Has anybody else had a problem with their bonnet (aka hood), cables sticking ?

I have the latches well lubricated, but when I pull the cable and open the bonnet, the cables seem to stick so that the bonnet wont latch again until I have fiddled around and tugged the cable outers to-and-from to make the cable inner return to normal position. It is clear to me the cable inner needs lubing but how ? There is no obvious way in to the cable inner.

 

I've not really seen it Fraser. If it is well lubricated, then I'd inspect carefully for a kink somewhere, somewhere accessable, of course, because it could have been inadvertently bumped or damaged perhaps during some other repair. Have you had any work done on anything in the grille area? or underdash?

 

I do not have a breakdown of the latch assembly for your year xj but from what I recall you have 2 cables from the release handle in the car go to the latch assembly in the hood area one on each side. I have heard that the cables will break and that should be a concern for you to be aware of as you investigate. What I used on my 95 xj6 was WD40 spraying a little at a time on the cable at the latch area under the hood and the operated it and did that several times until it worked its way down the cables. You may need to let it sit to let gravity work for you ( a wick affect). If after working the latch several times and it does not clear up you may have a cable that is about to fail and that would be a process of elimination. Remove one cable and if it is the one giving you the resistance should be the problem. I should note you should do this with the hood open…

 

The cable from operating handle to first latch is very well concealed, but I finally found it. On motorcycle spares websites, I have seen what are called cable lubricators which can be used with a can of cable lube. What I dont understand is where do they fit, as if one can get to the end of the cable, one doesnt need to tool, surely ?

In my motorcycling youth, (a long time ago, too long), I seem to remember that there was an intermediate lubricator available, that bolted onto the cable with a grease nipple on it. I never used one, but this would be the ideal fitting; is this what I have seen on the websites ?

 

I am not familiar with that type of lubricant but my suggestion to use WD40 was 1 that it will clean as it travels in the shield and 2 if applied at the top gravity will assist in it traveling down. If it is dirt or grease that has jelled it should clean it out then you can apply what you want. If it does not clear up you should consider the latch or a bad cable.

 

Be careful with WD40. While it will help free up a stuck cable, it is also displacing all of the lube that is still there, meaning that in the near future you might have the problem resurface.

Start with the WD40 to brake any junk loose, then when things are moving smoothly use a light weight oil in the same path (high to low, both ends if possible). I like turbine oil as it comes in a container with a really longs straw and makes it easy to apply.

 

Thanks guys. It's just too cold here right now to fiddle around, as the car will not fit my garage. Not cold like you get in the US but still pretty awful for us poor Brits. We're just not used to it, y'see. It was -14c two days ago when I went to work (on the bus, Jaguar worth too much to risk)

 

Agree - WD40 wouldn't be my choice for use on this cable either for similar reasons. It works well on lawnmower cables. This is an X350 and it uses only one cable daisy-chained to the two hood latches, not two cables.

First look at the condition of the cable as it is exposed under the plastic splash shield under the hood at the two latches. It should be dry from road salts, etc. Backsplash should not reach the hinges or cables because they are located behind a crossmember. If you lube anything it should be the two hinge mechanisms only using a white lith grease and very sparingly too. I still prefer these to be dry because any grease or oil is going to accumulate road dust/dirt coming from the grille. Eventually you'll have gunk. What causes the resistance in the cable is either damage (kink somewhere) or hood latches adjusted to tightly. It's better to fix the cause, not the symptom.

 

ATF mixed 50/50 with acetone.

Don't forget the April 2007 "Machinist's Workshop" magazine comparison test.

They arranged a subjective test of all the popular penetrants with the control being the torque required to remove the nut from a "scientifically rusted" environment.

Penetrating oil ......... Average load
None ..................... 516 pounds
WD-40 .................... 238 pounds
PB Blaster ............... 214 pounds
Liquid Wrench ............ 127 pounds
Kano Kroil ............... 106 pounds
ATF-Acetone mix............ 53 pounds


The ATF-Acetone mix was a "home brew" mix of 50 - 50 automatic transmission fluid and acetone.

Note the "home brew" was better than any commercial product in

Wally C.
03 XJ8

 

I had this happen with my first 04 XJ8. The cable needed replaced. I found one at Terry's Jaguar here in the states, new for about $80, and then a little shop that did the replacement for $50. The Jag dealership wanted $175 for the cable and another $200 to replace it. That's when I decided to learn how to do more on my own.

As far as the WD40, I would use it to initially break down anything binding it, but then some actual lubricant, White lithium grease, something more fluid to wick down the line (the AFT mix looks like more investigation is warranted) should help. That's my $0.02

 

I had a similar problem which was solved by greasing the hinges of the two latches that close and open to grab and release the hood.