A4 bonnet release help please folks

ayr_audi_nut

ayr_audi_nut

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Hi there folks, my bonnet release catch has just snapped, usual mechanism that you get in these audi's, anyone any ideas on how to get the bonnet up without having to replace everything. It's my run about car so really want to keep costs down before the dreaded mot in June.

Thanks in advance for anyone taking the time to help.
 
Cheers, I'll pop my head underneath today and see if I can get it open, how much you wanting for the release mechanism Brazilian??
 
get a strong piece of bar, bend it in to a u shape at one end. like a hanger. infact a hanger may do. the poke it though the grill and see if you can pull. other then that see if you can get your and up behind the bonnet from the front and do it that way, but depends were its snapped, i can take pictures of the latch if you need to know whats what under there.
 
ayr_audi_nut said:
Cheers, I'll pop my head underneath today and see if I can get it open, how much you wanting for the release mechanism Brazilian??
Click to expand...

Let me know for sure if you want it and will work out a price but wont be too dear..
 
audi upgrades
Guys I've managed to get the front grille off, I've got limited access to the top of the radiator, boost-addict did you manage to get that picture.....bit of a hit and a miss just now.

Brasilian, I'll take that off your hands mate.
 
yer i toatally forgot about taking a picture,

ok so this is the catch
P1070203.jpg


and then the mech on the bonnet

P1070205.jpg


this is how it is closed
P1070206.jpg


and once you pull the leaver.


P1070207.jpg



there isnt no way your get up there with a screw driver from underneth

see the mech you need to push down wards were that bar is in the above picture, i look though my grill and can see it. and it is possible.
 
But thats nothing to do with the actual bonnet release, thats the safety catch that keeps the bonnet closed ONCE its released.

The bonnet release is a small lever which is part of the catch on the front panel.

I guess though its not very clear from the original post wether its the cable thats snapped, or the little arm that pokes thru the grille for the safety catch.
 
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aragorn said:
But thats nothing to do with the actual bonnet release, thats the safety catch that keeps the bonnet closed ONCE its released.

The bonnet release is a small lever which is part of the catch on the front panel.

I guess though its not very clear from the original post wether its the cable thats snapped, or the little arm that pokes thru the grille for the safety catch.
Click to expand...

Thanks for all the help folks, apologies for the post not being to clear. it's the cable that's snapped, still a screwdriver job???
 
ayr_audi_nut said:
Hi there folks, my bonnet release catch has just snapped, usual mechanism that you get in these audi's, anyone any ideas on how to get the bonnet up without having to replace everything. It's my run about car so really want to keep costs down before the dreaded mot in June.

Thanks in advance for anyone taking the time to help.
Click to expand...

I have had a bonnet release issue with an ‘03 A4. Allegedly you should release it from under the car with a bent rod to engage the latch release but this is impossible as you can’t see what is going on to guide the rod into place. Subsequently, after I did get the bonnet open, it wouldn’t have worked anyway.
So this is what you need to do:
Remove the chrome grille surround and then prise the grille from the bonnet with trim tool and screwdriver. Start at the bottom; tape the painted parts to avoid damage.
Once the grill is removed, there are three dome nuts that hold the whole safety latch & catch to the bonnet. The front two are not too difficult to undo as long as you are patient. The RH rear nut (as you look at it) is really awkward but with LOTS of patience you should be able to undo it, flat at a time and turning the open ended spanner over each time.
This released the bonnet.
The problem that caused the bonnet pull failure was quite simple. The whole cable end had fallen out of the latch and in my case, someone had glued it in place; this glue had failed.
I removed one of the bolts that retained the latch on the engine side, made a spacer and flat plate (about 2.5 x 5cms, 3mm thick) plus a longer M6 bolt so that now the cable can’t escape as the plate presses against the outer cable.
Hope this helps
 
Once the grill is removed, can you not just lever the release arm to the open position without undoing anything else?

I would have thought this would have been accessible....
 
nope, the latch is mounted behind the plastic slam panel, so removing the grille doesnt gain you access to lever anything.
 
Final 3Green Land said:
Once the grill is removed, can you not just lever the release arm to the open position without undoing anything else?

I would have thought this would have been accessible....
Click to expand...

