[RESOLVED] problem opening bonnet on my car...

[Justa Lol]

i got a ford focus, that i think the lock for opening the bonnet is used up and eventually stopped doing its job or something like that, i'm not quite sure... i just wanted to know if there was any way to open it without breaking anything on the car to open the bonnet.

all suggestions are welcome.

also any questions i would happily answer, this is urgent there is no washer fluid left.

[dilettante]

Googled a bit and gave up laughing, sorry. Seems to be a common problem.

Might help to mention what year your car is and what exactly isn't working. Ford seems to have used everything from Rube Goldberg cables from the cabin (that often rust out and bind or break) to weird stuff where you twist open the Ford emblem on the front and stick a key into it and start twisting (that catches dust and road salt and freezes up).

Here is a forum thread with at least one amusing picture http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=98674


Truly sorry and I feel your pain. I had a little fun this AM myself with a car that has sat in the open in 0 deg. F for several days after a few weeks of almost no use. Needless to say even though it started the battery was weak and worse yet after a stop (even with the engine left running), trying to back out and get going it died dead and I needed a jumpstart.

[Justa Lol]

model is Ford focus 2.0 RS from 2003

been twisting and turning the key in the lock for approximately an hour without luck.. i'll attempt to remove the grill, and see what happens.

[abhijit]

Insert a long screwdriver through the grill and try to move the latch that unlocks the hood. You're probably going to need one person to open the hood while the other is trying to move that latch.

Second option is go to the repair shop and ask the guy what they usually do in such a case.

[Justa Lol]

Sorry forgot to update, I got the lock switched out so its working again, thanks for the help.