Bonnet catch not working - Help please!

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Long story short: I had to top up the oil on the way to work this morning but now the bonnet on my mk5 Golf won't close.
I have the tools to take the catch out and a can of WD40. I tried a squirt of the good stuff but it still won't close.

Any ideas on what to try next, bearing in mind I'm at work in Bristol and have VERY limited access (read as none) to grease, paraffin, etc?

I need to get back home to Swindon this evening and am not too keen doing so with a bonnet which won't close properly.

Cheers
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I think the cable is the issue. I've checked the catch and that's moving, the pull handle is in place (pushed back) so it must be the cable.

I've tried the pushing and dropping and banging of the bonnet but to no avail.

Well at least I know what I'll be doing in my lunch hour.

Cheers for the advice.

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^^^
Excellent info. Thanks.

I've had to loosen the mechanism before (just prior to a PH run!) so wasn't expecting it to be the same thing since I'd given it a good clean then but, as you say, the crap that lands up in there is quite shocking.

It's definitely the spring mechanism which has corroded and is heavily corroded. I've managed to man-handle it back into place but I'll probably need to get a new one. VW are asking £23.67 which doesn't sound too bad. I don't know of a scrapyard near me so I'll probably just stump up the £20-odd.

I'm also thinking of letting it soak in a bowl of paraffin and then re-greasing it to see if that brings it back to its former glory.

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Had to take it apart again lastnight.

The catch and spring gubbinses inside seem to get filthy, which is what seem to make it stick.
I think I may get a container of petrol and soak the catch to try clean it up a bit.

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culabula said:

Thanks a lot guys. Goa'uld u got the best manual. . Since I spend lots of time on the beach kitesurfing, my lock was full of sand and rust. In the garage had been told I need a new lock.. After turning the lock upside down cleaning and spraying lots of wd40 (almost washing it in it ).. . To be short my lock works better than before, nice and easy.

Make sure you get some decent grease now and grease it up, or the same will happen again.
That's what happened to me.

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Lairdsman said:

Thank the lord for folks like Goa'uld....a first class person in every respect....a clear and accurate soloution to a really problematic fault....especially as on my MK V Golf the wipers are disabled when the bonnet catch is on the fritzz!!

Now fully greased up...... should see me out.....

well done Goa'uld....well done !!

Nice thread resurrection. My Golf is still going strong in the bonnet catch department all these years later.

And welcome to PH.