Wonder if anyone can help and advise a way round this.

My Stilo's bonnet release has broken. Seemingly the release has snapped rather then the cable breaking, but they are struggling to get the bonnet to open.

Is there a way of opening the cannot manually. Ie pulling on the cable or getting at the mechanism in the bonnet?

I'm really at a loss and a bit frustrated. They've had the car since last Wednesday and say they are struggling... I'm hoping to be able to give them some advice and speed up the process...

is the release that's broken,1. the handle inside that pulls the cable or 2.the red t shaped handle that pops out under the front after you pull the inner handle,or 3.the metal ring that sticks down from the bonnet that is gripped by the opening mechanism?

I think the rest of it is okay. It's the handle that isn't operating.

Edwardo85 said:

I think the rest of it is okay. It's the handle that isn't operating.

Click to expand...

My handle was snapped off by a stupid recovery bloke with massive hands!! stupid but there is really no need to yank the bonnet release.

Can you pull the wire with a pull of pliers to release the bonnet catch?
Or, clip the wire back into the handle, if the little black plastic peice integral with the handle has broken then you will need to get a new handle - just use pliers to pull the cable, it will be stiff and you may need another set of pliers to hold the base of the cable shielding.

If its not the handle in the drivers foot well, it must be the red T shaped bit that pokes out the bonnet once the handle inside the car has been pulled - if its that then i cant help sorry.

I think the handle on my release has just broken. Inside the drivers side it looks as if there is only one screw holding it in place as far as i can see. Will undoing this release the handle to check what is broken.
Not too much experience with cars, as i expect it shows.
Thanks.

I had the same issue - a mechanic applied a bit too much force and the plastic gubbin which grips the cable bent back on itself so the bonnet wouldn't open. They said I can't just get a spare for that part so I need to buy a new assembly for £75 (despite them breaking it).

That's not happening so I just tied a cable tie around the end of the cable and it works perfectly while I wait for a bit from a scrapped car. The actual handle just pulls off, exposing the mechanism which grips the cable.

When you pull it the bonnet doesn't always noticably pop open, but if you go out front it's loose and you can just pull it up with your fingers.

I don't know what they did with mine. But he really P*ssed me off when he had my car. It transpires he's useless and lazy.

Aside from taking 3 weeks to get the bonnet open. Once he did, he did very little else to the car.

1) Put new tyres on the front, didn't check the tracking. 6000 miles later, I was left stranded overnight in Liverpool as one popped & the other was down to the metal. Both worn on the inner edges. It was a Sunday and I needed to get going sharpish, so Kwik Fit had me for £300 for a new set all round and the tracking. The adjustment nut was stuck fast, they and to get the oxy-acetelane out to heat and free it.

Same guy did a rear hub on my mom's Feista last year. He only hand tightened it up. She got to Cornwall and had to have it fixed again because hand tightened is not tight enough.

2) To get it through the MOT, all he had to do was use the controls to move the headlights. Instead he disconnected them and moved them manually..

3) Didn't reset the service interval. It's a £30 cable and £40 isn (from memory) for the MutliECU software that would allow him to do this to my car and many others. Plus it allows key programming, diagnostics etc.

4) Didn't diagnose the worm clutch, even though I told him I knew about a clutch issue and wanted it investigating. He told me he couldn't find anything wrong.

5) Made an absolute mess of the alloys. They needed work anyway but they came back disgusting.

6) I wanted the drop links doing. He told me they didn't need it, even though they were advisories on the previous MOT.

I'm pleased to say I've taken my business elsewhere this year. MUCH happier with them. The car came back as clean as it went in. They fixed the drop link and annoying rattle, the remote fob works again :worship:, picked up on the clutch & a cooling leak, put the lights right etc

It cost me a bit more, but looking at the work they've done I'd say it was worth it. Just for the fob working again I could hug them