brake fluid cap... and the bloody bonnet wouldn't open!

I've had issues with the bonnet not opening first time, but this just wasn't budging.. looks like it might need a good clean up and lube... anyone got any useful tips on doing this? Is there a adjuster to tension the wire somewhere??

I did find that if you pull the kidney grills out, you can just pull the cable inside and the bonnet pops open!

Top security feature there then, didn't try it with the car locked, I assume that it will set the alarm off?

Wattsie

[sam1832]

Maybe you ahouldnt post the last bit on an open forum

But yes the alarm will go off if the bonnet is opened with the car locked

Lube the mechanism with a spray grease

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[Bing]

It is also possible the release cable has become detached from the mechanism under the bonnet. Exdos had this problem (I think the same problem anyway) - I remember posting some pics to help him. I'll have a quick look, see if I can find the thread.

[Bing]

Oops. Re-read your post, seems you got it open so it just needs loosened as Jonny and Sam say, and then re-greased. Remember to grease it after as WD-40 isn't a lubricant.

Worth saying that you can also get to the catches through the upper inspection hatch that covers the lights in the wheel arch.

[wattsie]

Cool... I'll WD it and then re-lube.... another job for the weekend.... see if that fixes it....

The lever travels all the way it would normally, and has the same resistance, its just missing the 'clunk' at the end!

[kevr84]

get someone to pull the latch as you press and release on the edge of the bonnet at the same time. Might take a couple of attempts.
Then as said, lube up!

[RJS-Z4]

Catch is pretty common to stick. Spray some brake cleaner on first, to clean all the dirt out, be quite liberal, then oil up with some silicone spray or wd40

[PaulG]

Don't use WD40 - its not a great long term solution as it hardens and gets sticky.

Remove the catch from the car and remove the spring. Clean all the gunk off with a good cleaner - doesn't need to be a brake cleaner, just something that will get rid of grease and grime. Check that there is no corrosion on the mating faces of the 2 moving parts that come together - if there is, a bit of wet&dry paper will soon remove it. After that, coat liberally with grease and refit. You won't have the problem again for a very long time. Total time once the bonnet is open - about 20 mins.

[RJS-Z4]

I only suggested brake cleaner as it's thorough and most people will have/have access to it.

It will do the job too, as will any degreaser.

I agree on the WD40 but, but using any thick white grease will cause dirt to stick, hence the suggestion for silicone spray.

[johnnymarrsbarres]

Mine has the same problem. It seems to be a quirk of pretty much all these cars, due to the latch being right behind the grilles and exposed to the elements.

I squirted a load of wd40 over it, but apparently that's not a good idea.

I've found having a mate press down on the bonnet lightly while you pull the latch helps.


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[ocala]

This is an old thread but I'm sure people are still having the same problem quite regularly if they have a pre-facelift Z with the single bonnet catch.
My catch was clean and moving freely but the bonnet was still failing to release without the usual press on the bonnet. I had been concentrating on the cable operated bit of the catch, but today I had a look at the simple loop part on the bonnet itself. I noticed that it was slightly misaligned, and decided to have a closer look at the adjustment. There is a plastic shroud round the base which is held in by an expanding plastic rivet with a central screw. When this is released you can slide the shroud down to reveal that the loop is in fact an eye screwed into the bonnet with a central threaded bolt.
In my case straightening it up to align perfectly with the catch and then reattaching the shroud was enough to restore the release function, but it would also be possible to adjust the loop in or (more probably) out by rotating it a turn or two to see if that would help in other cases. It is an easier job than adjusting the bonnet bumper stops.

Robin