Administrator only response!

 

What is it with these posts? I make that three in less than a fortnight buy people with low post counts.

Is there an inherrant weakness with the R75/ZT bonnet release? Looked OK to me when i dismantled the front end of mine recently. They can't all be n'er-do-wells wanting info on how to break into other people's cars surely?

I'm beginning to get concerned... :err:

 

What is it with these posts? I make that three in less than a fortnight buy people with low post counts.

Is there an inherrant weakness with the R75/ZT bonnet release? Looked OK to me when i dismantled the front end of mine recently. They can't all be n'er-do-wells wanting info on how to break into other people's cars surely?

I'm beginning to get concerned... :err:

Well, I managed to get the bonnet open without anyones help. About 3 hours and a ton of scratched knuckles later I've identified the weak point in the bonnet mechanism. Its the small plastic box that houses the junction between the single and double cables. The single end is too flimsy and allows the cable sheath to be pulled through the hole. Once that happens you've got no chance of opening it.

I've done a makeshift tie-wrap repair to stop the plastic spreading until I can get a new one. (bet they don't sell just the plastic housing).

 

I'm sure you'll understand that new members posting on the forums asking how to break into the bonnets of the Rover 75 or MG ZT will be met with suspicion.

The last thing we want to happen is for instructions to be posted on the forum telling people how to break into the bonnets of our cars, thus creating a serious security risk.

 

I'm sure you'll understand that new members posting on the forums asking how to break into the bonnets of the Rover 75 or MG ZT will be met with suspicion.

The last thing we want to happen is for instructions to be posted on the forum telling people how to break into the bonnets of our cars, thus creating a serious security risk.

Now I think of it, it probably is a bit suspicious, however, I may only have made 6 posts, but I have been a member since July last year (not your typical car thief) and from my posts you will have seen I was in the process of upgrading my Sat Nav.

I didn't think it would be that common so didn't do a search. Now having done so I see Rova gave some advice via PM. I'll try that method.

thanks anyway.

 

Funnily enough when I collected mine the bonnet wouldnt open and it took some jiggery pokery from the mechanics to 'pop' it. So maybe not the most reliable thing in the world?

Been ok since tho following a good lube.

 

not another one

 

Thing is, you may not be dodgy, but if stuff like that goes up on a forum, any theiving tom dick or harry could read it... and use it!

 

Had this very same problem on my previous ZT.........had to get a garage to sort it......seems a general lube each time you pop the bonnet is good advice

 

My first post but I aint no car thief! I bought my current rover 75 1.8 exactly a year ago and on the first day the cable snapped (not good!) sent it back and it took the garage two days to open. Same week point as mentioned by GRD. I pick up my new car this weekend (rover 75 CDTi 131) and am just keeping my fingers crossed. At least this one's head gasket won't fail as well!!!!!!!!!!!

 

i take it the posts are read at sometime by the moderators. surely there must be some way of stopping posts like this from coming onto the site in the 1st place. Or at least taken off asap before someone lets it slip in the open room. But then looks like someone have via pvt. not a great thing to do i must say. lets just hope it dont lead to our cars going walkies because of it

 

I posted a comment about it in post number 4!

 

I didn't think it would be that common so didn't do a search. Now having done so I see Rova gave some advice via PM. I'll try that method.

thanks anyway.[/quote]

This is the point im making. request for the info on how to do it is made and someone sends it via a pvt message so even if its not posted in the main thread people are still getting the information. The posts rearding this subject should be removed as soon as there seen by the moderators and not left on so info can be sent via pvt messages. I just hope that this guy is gen and not a misson to get into one of our cars. Its alright the poster saying there not a thief but we dont know that. its like saying im not from earth. stupid i know but can u prove different. No you can't. THESE POSTS NEED TO BE STOPPED FROM COMING ONTO THE FORUM IN THE 1ST PLACE

 

Sadly, if people choose to discuss this via Personal Message, we are powerless to stop them. We do not have access to peoples private messages, nor would we want to.

If the information is posted on an open forum, then it is deleted, as has happened 3 times in the past week.

 

Sadly, if people choose to discuss this via Personal Message, we are powerless to stop them. We do not have access to peoples private messages, nor would we want to.

