General: 850: Help - please, bonnet stuck down!

[jumpstart]

Many thanks for a good idea cocka.

I have made up a suitable lever out of some dexion and pulled the cable end sufficient to bend the normal lever bracket to no effect.

Now I intend to try your suggestion by removing the mud shields from the wheel arch and hopefully getting at the back of the bolts, which will (may), it occurs to me, be undone by the normal direction of rotation of a drill bit.

Failing this, I have thought about removing the glass and reflector from the headlamp and then the water shield at the back to see if I can get my hand and a 12 mm socket in!!! on second thoughts perhaps I'll try this first.

Aarghhh

[bb54]

hi,just been out and looked at mine and for the life of me cant work out how your going to sort this one bud unless you have 3 foot skinny arms.

ill go take some photo's for you to hopefully aid opening a can without an opener

wayne

[bb54]

here you go, hope some help.
some are at funny angles as i couldnt get phone at the angle i wanted.
you can see ive removed the pass side catch and there is room from underneath but ive not tried from underneath car(as it was raining).

if the catch was placed to low in the adjustment slots, the rubber stop above the catch may be pressing the catch bar on the bonnet upwards at great pressure holding the realease catch on the car shut.
it may be worth trying to push the rubber stop of the car catch and thus releaving the pressure on the bonnet??? maybe.

took 20 shots but there a waste of time mate im afraid.
as you know...if the pass side catch doesnt open, neither will drivers side.
ive usless pics of the indicator removed and you can just about see the bottom of the catch, and just behind the lowest part,there is a lever
(not the bit that the cable is attached to) but another lever with a hole in it that if moved towasrds center of car will release the bonnet bar
(see pic with knife blade in the lever hole), this looks like the way id try to release it if mine was stuck.
excuse the quality.

wayne

[jumpstart]

Ok, I very carefully, using a broad screwdriver removed the clips holding the headlight lens on and removed it. I then levered out the reflector and electrical socket, then removed the moisture blank at the back.

This gave enough room to get a socket on the 12 mm bolts and remove them. Tha allowed enough room to wedge a block of wood under the OS bonnet corner and I could see the cables and lever for the NS catch, which worked by hand.

The bonnet came up.

Now for the strange bit. There was no obvious sign of what was stopping it in the first place.

I replaced the catch and putting a screwdriver in each side in place of the bonnet, tested it very carefully a few times before trying it for real with the bonnet.

It now works a treat. I'd like to thank everyone who made suggestions very much indeed. It really helps to feel as though there is someone else thinking about it.

WA HAY great news, I feel just as relieved as you do.
Cheers
V70 driver

QUOTE=jumpstart;155257] Ok, I very carefully, using a broad screwdriver removed the clips holding the headlight lens on and removed it. I then levered out the reflector and electrical socket, then removed the moisture blank at the back.

This gave enough room to get a socket on the 12 mm bolts and remove them. Tha allowed enough room to wedge a block of wood under the OS bonnet corner and I could see the cables and lever for the NS catch, which worked by hand.

The bonnet came up.

Now for the strange bit. There was no obvious sign of what was stopping it in the first place.

I replaced the catch and putting a screwdriver in each side in place of the bonnet, tested it very carefully a few times before trying it for real with the bonnet.

It now works a treat. I'd like to thank everyone who made suggestions very much indeed. It really helps to feel as though there is someone else thinking about it.[/QUOTE]