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Bonnet release not working...need some expert help please!


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Hi all,

 

Can any helpful soul please assist with how to open the bonnet of my VR6.

 

When pulling on the release handle nothing at all happens in regards to the opening of the bonnet...looks like the cable is either broken or it's come apart in that box thing attached to the drivers side inner wing.

 

I've tried to follow the previous posts regarding bonnet problems but I've come unstuck in how to proceed.I've attached a picture of the metal guard thing which is behind the grill badge but I can't for the life of me work out what to do next without butchering something important or worse still putting a great big hole in the radiator.

 

Any help would be very much appreciated.

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Thanks for the reply Icky...I'm fairly positive the cable is broken as when pulling the handle the cable comes with it quite a bit.There's also no feel in the cable at all of it getting taut.

 

I think it would end up pulling the cable totally through into the car if I was to pull on it with a pair of pliers.I'm fairly resigned to the fact that I might have to end up levering off the grill to give more room to get to the bonnet catch...not in less anybody else has any more thoughts on the matter.

 

Cheers...

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I had the exact same thing happened to my girlfriends Jetta. The release cable came loose from the mechanism in the engine bay possibly buy my own error when I was replacing the crack pipe. I search for hours looking for a solution and found nothing.

What I ended up having to do was ripped out the plastic grill which revealed three bolts. I took out the three bolts which disconnected the hood mechanism from the rest of the car. Then the hood will lift upand you detach it manually and put it all back together and glue or replace your grill. That is the only way to fix it there is no way to get to her from under the car or through the grill trust me I have tried

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Thanks very much for the replies guys...

 

I'm assuming when you say 'underneath' Craggsy you mean from underneath the car and not after the grill has been removed? Might have to dig out the car ramps from the garage and give it a go.Also,did you just reach up with your hand or did you use a tool?

 

And thanks Trentster for your idea...I'm trying to put off removing the grill with force as looking on Ebay the grills are not that wildly available,well for the VR6 in Dragon Green anyway...but that's what I may end up doing if reaching it doesn't work...using strong glue would be an idea though to attach the grill clamps/brackets back on though.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi guys,

 

Just a quick update on the above topic...

 

Finally managed to have a day off to tackle the bonnet problem and I'm ruddy ecstatic to announce that I've managed to release it... :D

 

Good news is that the grill came off with no breakages at all...not so good news is the slightly large area off of the fibre glass/plastic guard thing in front of the catch mechanism which had to be cut(hacked) away(see pic).Luckily it can't be seen when the grill/badge is replaced and the bonnet closed.

 

On further inspection I realised that it was indeed the little plastic box thing attached to the drivers side inner wing which had come apart resulting in the cable becoming loose.

 

I did try reaching up from underneath the car to feel for the plastic box but had no idea at all where it was so decided to attempt the hack job.

 

A massive thanks to 'gavinvr6' for his advice and notes on tackling it.

 

#1- cry, lots
#2- wipe your eyes and remove vw badge, if you have the stock grill,
#3- drill one 10mm hole directly in the centre of the gaurd partially taking out some of the front and some of the bottom. just to the right of the metal support bar.
#3 look up inside the hole for a small L shaped fork drectly behind the second release catch on the right.
#4 poke this with a screw driver.
#5 thank god you didnt have to destroy your car
#6 use lots of cable ties to hold that useless connector block together on the drivers side inner wing

 

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