............

www.the75andztclub.co.uk/forum

 

Hmmm... I think this seems to be a 'common' point of failure on the 75 / ZT. Many people only find these forums when trying to resolve a problem or get some info so it stands to reason that many requests come from users with only a few posts.

IMO the info should be handed out by Moderators / Admin via PM when satisfied that it is for genuine purposes. Saying that users should be prevented for asking for it is an over reaction - the information just needs to be handled in a sensible manner.

Edit: As Ian said if users choose to help via PM then there isnt a lot can be done about that.

 

The car thieves know all the dodges anyway, same as for getting stereo codes etc. I think there's some paranoic thinking here.

 

I agree Bernard, but to be honest it is only a natural reaction to go on the defense when it comes to our beloved 75's.

The sad fact is a friend of mine at work has just had his 2 month old new style TT stolen. The bar stewards used a pole and hook through his letter box and got the keys from a telephone table in the hall.

Due to cars being so secure ie even if they did pop the bonnet, the alarm would go off and if they cut those wires the sealed alarm would sound and even if they did all that they still have to cirumnavigate the imobiliser, so it's much easier to steal the keys.

And my mate's insurance company are not going to pay out because the keys are missing and no proof of how they went missing

So I would go ahead and give advice about anything, unless specifically about the anti-intruder devices on our loved ones.

I know not all Rovers have the same security measures as mine do, but then if mine didn't, I would soon get them. Extras such as Sat Nav's, top ICE systems, nodding dogs etc can all wait until afterwards.

Cheers

DAD

 

I've been reading this thread, and co-incidentally was not able to open my bonnet last week, but eventually managed to by pressing down several times whilst partner jiggled around. It turned out the cables were OK and only needed to grease the catches.

HOWEVER, whilst I have not been a prolific poster on here, have been a member for quite some time. Would I have been refused the necessary information because I was regarded as a potential car thief? As Bernad LPG says, I think there is a bit of paranoia here... real car thieves know all the tricks in the book anyway. I cannot see any harm in someone asking for information and that information being passed on via private msg, assuming that basic precautions have been taken.

As it happens, I still don't have a clue how to open the bonnet if and when the cables do go. I hope that I will not be treated as some pariah if I have the audacity to ask the same basic question again.

 

I've been reading this thread, and co-incidentally was not able to open my bonnet last week, but eventually managed to by pressing down several times whilst partner jiggled around. It turned out the cables were OK and only needed to grease the catches.

Exactly the scenario with mine - i'll be making sure the latches remain well greased from now on!

Good to here some voices of reason in the thread as well.

 

My ZT has just done the same thing, it was rather stiff when I got the car a few days ago so I tried to lube it, came to pop the bonnet last night and click the lever comes back in my hand!! Why are people paraniod about thieves using the forum, they would more likely break into the car first and pop the bonnet from there rather than spend a few hours chuffing on trying to release it from the outside!!! If its a common problem then why not give advice on how to fix it the way any other problem would be?

Can anyone PM any tips?

Cheers
Steve

 

At the time of this post 448 people have looked at this thred. Think about it.
I dont believe that some people think that this subject should be talked about in open forum. How stupid can people be. Yes i agree that common car thiefs will just breack the window but when your talking about top end Zt's that are rare and still quite expensive then good thiefs will try thee best to get the car in one piece and without setting alarms off. I totaly agree with some of the more sencible people who say this should be delt with directly with the moderator and that they should decide if the answers are given out or not, pref not unless proof of ownership can be provided. I expect if to get the same answers from the forum if my cable goes as i have said in here. Like i said before we dont know who is who so its def NOT safe to tell people in an open forum how to do this opperation to open the bonnet. I just hope no one looses there car from here because of irrisponsable persons giving out the info requested into an open forum. This is not targeted at low posts but at anyone that posts on here and i realy hope this is the last time a thread on this subject is aloud to remain on the forum

 

I just looked at this thread again since I originally posted. I can't believe the paranoia. If you think a car thief is going to spend several hours trying to do what I did, your very much mistaken. Our "top of the range" cars just aren't worth that much. As for new members, I've been on this forum for 8 months, hardly a newbie regardless of the number of posts. I did try the PM route but no-one responded.

I've already passed this information on to a poor chap in the same boat as me via PM. That is all it would have taken.

