General Cant open my bonnet

[Ziggy122]

I've ran out of washer fluid - i've come to top it up - and my bonnet catch wont release/lift the bonnet up to where i then realease it with the 2nd lever

I can pull at the lever near the driver door and nothing is happening - and its defo not come up

Any sugs on how to get it open? and HOW to stop it getting stuck like this again?

Ziggy

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

I've ran out of washer fluid - i've come to top it up - and my bonnet catch wont release/lift the bonnet up to where i then realease it with the 2nd lever

I can pull at the lever near the driver door and nothing is happening - and its defo not come up

Any sugs on how to get it open? and HOW to stop it getting stuck like this again?

Ziggy

When you pull the lever does it feel normal, or slack and floopy? Could be the cable has snapped.

Jon.

 

[Lamprax]

on how to open your bonnet ask for a friend or a passer by to help you and lift it while you are pulling the lever... then all you need is to "unscrew" a bit the two rubber "rests" above your headlights. A turn or two should be enough ... or at least thats' what I did to solve this. hope this helps

P.S. forgive my english but I am Greek

 

[Ziggy122]

When you pull the lever does it feel normal, or slack and floopy? Could be the cable has snapped.

Jon.

Its felt the same - it used to pop up after about 5 to 10 pulls - but now it aint popping up at all
Either the cable has snapped or its very very stretched....

on how to open your bonnet ask for a friend or a passer by to help you and lift it while you are pulling the lever... then all you need is to "unscrew" a bit the two rubber "rests" above your headlights. A turn or two should be enough ... or at least thats' what I did to solve this. hope this helps

P.S. forgive my english but I am Greek

And i cant get my bonnet up to the 2nd catch where u put ur fingers underneath to open it fully - its stuck in the position it should be when driving

Ziggy

 

[Lamprax]

And i cant get my bonnet up to the 2nd catch where u put ur fingers underneath to open it fully - its stuck in the position it should be when driving

Ziggy

I think I didn't explain that one enough ... sorry.
What I meant was that some else should try to lift the bonnet while you are pulling the level inside the car ... (this is easy with the mk3 punto I own, you just try to lift it from the plastic grill in front of the bonnet) if there is nothing to help you get a grip take a screwdriver, covered with a towel or paper as not to scratch the paint, get it underneath the front side of the bonnet, have someone else lift it and you should pull the lever inside the car beneath the steering wheel. (Of course the one using the screwdriver in the second case should restrain from using excessive force in order not to damage the bonnet ...)

 

[Ziggy122]

well i pulled and pulled the lever - and it eventually stuck open

Then i was able to get a grip on the bonnet near the headlights - and it finally opened up!!!

YIPPYY!!

Anyway about 3 bottles of screenwash later i filled the main mission

But i didnt want this to happen again i decided to clean the catch and regrease it

And BOY does it make it 20x EASIER to open!
Pops up on first pull - and releasing second catch is dead easy!!!

So all it needed was a clean and a regrease!!!


Ziggy

 

[rover220]

push down on the bonnet first the try and pull the lever, mines a pain for it.

 

[Ziggy122]

push down on the bonnet first the try and pull the lever, mines a pain for it.

I'd consider giving it a good clean then
Getting a bit fo WD40 on it - and as a longer term solution a bit of grease

I washed and greased but its working great - bonnet pops up dead easy

Ziggy

 

[rover220]

i aint that bothered about it that im gonna go greasing it lol.

 

[stewiekea]

My 500 pop bonnet release cable came off the catch under the bonnet with the bonnet closed i was able to get the bonnet open by jacking up passanger side use axel stands remove passanger wheel, and you have to get under the car a bit and you can see up to where the catch is, reach right up feel around till you find the bit the cable should be attached to and just move it over hay presto bonnet opens, I suggest like i did was to fit two small cable tyes, I hope the helps as there is no other way of doing this, even use this method if the cable snaps with bonnet closed.