R56 Bonnet stuck

[21TonyK]

My own fault (again). Bonnect is stuck latched down, cable pulls (and pulls to the point I could pull it out) suspect its broken.

I can see the drivers side latch from underneath and according to YT i can get to it but the PAX side looks impossible.

Anyone ever managed this?

[stevemcs]

Can you get someone to operate the catch while someone else gets aggressive with the bonnet

[21TonyK]

Yeah, tried that. The bonnet barely moves anyway but the cable now pulls freely, no tension at all.

[stevemcs]

I’m not sure if you can get at the catch from underneath- we have one in the carpark at work, I’ll see if I can have a look. I’ve never known one to snap a cable, usually the catch seizes.

[scrw.]

I was discussing this with a recovery chap on saturday who collected my spare van, he said pull the grill and use long nose pliers to get at the cable going into the NS catch to pull, hopefully the cable between the catches is still connected, If it is snapped going into the latch I am not sure, will have to go from engine side somehow.

Edited by scrw. on Tuesday 20th January 09:39

[scrw.]

Will have a looksee at my van as the front end is mostly off, wondering if you can get at it from the wheel well along the side of the NS light

[21TonyK]

Any pointers would be good. Basically online says you can get to the drivers side latch from a hole in the wheel well with a long pokey thing but the passenger side is behind the coolant bottle and you can only push against the cable and hope.

I'm on my back under the car in the cold with my nose touching the main coolant pipe so really not great.

If all else fails its booked in with my local garage for the water pump next week and my 2012 cooper D is in the next day for a full diagnostic and job list to determine if its a keeper.

Cheers all, appreciate the help.

[scrw.]

your going to need something to hook/grab the cables from under the wheel arch, it will be liner out and see if you can get to the 2 cables that go to the connecting block under the slam panel, looks a bit of a tt as the light is going to be in the way

[21TonyK]

Thanks, appreciate you looking. I think I'll leave this one to the garage, its in for the pump anyway and in their own words...
"no problem".

Just wait for the labour bill!

[Sticks.]

I don't know how similar, if at all, they are but this happened to me on my Z4. Felt like the cable had stretched, pulled as far as possible, nothing happening.

I checked the Z4 Forum and it said to spray as much WD40 on the catch as you can through the grille. Didn't think it would work for a second, obviously stretched cable. But I tried it anyway, nothing to lose.

It did, and never had a problem since.