Sorry for the rant but I was more than a bit miffed at the cold shoulder treatment.

 

could have been worse. Could have asked how to enable tv on the move. You wouldn't have survived.!!!

 

lol... That's an easy one anyway. just get the cable from Germany via Ebay.

 

I kinda started this off earlier in the thread - if i had known it would ruffle this many feathers i would probably have kept schtum, but what is done is done as they say.

The following is my opinion, take it or leave it.

I know of 2 ways to break into the boot and one way to break into the bonnet on a 75/ZT. This information has come to me from a number of sources, but mainly through DIY dismantling of varoius bits and pieces for maintenance / repair of a number of cars and seeing how these things work. In the case of the 75 none of the ways i know i would class as 'safe' information as they are "relatively" quick and damage the car - this information will never be posted openly on a forum by me and is highly unlikely to be given out by PM, regardless of post count or length of term posting on here.

This is not the case with the F/TF however, i know 4 ways of boot breaking on the F/TF, three of them are unsafe, but one, unofficially known as the Treffen method, takes 2 hours, requires access to the cabin and a partial strip down of the car (tends to draw a crowd) and is tricky even then. But it is possible and results on no damage to the car. It also only requires a 10mm ratchet spanner. This method has been posted on a number of forums and i have even demonstrated it live at the Heritage Motor Museum in a lecture theatre for MGF10.

This is my definition of a 'safe' method - time taken, few tools, noticability by the general public, no damage to vehicle and in the case of the Treffen method, full access to the cabin is necessary - this and the time needed tends to rule out thieves using it.

-------------

Forums are read by anyone and everyone. Use caution when posting information about the security of the car. Professional car thieves do indeed know all the tricks, but there are amateurs out there too, how many of them are computer literate? And it only takes one to steal your car.

 

I know of 2 ways to break into the boot and one way to break into the bonnet on a 75/ZT. This information has come to me from a number of sources, but mainly through DIY dismantling of varoius bits and pieces for maintenance / repair of a number of cars and seeing how these things work. In the case of the 75 none of the ways i know i would class as 'safe' information as they are "relatively" quick and damage the car - this information will never be posted openly on a forum by me and is highly unlikely to be given out by PM, regardless of post count or length of term posting on here.
This is my definition of a 'safe' method - time taken, few tools, noticability by the general public, no damage to vehicle and in the case of the Treffen method, full access to the cabin is necessary - this and the time needed tends to rule out thieves using it.

-------------

Forums are read by anyone and everyone. Use caution when posting information about the security of the car. Professional car thieves do indeed know all the tricks, but there are amateurs out there too, how many of them are computer literate? And it only takes one to steal your car.[/quote]





well said that man. just my point but better put.
what better way to mess our beautiful cars up but to damage the hell out of them and not getting what they wanted in the 1st place. Now can people understand why I have been going on like i have. Its not just down to theft its also down to damage to the car and what damage they can do to the engine bay when they get in.

 

There seems to be many people talking about why we shouldnt be trying to find out how to open our bonnets and how anyone who asks a question like this could be a thief, but no-one coming up with any helpful hints on how to solve this (very common) problem, what are we supposed to do, just leave the bonnets closed until it blows itself open when it self destructs itself due to no oil (because you couldnt open it)???!!!

Why would a thief want to be under the bonnet of a car anyway? the immobiliser isnt in there as far as I know, the alarm would surely go off anyway if you did open it unlawfully, I cant understand why everyone is so paranoid... In 13 years of motoring I have never had, or indeed heard of anyone having their bonnets opened by a thief, to steal the car or otherwise..

Like ive said its obviously yet another very common Rover design fault that alot of 75/ZT owners are experiencing and no-one seems willing to help... strange...
Rant over!

 

Why would a thief want to be under the bonnet of a car anyway? the immobiliser isnt in there as far as I know, the alarm would surely go off anyway if you did open it unlawfully, I cant understand why everyone is so paranoid... In 13 years of motoring I have never had, or indeed heard of anyone having their bonnets opened by a thief, to steal the car or otherwise..

