e36 bonnet stuck shut, please help!!
Discussion
So a couple of months I noticed the bonnet on the secondary latch on my e36, so I pushed it shut. *mistake*!
Turns out the release won't do anything. The cable has become detached (not broken) from the primary catch (driver's side).
I have tried all the usual tips and tricks - I've pulled out the indicator, the cable is there with the fitment on the end and I can pull it out from above the headlamp. I have tried fishing around behind the grille with long niosed pliers to release the secondary catch but that won't fix the primary one. I understand that pulling the bumper off won't provide any extra access, and I don't think jacking it up and pulling the undertray off is going to help either. I know unscrewing the bonnet pins might work but I've no idea if you can get to them with the rad/hoses/air con/metal/plastic work, and in any case I can't get a spanner on the bottom of it to stop it spinning.
I had hoped to get a coathanger in over the driver's side headlamp to where the bowden cable came out of but looking at this below pic it all seems to enclosed.
The only glimmer of hope I had was from somebody saying they had popped off the headlamp glass and managed to get to the catch that way, but again I can't see how that is going to help much.
I can't believe that a stuck bonnet could spell the end of this car (if I have to cut the bonnet I might as well scrap it as it's worth so little...
Anybody any ideas? Is it worth destroying the headlamp and getting a s/h replacement?
Turns out the release won't do anything. The cable has become detached (not broken) from the primary catch (driver's side).
I have tried all the usual tips and tricks - I've pulled out the indicator, the cable is there with the fitment on the end and I can pull it out from above the headlamp. I have tried fishing around behind the grille with long niosed pliers to release the secondary catch but that won't fix the primary one. I understand that pulling the bumper off won't provide any extra access, and I don't think jacking it up and pulling the undertray off is going to help either. I know unscrewing the bonnet pins might work but I've no idea if you can get to them with the rad/hoses/air con/metal/plastic work, and in any case I can't get a spanner on the bottom of it to stop it spinning.
I had hoped to get a coathanger in over the driver's side headlamp to where the bowden cable came out of but looking at this below pic it all seems to enclosed.
The only glimmer of hope I had was from somebody saying they had popped off the headlamp glass and managed to get to the catch that way, but again I can't see how that is going to help much.
I can't believe that a stuck bonnet could spell the end of this car (if I have to cut the bonnet I might as well scrap it as it's worth so little...
Anybody any ideas? Is it worth destroying the headlamp and getting a s/h replacement?
Yeah, I know, the internet is full of "pop the grilles out and wiggle", believe me I have tried! Grilles on my car were not coming out without destroying them and seeing as they're one of the few good bits on my car I didn't want to destroy them (especially as it can bend the mounting tabs and the ebay ones are pretty poor).
I tried all the standard stuff, checked at the release handle, popped out the indicator, long reach pliers through the grille pulling the cable, I even tried to pop the glass off the headlamp.
Here's what I did for the benefit of google search: removed the front bumper (easy, 4 bolts under the trim, 2 in the wheelarches and a few underneath, no need to jack), removed fan in front of rad (4 bolts, bit of a pain but it will come out). I reckon you then have enough clearance to get a screwdriver in to the top left where the cable disappears and push if you can visualise the mechanism but it didn't work for me, so I cut a hole in the air ducting/cowling with a drill and a hacksaw blade (dremel would have worked better). You can see the underside of the mechanism and I unlatched it with some long nose pliers and pulled the short bowden cable to open the other one. Job done.
Problem now is that it's all intact and I can't see how/why it became detached. Also looks a pig to refit with that ducting inn the way...
For the record the clips on the back of my grille look super brittle and I don't fancy trying to release them even now that I can see them!
I tried all the standard stuff, checked at the release handle, popped out the indicator, long reach pliers through the grille pulling the cable, I even tried to pop the glass off the headlamp.
Here's what I did for the benefit of google search: removed the front bumper (easy, 4 bolts under the trim, 2 in the wheelarches and a few underneath, no need to jack), removed fan in front of rad (4 bolts, bit of a pain but it will come out). I reckon you then have enough clearance to get a screwdriver in to the top left where the cable disappears and push if you can visualise the mechanism but it didn't work for me, so I cut a hole in the air ducting/cowling with a drill and a hacksaw blade (dremel would have worked better). You can see the underside of the mechanism and I unlatched it with some long nose pliers and pulled the short bowden cable to open the other one. Job done.
Problem now is that it's all intact and I can't see how/why it became detached. Also looks a pig to refit with that ducting inn the way...
For the record the clips on the back of my grille look super brittle and I don't fancy trying to release them even now that I can see them!
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