Audi R8 flat battery & no manual bonnet release

[gbbird]

Hi,

I wonder if anyone can advise. I have a completely flat battery and the bonnet manual release catch is not where it should be - both myself and a car savvy friend have looked and the release catch is definitely not present - may have snapped or broken off. So i cannot open the bonnet to get to the battery to either charge or change it. I thought about supplying a little power with a trickle charger via the 12v cigarette lighter socket to allow the bonnet to be opened electronically, but the manual says not to do this. So, does anyone know if it would be OK to provide a small amount of power via the cig socket or is this a definite no no? Is there any other way i could somehow get some power to the battery?

Many thanks in advance

Greg

[MJK 24]

I know the battery is in the front of the car but is there a charging point in the engine bay? Fairly typical arrangement when a car's battery isn't in the engine bay.

[e21Mark]

I used to have a trickle charger, that connected via the cig lighter, so should be OK.

[gbbird]

e21Mark said:

I used to have a trickle charger, that connected via the cig lighter, so should be OK.

Was that with an R8?

[Rich_W]

Probably not And I daresay backfeeding the power supply on a Supercar with who knows how many control units is not that wise.

My advise would be to try the red pull handle. (Apparently it can take a bit of doing) But at the same time get someone to bounce the bonnet.

[Tame Technician]

There is an emergency bonnet release.

Its in the hand book

Little red plastic cable thing.

Think its by the pollen filter, cant quite remeber, what does the handbook say?

[Tame Technician]

did you not try google either

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2...

[e21Mark]

Rich_W said:

Probably not And I daresay backfeeding the power supply on a Supercar with who knows how many control units is not that wise.

My advise would be to try the red pull handle. (Apparently it can take a bit of doing) But at the same time get someone to bounce the bonnet.

A quick Google search shows the Porsche V1 charger can indeed be used via the cigarette lighter.

It was an A8 that I had.

[essayer]

Can you get underneath with a trickle charger onto the alternator?

[essayer]

Can you get underneath with a trickle charger onto the alternator?

[gbbird]

Thanks all. But the problem is that the red emergency release is not there. I have removed panelling and fuse box cover from passenger footwell but the release is nowhere to be found. Must have broken off or got wedged somewhere

Is the alternator easy to get to? Failing this it looks like a low loader visit to Audi, which is a tad frustrating for what is essentially a flat battery.

G

[e21Mark]

gbbird said:

Thanks all. But the problem is that the red emergency release is not there. I have removed panelling and fuse box cover from passenger footwell but the release is nowhere to be found. Must have broken off or got wedged somewhere

Is the alternator easy to get to? Failing this it looks like a low loader visit to Audi, which is a tad frustrating for what is essentially a flat battery.

G

Have you got breakdown cover? It may well be that the RAC will have a solution?

[gbbird]

e21Mark said:

gbbird said:

Thanks all. But the problem is that the red emergency release is not there. I have removed panelling and fuse box cover from passenger footwell but the release is nowhere to be found. Must have broken off or got wedged somewhere

Is the alternator easy to get to? Failing this it looks like a low loader visit to Audi, which is a tad frustrating for what is essentially a flat battery.

G

Have you got breakdown cover? It may well be that the RAC will have a solution?

I have indeed. I am thinking that might be the only option left.

G

[e21Mark]

gbbird said:

e21Mark said:

gbbird said:

Thanks all. But the problem is that the red emergency release is not there. I have removed panelling and fuse box cover from passenger footwell but the release is nowhere to be found. Must have broken off or got wedged somewhere

Is the alternator easy to get to? Failing this it looks like a low loader visit to Audi, which is a tad frustrating for what is essentially a flat battery.

G

Have you got breakdown cover? It may well be that the RAC will have a solution?

I have indeed. I am thinking that might be the only option left.

G

Certainly worth a call. I know it can be a bit of a lottery, as to just how good the particular operative may be, but has to be worth a call. Good luck and let us know how you get on.

[gbbird]

Positive update. After removing pretty much all interior panelling in the passenger footwell and positioning myself upside down with a torch, I spotted the elusive manual latch. It was right up at the top past the heater vents, probably level with the bonnet/dashboard. Very very hard to reach but luckily I have small hands. Moving the vents aside a few cm I reached the latch but I could not get the leverage, but by using a screwdriver shaft I managed to pop the hood, so now the battery is charging

What an absolute pita it was, but a happy ending after all. Thanks for your help and advice guys

G

[e21Mark]

Happy days!

Is yours a V8 or V10 version? (Just being nosey)

[gbbird]

e21Mark said:

Happy days!

Is yours a V8 or V10 version? (Just being nosey)

It's a V8 sir

[e21Mark]

gbbird said:

e21Mark said:

Happy days!

Is yours a V8 or V10 version? (Just being nosey)

It's a V8 sir

Very nice too. Bit out of my league to be honest but always liked them.

[raja asif]

there is release cord behind glove.box remove cover under the glove box and you will see orange/reddish
round loop pull it its quite hard to pull

[Nickbrapp]

raja asif said:

there is release cord behind glove.box remove cover under the glove box and you will see orange/reddish
round loop pull it its quite hard to pull

I would hope that in 4 years he would have been able to sort that