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Author Topic: How to Pop the Bonnet - Broken Release Cable plus Bonnet Pop Tool  (Read 13624 times)

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zirk

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This guide shows how to gain access and pop your Bonnet, if you have suddenly discovered your now a proud owner of a broken Bonnet Release Cable. Plus a fairly easy to make Pop Up tool to aid with the bonnet release, rather than have to poke around and push the Release Spring up which can sometimes make things worse if it gets jammed up above the Slam Panel.

First off, check your broken cable, luck may have it that its Drivers side or the handle is broken in which case the bonnet can be opened by using pliers and pulling the cable itself inside the Car, if not then it’s more likely to be the Release Latch end being more open to the elements.

For Pre or Mini Face Omega’s, probably worth looking under the Front bumper to see if you can get access to the latch and then use the tool. On Facelifts, due to the redesigned bumper and the front part of the bonnet covering the slam panel, the quickest and only real way in is to break and remove the front plastic grill.

I found the easiest way to break the grill, was to use long nose and or cutters and start breaking the horizontal vents bit by bit, I found it all started to break up surprisingly easy and pretty much had the grill off within a few minutes (HSE moment, lots of sharp plastic flying around, so watch those Eyes and wear some Gloves). So with most of the grill off you can now remove the remaining leftovers by undoing the screws that hold the grill in place.

To make the Pop Up Tool, you will need, a small piece of 22mm Cooper Plumbing Pipe (Tube) about 6cm long, 2 x M10 Nuts and 1 x short M10 Stud Bolt (17mm), the pictures below tell the story but I’ll go though the motions anyway. The Tube fits neatly into the Release Mech hole but won’t fit fully over the Bonnet Pin, so get around that I cut one end of the Tube at 45 degrees as below.

 

Using one of the M10 Nuts insert as much of it at an angle into the Tube and then start shaping the Cooper Tube with a hammer around the Nut until it fits snugly inside the Tube, I just happened to have a Domed Locking Nut lying around which made the job slightly easier to do.

 

Fit both Nuts to the Stud Bolt and fully tighten the nuts against each other in order lock them on the Bolt.

Fit the Bolt into the Tube, clean well and tightly wrap some PVC tape around to secure it in place. Clean any blurs on the Cooper Tube with a file, if you have too much of a point on the Tubes sharp end then very slightly file it round, or the Cooper Tube may bend or tear at the top when you use the Tool.

 

 

Remove the Air Intake Screw and pull Air Intake forward, should neatly pull forward and latch itself on to the front of the Bonnet Grill panel hole, if not use a cable tie etc.

The final stage involves using your fingers as your eyes, so whilst in front of the Grill area reach up and locate the bottom of the Bonnet Pin, best done without gloves if I’m honest, its approximately above where the Air Intake would have been fitted but slightly off centre to the drivers side, once located, spray up some WD40 as close to and around the Pin as possible,. Now spray WD in and around the Pop Up Tool and insert it up and around the Pin and wriggle and push up as much as possible, the pointed part of the Tool needs to be inserted at about 8 o’clock (as looking down, see arrow in Picture) so that the pointed part is opposite the Release Spring. Now using a Ratchet and small Extension (17mm Socket) rotate the Tool slowly clockwise until you can feel the tool pushing against the Release Spring, you may need to put some mild upward pressure on the Tool to stop it from being forced down by the Spring, at the same time as all this is going on lift the Bonnet with your spare hand as the Tool at the point of pushing the Spring away will probably stop the Bonnet from popping up on its own accord.

 

Don’t worry if it doesn’t work first time, if the Tool jams then just gentle work it loose or backwards and try again maybe at a slightly different angle. Your soon have that Bonnet up ready for your next task of replacing the Cable.

Here's a short Video I made of the Tool being used on a Tigra, Ok, so there’s no Bonnet in place so it makes the job easier but you get the idea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0K_9Swss1M

Chris.  :y
« Last Edit: 16 September 2012, 10:41:17 by Jimbob »
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