There’s a bit of confusion here.
The bonnet latch is controlled/ opened by the bonnet cable; the bonnet safety catch, to stop the bonnet opening if the latch fails, only works once the latch has been released and the bonnet has been ‘popped’.
If the latch can’t be released, as in my case, you have to undo those three bolts on the bonnet so that the bonnet can be released from the catch and safety catch that are all on the same plate. This gives you a chance to check out the problem, whatever it is.
If the bonnet pops, then I’m sure that the release catch can be bent out of the way but it would be better to unbolt it and fix the problem properly.
Note: if the bonnet pops but the safety catch won’t let go, check that the arm that pops out of the grille comes through the hole in the Audi roundals on the grille. Use a screwdriver to get it to come through and the bend the lever, afterwards, so that it comes through the grille without catching.
OK?
 
There’s a bit of confusion here.
The bonnet latch is controlled/ opened by the bonnet cable; the bonnet safety catch, to stop the bonnet opening if the latch fails, only works once the latch has been released and the bonnet has been ‘popped’.
If the latch can’t be released, as inmy case, you have to undo those threebolts on the bonnet so that the bonnet can be released from the catch andsafety catch that are all on the sameplate. This gives you a chance to check out the problem, whatever it is.
If the bonnet pops, then I’m sure thatthe release catch can be bent out of the way but it would be better to unbolt itand fix the problem properly.
Note: if the bonnet pops but the safety catch won’t let go, check that the armthat pops out of the grille comesthrough the hole in the Audi roundalson the grille. Use a screwdriver to get it to come through and the bend thelever, afterwards, so that it comesthrough the grille without catching.
OK?
 
Strangely, following posting on here, I went to my B6 and although the bonnet popped, the safety lever had seized solid. I don't mean a little but it felt as if welded in place and obviously, it wouldnt open, and I needed screen wash.

I had to remove the front grill first using a 3mm insulated screwdriver blade, covered the tip in insulating tape to avoid damaging the paintwork, Then with the assistance of trim removal tools, started at the top left of the grill, and prised it forward until I could get a trim removal tool in there, between the edge of the bonnet and behind the grill...

Then moving along in one inch sections, I forced the grill out enough for another removal tool to be Inserted... when at the top right of the grill, with the tools in place, I managed to lever the whole top of the grill out, then simply lifted the plastic out of the aperture.

Then to the hinges...

There are two hinged sections which had seized solid. With a 750ml tin of a very well known penetrant, Plus and the american name for petrol, Not the WD one plus 39, and constant spraying on the hinges at the same time as trying to move the lever out from the grill, little by little it moved... It took ages for the first movement but it eventually shifted a tiny amount, but that slightly increased little by little and it started to free.

20 minutes later, it had released completely, and felt like new... I had used more than half of the tin and now have to put some thin oil on the hinges, then will get come waterproof grease and work it right into the hinges, the thin oil will assist.

New cable next week as the way my week has gone that will now break....


Oh forgot to say, the grill went straight back in, bottom first then push the top and job done!!
 
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i Having the same problem, bonnet cable has failed and the car has a coolant leak so needs topping up, I have gotten the 2 bolts out already from the lever but can not see the third, my 10mm isnt the longest either :( story of my life.
 
ayr_audi_nut said:
Hi there folks, my bonnet release catch has just snapped, usual mechanism that you get in these audi's, anyone any ideas on how to get the bonnet up without having to replace everything. It's my run about car so really want to keep costs down before the dreaded mot in June.

Thanks in advance for anyone taking the time to help.
Click to expand...
Hi
This seems to be an issue for lots of us!
Ignore all the info about getting at it from underneath. You could only do this with a majic wand!!
Remove the grille - chrome surround first.
Remove the two dome nuts with a 10mm open ended spanner - tedious but possible. These could be bolts according to other photos on this forum. If you clean up the catch and nuts with brake cleaner, it could be easier to see what you are doing.
The last nut is hard to see and worse to undo. You must have a long 10 mm open ended, a small torch and a whole lot of patience. You will need to keep turning the spanner over to turn the nut half a flat at a time - it could take at least half an hour!
This will release the bonnet leaving the latch in the lock plus the safety catch as it’s on the same plate held by the three dome nuts.
At this point you will be able to investigate the cause of the problem. On mine, the whole cable had fallen out but yours might be something else - perhaps a broken cable. Get someone to pull the lever while you check to see what happens at the latch. Good luck!
 
The 3rd bolt is a right git to get off, My spanner was simply not long enough so i used a long flat headed screwdriver to turn it until it came off. Ball head end of the cable had simply became unlodged from the mechanism. Your also right, cant get it from underneath, fans are in the way (on a tdi anyway)
 
Aye pull the front grille out and unbolt the latch from the bonnet is the way I go.. done on the b5 and b6 many times before..
 
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