hello - just got a phase 1 clio 172, great car but the bonnet has decided to stay shut. Spent 3 hours - removed bumber, undetrays etc. but can't get at catch. cable hasn't broken but even with molegrips attached it won't budge. I have tried pushing and pulling the bonnet whilst pulling the cable but to no avail. i even took it to a garage who spent 2 hours with every tool imaginable failing to get it open. I can't remove the grill as the fixings are under the bonnet. Anyone got any more ideas before i cut the bonnet off?
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bonnet stuck shut
- Thread starter elj
- Start date
BMW
This happened to my dads BMW, its 5 years old and he wanted to top the washer fluid up.
pulled the release handle and nothing...
after about 15 mins we realised the catch which holds the bonnet was not going to move.. it had pretty much rusted shut (the car had recently been in for a service as well... says alot about the service doesnt it).
We got the WD-40 out and managed to get to the catch using the straw attachment. we just sprayed loads on.. it didnt really do much.. we ended up getting a screw driver and jamming it onto the catch (really struggled to get to the catch), we then just kept hitting with a hammer and finally it opened. We then carried on with the WD-40 and in the end it was free to move about again and now works perfectly.
so it may be worth a try doing that.
hope this helps!
pulled the release handle and nothing...
after about 15 mins we realised the catch which holds the bonnet was not going to move.. it had pretty much rusted shut (the car had recently been in for a service as well... says alot about the service doesnt it).
We got the WD-40 out and managed to get to the catch using the straw attachment. we just sprayed loads on.. it didnt really do much.. we ended up getting a screw driver and jamming it onto the catch (really struggled to get to the catch), we then just kept hitting with a hammer and finally it opened. We then carried on with the WD-40 and in the end it was free to move about again and now works perfectly.
so it may be worth a try doing that.
hope this helps!
brisa4984
ClioSport Club Member
there is a way to do it... without removing the bumper etc but you may break the front grill..
happened to me.. the front grill was pushed in till it unclipped. screw driver used to "swing" the catch open.
No idea precisely how my uncle did it but i think thats the gist of it.
happened to me.. the front grill was pushed in till it unclipped. screw driver used to "swing" the catch open.
No idea precisely how my uncle did it but i think thats the gist of it.
Clio 172 MkII
i was in exactly the same situation as you few months ago.
here is the way without breaking anything:
1,Remove Front bumper.
2,Pull the Bonnet up as far as you can.
3,You may able to see 2 screw which hold the front support bar near both side of the headlight,remove both screws.
4.remove the screws that hold the support bar(in front of radiator).
5.Then you will be able to open the bonnet.
Not really know how to describe it,but it will work tho.....good luck
here is the way without breaking anything:
1,Remove Front bumper.
2,Pull the Bonnet up as far as you can.
3,You may able to see 2 screw which hold the front support bar near both side of the headlight,remove both screws.
4.remove the screws that hold the support bar(in front of radiator).
5.Then you will be able to open the bonnet.
Not really know how to describe it,but it will work tho.....good luck
Thanks for the two replies above, I think removing the two bolts next to the headlights would have worked if I had perservered but I was finding it difficult to get a spanner on the bolt heads. I got really pissed off and grabbed the front edge of the bonnet (and held on to the secondary catch) and pulled very hard and the bonnet popped open - it just forced the latch. All that had gone wrong was that the cable had become detached. I put a new cable on (just in case) and it is fine. If anyone has this problem again - just use brute force - it'll save you hours.
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