Will_S
Registered User
I thought I would do a write up on a problem I had the day after buying my car. I pulled the bonnet release under the dash and heard a loud noise and the tension in the release went. The cable that runs though is in fact in two seperate sections connected together by a piece of plasic, Turns out in my case the plastic connector had snapped. I had a look and had some theories about how to get into it but thought I would go to audi for some advice. They told me that in the past they have simply cut the bonnet off and replaced it, £2500, no thanks.
This is how I got the bonnet open without touching the cable and should work regardless of what has gone wrong in the system. My method was to remove the locking mechanism from the car and keep it attached to the bonnet.
Step 1
I started by getting a gap between the grill and bonnet, this was done by very carfully and progressively pushing wooden wedges into the gap, this pushed the grill down by about 5-10mm. I also made a little light out of a interior bulb, heatshrink and a legth of wire to be able to see inside as a normal torch and head torch was difficult to get the beam in the right place.
Step 2
The lock is held into to the body by 3 bolts, once these are taken out the lock will just lift out with the bonnet.
To get to the first two most frontal bolts you have to remove some material from the secondary catch as this sits infront of it. To do this I got a flat wood drill bit and covered the shaft in foam to stop it rubbing on the bonnet, slide it in and drilled in to the handle where the bolts sit behind. I then got a wood chisel and cut the matrerial between top and bottom of the holes and the top and bottom of the catch and removed the outer bits of material.
Step 3
You then undo the 2 bolts and pull them all the way out. Lift the bonnet slightly and this gives you access to the 3rd bolt. Undo that and the unit lifts out. Hey presto. Careful not to lift the bonnet too high as the cable and electrical wire for the sensor inside may still be attached.
This is how I got the bonnet open without touching the cable and should work regardless of what has gone wrong in the system. My method was to remove the locking mechanism from the car and keep it attached to the bonnet.
Step 1
I started by getting a gap between the grill and bonnet, this was done by very carfully and progressively pushing wooden wedges into the gap, this pushed the grill down by about 5-10mm. I also made a little light out of a interior bulb, heatshrink and a legth of wire to be able to see inside as a normal torch and head torch was difficult to get the beam in the right place.
Step 2
The lock is held into to the body by 3 bolts, once these are taken out the lock will just lift out with the bonnet.
To get to the first two most frontal bolts you have to remove some material from the secondary catch as this sits infront of it. To do this I got a flat wood drill bit and covered the shaft in foam to stop it rubbing on the bonnet, slide it in and drilled in to the handle where the bolts sit behind. I then got a wood chisel and cut the matrerial between top and bottom of the holes and the top and bottom of the catch and removed the outer bits of material.
Step 3
You then undo the 2 bolts and pull them all the way out. Lift the bonnet slightly and this gives you access to the 3rd bolt. Undo that and the unit lifts out. Hey presto. Careful not to lift the bonnet too high as the cable and electrical wire for the sensor inside may still be attached.