I have heard of plenty. This is the reason why Ford changed the bonnet so that it is key operated

 

Im as keen as the next man to stop the thieving element of our society taking (or damaging) our hard earned posessions and disnt mean to sound harsh in my last post. Its just that ive shelled out alot of money on my new machine and feel a bit peed off when something breaks not 3 days after getting it! Now some people might say just to take it back the garage where I bought it from but due to bad experiences in the past (having stuff ruined by so-called mechanics, or just plain "not fixed at all") I am dubious about leaving it with them. Plus I am a very hands on person and prefer to do stuff myself, then at least I know its been done well and not bodged like so many of these garages do.

Looks as though it will have to go back to the garage but im waiting for the dreaded words:- "Things like these sir arent covered by our standard warranty, im afraid I cant help you" or "Since MG Rover went bust there are no parts available for you car, so Im sorry to tell you that the repair cannot be done" or even worse get the car back with a "temporary" repair done and alot of missing screws and scratched paintwork!!!

Steve

 

Im as keen as the next man to stop the thieving element of our society taking (or damaging) our hard earned posessions and disnt mean to sound harsh in my last post. Its just that ive shelled out alot of money on my new machine and feel a bit peed off when something breaks not 3 days after getting it! Now some people might say just to take it back the garage where I bought it from but due to bad experiences in the past (having stuff ruined by so-called mechanics, or just plain "not fixed at all") I am dubious about leaving it with them. Plus I am a very hands on person and prefer to do stuff myself, then at least I know its been done well and not bodged like so many of these garages do.

Looks as though it will have to go back to the garage but im waiting for the dreaded words:- "Things like these sir arent covered by our standard warranty, im afraid I cant help you" or "Since MG Rover went bust there are no parts available for you car, so Im sorry to tell you that the repair cannot be done" or even worse get the car back with a "temporary" repair done and alot of missing screws and scratched paintwork!!!

Steve

I totally agree. My local MG dealer wanted to remove the front bumber and "possibly" break the catches! If your stuck, PM me and I'll tell you what I did. The last guy followed my method, successfully got his bonnet open and saved himself £800 by being able to fix some problems he had, without going to the garage.

 

I'm a new chap here, and very surprised at the tone of this thread.

These aren't expensive cars, and aren't in my humble opinion very desirable compared to merc's, bmws, audi's etc etc.

Having read members concerns, should I ever need this information I'd be more than happy to pass my home address, landline telephone number, redg number, vin number etc & whatever else was wanted to a "trustee", maybe someone like Ian who has just helped me with a stereo enquiry.

I'm over here from the BMW forum, where I've been a moderator for years and years, I've just replaced my workhorse vectra estate with a rover 75, as they are cheap, and I've always wanted one.

The BMW lads are supposed to be unfriendly and seemingly stuck up, which they are not, but I've never seen a thread as seemingly unfriendly as this.

 

I'd be more than happy to pass my home address, landline telephone number, redg number, vin number etc

Quite right old boy.

Your partner was equally obliging when she gave me her mobile phone details last night.

Cheers

DAD

 

Info

I posted the very question last week, a few days after buying my ZT and I was redirected to the 75 and ZT owners club where i provided someone who deals with the club with various bits of info. They got back to me the next day to say it had been agreedby the club to provide me with the info on how to job of hich I'm very grateful.

What surprises me is that some people think that a thief will risk spending the required amount of time on nicking a Rover or MG. You need to take a wheel off for one thing and have a childs' hand in order to achieve what is needed!

Having known a few coppers over the years thanks to my job I know that thieves do not tend to hang around when it comes to nicking cars. That's why I never park my car on the ground floor of a multi story car park!

I've never sen such paranoia on a car forum. Is this America?!?!?
Having been a member of BMW and Alfa forums over the years, where I have never encountered this, it has surprised me. I have lurked over this site for a little while, basically doing research about the car I was thinking about buying and only posted when I found a problem.

Nevermind, it's not going to put me off.

 

I'm fed up with this thread. Can we close it please as it's starting to leave a bad taste in my mouth.

 

Bonnet opening problems

Had the same problem with my recently aquired 75. The bonnet was locked and the lever appeared loose as if the cable had broken. After two days the warning light appeard to show open doors/boot/bonnet and hey presto the bonnet was released. Have tried since and all seems to be OK. Will grease cables next time I open bonnet. Must be a regular problem!