Hi,

I've got a problem with my bonnet release lever and hope someone might have an idea on the best way to fix it.

Basically my bonnet release lever will open my bonnet fine, but the bonnet will then not close properly. The cable hasn't broken but seems to have come loose somewhere - possibly at the lever itself. If I reach behind the lever and push the cable to the left, the bonnet will then close. I'm certainly no expert, but it feels like a similar system to a bicycle brake cable. Unfortnately though the lever is in such an awkward place that it's difficult to see how I can get a proper look at it. My Carisma is a '96 1.8 GLXi, although I'm sure the lever is probably pretty standard across all the models. If anyone has any useful tip for helping me fix this I would be extremely grateful - I'd hate to have to take it in to a garage and pay a small fortune to fix what must be a simple job.

Thanks

ZZ

Probably less of an expert than you, but why do you think the cable is loose?

If it opens fine wouldn't that suggest there's no excess slack in the cable?

I would've thought that if the bonnet latch isn't gripping onto the bonnet when you close it, it would suggest the cable is sticking somewhere, or the latch itself is sticking.

Have you tried giving the latch a good blast of the old WD40?

Thanks for the prompt reply.

I didn't describe the problem well enough in my last post, sorry. The problem isn't that the catch won't hold the bonnet closed, but rather that the bonnet won't close at all. It will drop into a "popped bonnet" position, open about an inch or two. Only when I wiggle the cable behind the bonnet release lever will it then let me close the bonnet properly.

I will try a bit of WD40 on the catch in case it is sticking somewhere, but it definitely feels like there's a loose... bolt or nut or something behind the bonnet release lever, moving around on the cable itself. And the inner cable is exposed by about 3 inches or more from the end of the protective cabling.

:-/

ZZ

try lubricating the catch mechanism under the bonnet as it may be too stiff to allow the spring to pull the cable back properly which makes it seem like you are always "pulling" the cable