Ducato 2.8jtd 2002 help the bonnet wont open. The lever and the cable seem ok and ive tried having someone push the bonnet down whilst operating the release. Cannot seem to get at it to spray wd40. Seems a common problem. I willling to post a how to on opening it (with pics). I could do with a picture of the under bonnet catch so I can see what i need to get at. Does anyone know where to get at it from underneath or maybe remove the grill etc?

I have had a look at my 2003 JTD & the grill appears as it cannot be removed unless the the bonnet is open. Have attached some pics. It is retained across the top by the 4 screws (see pic) which when removed the grill can be lifted up out of the 3 tags that hold it in position on the bumper at the bottom. I think if you "could remove" the 4 screws - would there be enough clearance to lift the grille up to clear the tags that sit in the top of the bumper - big question? As mine is a RHD version the cable loops around the back of the engine bay & comes in from the LHS. It doesn't look that easy to access the lock housing to be able to flick the catch open. Where the cable comes in is under that spring in the middle & the end of the cable can be just seen from the shadow (see red arrow) in the bottom pic on right just to the left of the hook on the coil spring. So the actual release lever is at the bottom of the lock mechanism. As ours is fitted with a "Roo" bar the plastic bumper has been removed, so the Aluminium bumper does not extend back to the front crossmember & as a result I can see up from underneath that you could get a "tool" of some sort through the narrow gap of the housing on the RHS & push the lever to the LHS to open it. BUT as to whether you can remove the bumper without first taking out the grill?
Also it looks as though the outer cable cannot be removed from its anchor position without at least loosening the 3 lock housing retaining bolts .
Will be of great interest as to how you get it open - please repost (with pics) as it could happen to me or somone else!
Hope this is of help
Cheers

Yet again the attached pictures failed to go with the post!!

Thanks for the fantastic reply! I have a worry that I think the change over date was 2002 and I think the front end was modified at this time. Your manual release lever looks a different shape and mine is red. I have access to one of those cameras on a fibre optic lead so i am hoping this will help me see inside while it is still shut. Will attack it at the weekend and report back.

I have a 1998 Ducato, but not sure if it is the same mechanism as the 2002, but a while ago I had this same problem.

I can't remember how I managed to eventually open mine, but it wasn't from underneath, so must have been teamwork in pulling lever whilst someone wriggled bonnet.

Until I sorted fault, which took a while, I attached a bit of wire to the release lever and tucked it between headlight and bonnet as a emergency release.

I tried everything to sort problem but I now *think* it was due to a misalignment between the hoop on the bonnet and the jaws of the catch, so that the bonnet hoop jammed against one of the jaws and wouldn't spring up when the release cable was pulled.

I said think because I'm not certain this was the problem, just that after many days of adjusting catch & springs plus fitting a new cable, all to no avail, bending the hoop to centralise it in the jaws seems to have finally sorted the problem.