I have had my XJ8 2004 now for 1 month noe, recently changed the front pads - was easssssy. I am loving the driving experience - Awesome.

Today I went to open the bonnet and the driver side is not releasing whilst the passenger does. A slight tilt where one side is open and the other remains latched.

Does anyone have any pointers on how to fix? I checked the lever and seems to be OK - 1 cable which I can see being pulled at least 3/4 of an inch.

Is there a way to access the latch coming in from either the underneath, wheel well or through the grill?

 

You are not alone. You could have a broken cable or a broken release handle. You have 2 latches left and right that hold the down but you have a cable from each one to the release handle. You may have a broken release handle and it is only opening one latch. You need to look at that and I will try to find the info I had on it along with photos.

 

Try this link i think you will see what I was talking about

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...ght=hood+latch
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...ght=hood+latch
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...ght=hood+latch

 

I have the wheel well inside liner removed and looking up inside. I can see two cables.

A few holes in inside aluminum paneling but not sure if any allow access to the latch.

Where is the latch - is it on the side or front? I cant remember

 

If I recall the latch is just above a rubber drain. It seems to me that if you can locate it in the wheel well you could have access to the latch. Have you looked to see if it is a matter of a broken leaver inside?

 

OK let me go search and see what I come up with. I'll take photos' to help the next person who will suffer the same ill.

 

Bonnets can only be opened in the UK and hoods can only be opened in the US.

 

Lever looks OK and is pulling the cable. Not sure whwre drain plug is. I am still unsure roughly where the latch is located. Is it front of hood or on the side. Makes a big difference to where I go poke around and look from underneath

 

Scotsman in Oregon - I always get confused !!!

 

OK - I got it open and my 12 yr old daughter was the one that did it. She held it open while I used my rear end to lightly bounce on the hood. When I was pulling the lrelease ever before I could hear a faint clicking sound from the driver side latch, indicating that the cable was OK. I am going to now examine the assembly. Looks like I did not have to remove the wheel well liner as the latch is 10 inches off center from the middle. Oh well

Ill post what I find if anything interesting

 

I too, have had problems with bonnet (hood) latching and stuck cables, in my case not unlatching. As far as I can see there is a cable from lever in the car to the first latch, then another from that one to the other. This one sits in the middle in front of the radiator, and seizes up. The latches also seem well place to get muck and salty spray onto them. I now have mine well lubed, but it is still not as free as I would like. There used to be cable lubricators you could but for Bowden cables as used on motorcycles, so I am going to see what I can buy and fit up so lubrication is made easier.

 

I think it's funny that the X350 pretty much has the most accessible hood latch pull that I've seen on any car (usually you have to contort yourself to find it, but not on the XJ!). I guess it's because they're always breaking down.

 

Well I would say there can't be many car where one never has to lift the hood, else how is the screen wash tank refilled ?

 

I just went to fill the screen tank today, couldn't open the bonnet at first but a good tug got it up, filled up the screen wash and the bonnet wouldn't latch, arrgghh I hate this car so much, so many faults, not used to this.
Anyway I removed the latches, cleaned them up and refitted them, bonnet now latches OK, problem solved, NO, of course not!
Now the car thinks that the bonnet is open and won't allow the car to be locked, I'm glad in one way hopefully someone will steal it and burn it out or strip it for parts who cares as long as I never see it again.
Anyway since I'm going away in it in a couple of weeks my wife insists the car must be lockable so does anyone know if there is some switch or sensor somewhere? Its dark outside now and I can only see with the light off my phone.

Dave

 

Sounds like the anti theft sensor on the bonnet is playing up, not unusual. As you look down at the engine , at the front towards the right you will see the sensor, pull it apart and short it out with a U shaped piece of wire, tape it up job done, and no false alarms when the wind lifts the bonnet. Keith

 

I managed to get it sorted out OK. Removed both bonnet catches and reset them again, bonnet now locks as it did before and the car accepts that its closed.

Dave