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Broken bonnet release cable

24K views 42 replies 27 participants last post by  neil3965 
#1 ·
the bonnet release cable on my mgf has broken does anyone know how I can get bonnet open. Grateful for any help.
 
#3 ·
When I had a problem with the release cable, people were willing enough to help when I had furnished enough proof that I was the actual owner - you can appreciate that information of this delicate a nature will not be given out willy-nilly over an "open" forum.

You COULD be any old Tom, Dick, Harry or car thief !! (no offence meant, btw!!)
 
#4 ·
When I had a problem with the release cable, people were willing enough to help when I had furnished enough proof that I was the actual owner - you can appreciate that information of this delicate a nature will not be given out willy-nilly over an "open" forum.

You COULD be any old Tom, Dick, Harry or car thief !! (no offence meant, btw!!)
And I was just about to share my secrets as well, HURUMPH!

Sorry to those asking, but to come in as a completly new face and to ask such a delicate question, you may very well find yourself stone-walled.
 
#9 ·
Incidentally I am not sure how revealing this 'secret' in the forum could possibly aid any potential car thief. If they were party to the 'secret' & were able to open the bonnet without opening the boot first all they could nick is the spare wheel (cheap non-alloy not to exceed 50mph one) or the battery. It may be a 'secret' but it's not a very valuable one except to an owner who needs to get the bonnet open to charge the battery, use the spare wheel, check the hydraulic levels or top up the windscreen washer bottle.

Cheers

Nigel
 
#12 ·
Incidentally I am not sure how revealing this 'secret' in the forum could possibly aid any potential car thief. If they were party to the 'secret' & were able to open the bonnet without opening the boot first all they could nick is the spare wheel (cheap non-alloy not to exceed 50mph one) or the battery. It may be a 'secret' but it's not a very valuable one except to an owner who needs to get the bonnet open to charge the battery, use the spare wheel, check the hydraulic levels or top up the windscreen washer bottle.





How can you say that, it is a secure area, and if people were on holiday say, there is no saying what could actually be in there, just because it normally carries a spare wheel, a jack, wheel brace and nut cover remover, does not mean that is all that ever will be in there.

I can understand your annoyance, but would you be happy if we bandied around your key number and the four digit number to overide your immobiliser on open forum. I think not.
 
#15 ·
According to a couple of PMs I received he 'secret' such as it is appears to be to lie under the car & blindly poke with a stick or screwdriver in an effort to undo the catch. I don't think that this is revealing too much to any potential thief. I tried this method without success.

I was able to eventually get the bonnet open by bumping up & down on the bonnet while my wife wiggled the release in the boot the bonnet sprang up. As it turned out there was nothing wrong with the cable or release mechanism but the spring catch had been sticking. After anointing everything with copious amounts of WD40 the bonnet was slammed shut again & now can be easily opened.

Thank you for the PM with the ingenious solution of charging the flat battery via the cigarette lighter as this could have been a lifesaver for us if we had not been able to get the bonnet open.
 
#17 ·
KarlosRyan - not if you have the right tools and do it yourself...

and as far as the battery is concerned... you can charge it if you can get in the boot... since its positive feed connects with the alternator at the alternator fuse on the engine bulkhead.. so remove the fuse... and connect your positive charge terminal to the passenger side fuse terminal.. and the negative to any convenient good bare chassis point or earth..

the post about the bonnet release is old now... there are many ways to open the bonnet if the cable has broken..


but if you want to buy a new one, and get someone else to fit it... the premise of " expensive" and " easy " depends on your ideas of both..
 
#21 ·
There is a very easy way to open the bonnet. It involves making a simple tool. Keep my name in your files and if/when yours fails contact me. In the meantime, follow Scarlet Fever post. alternatively, go out to your MG now, raise the bonnet, and look at how the latch is constructed and how it operates.
 
#26 ·
As a new member, I think you don't have the facility to send private messages until you have reached a minimum post count (I can't recall whether it is 5 posts or 10?).

Once available to you, you need hover your cursor on the user name of the member you wish to contact and click on 'Message' at bottom right of the profile box that pops up.
 
#29 ·
If you have an aircon, in my experience there is no easy way other than taking off the bumper (you have to get to the 5 (?) bolts in the jam). I have done this twice now and it is a pain in the neck.

The solution is what I did - add a second cable that I can attach to the opening handle in the boot in the event the first cable fails.

PS: It would take a thief at least half an hour to do the above and for what - a used battery and perhaps a spare tyre? I would suggest that anything taking more than 3 minutes is not worth a thief doing.
 
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