Thanks. I'd love one looking down at the driver's under-hood catch (similar to the left pic you posted above). It looks to be behind or in a metal box (all I can see through the mesh).

My car looks to be mirror image of the LHD cars so far.

I'm not going to try any more opening ideas in practice till I have the new parts as I feel if I get it open I should not re-close it till the parts are changed.

 

Here are some pics of the latch that attaches to the main hood latch cable. I took the pics from the grille perspective.

I also included a pic of the latch up top looking towards the bottom of the car. As you can see there's no room to work with from the bottom of the car.. and the latch is on top of a flat metal plate which prevents access from below.

Hope these help.

Anthony

 

Thanks. Mine looks considerably different - due to being a 2003-on I think - with worse access.

Peering through the grille mesh at the driver side there's a metal box around the latch that's visible in the above pics.

Anyone with pics of a 2003+ car please? That box and around it.

Also, where the release cable from the cabin emerges (and where it's routed if anyone knows).

I wonder if cutting the mesh out will be necessary...

 

See if these help:

2005 MY, 3.0, North American Model

I do not have time at present to enlarge the photos and explain. If the powers that be will allow me to come back and edit then I will do so.

Hope this helps a bit.

 

Thanks!

I now have the new parts so next is to examine everything more.

Even at a quick look yours is quite a bit different, rather to my surprise.

 

Please take photos of the whole procedure to help guys with the newer cars.

Great for future reference.

 

Hmm, that surprises me as well. Other than putting the steering wheel on the wrong side of the vehicle, who would'a thunk.

 

Jag V8.
I had the same problem as you, what I did is gently ease the plastic shroud off the grill at the bottom, and the wire mesh came out with a bit of a careful pull. I then took the screw out of the anti tamper block. Bent it back so I could get a hook on the cable gave it a tug and it opened. Replaced with new cable and all is good hope this helps. I have a 03 STR

 

Thanks.

Got it open but have more pics to take and post...

 

So... when I could not open the bonnet (hood) I'd noticed the release lever stopped and didn't want to pull further. From what I could see the cable had not snapped but appeared snagged. I was reluctant to heave hard in case the perhaps frayed cable just snapped.

The short story is I decided maybe the bonnet would open if the tension on it was reduced. A friend helped by holding the bonnet down and yes that let the release cable work.

For anyone else not so lucky...

Looking through the (mesh) grille I could see the driver side catch covered in a metal box - here's a better view:



It turns out to have 2 torx screws.



It slides off sideways - here's an inside view, showing the slot at the right that the release cable pass through on its way to the passenger side catch



Here's the driver side mechanism with bonnet release at bottom left (RHD, I guess opposite for LHD); the 2 hex things are where the cover was mounted



The passenger side looks something like this peering in the grille



So why was it reluctant to open? The catches seem fine and so do the cables etc. But this was loose



so I've screwed it in a bit and the bonnet now opens easily.

 

I was on a trip and found that I could not open the hood the latch on the right would not unlock. Drove it home and got it open and this is what I did.

With good lighting I could see the latch cable so I took wire and bent a hook at the one end and fished it in from the grill opening catching the small section of the exposed cable and pushed down on the hood as I gave the wire a little tug and it came open.

 

Been there, done that...lol