Hi everyone. Last summer I picked up a beautiful blue on white XK8 convertible and I'm slowly addressing the list of little issues I have with it.

At the moment my hood does not shut properly. The driver side latches fine. However, the passenger side does not catch. You can hear it hit the latch within but it doesn't stay put.

Any ideas? Easy fix for a common problem? Or is this unique to my car.

Thanks!

 

It's not a common problem but might be as simple as needing a little lube. Try one of the spray-through-a-straw cans. WD40 is not really a lubricant.

Careful!

Having a stuck hood/bonnet latch is a very difficult issue. Be thankful that the problem is that it WILL NOT latch. Most problems are that it will not UNLATCH.

 

Yikes! Guess that would be a lot worse!

I uploaded a video for reference.

'99 Jaguar XK8 - Hood Won't Close - YouTube

 

the latch is slightly adjustable (not the bonnet side) may take a little trial and error to get it to lock. I had to 'correct' one side of mine after removing and reinstalling my bonnet once.

 

Was it doing something similar to mine?

 

Judging by the creaks and groans the bonnet hinges need lubrication!

 

WD40 is a good product and it can be used as a lubricant; however, over time the residue of the product has a tendency to collect dust creating a buildup. If you elect to use it be sure to remove the excessive residue as you would any other product. I use it all the time.

Link to WD40 FAQ WD-40 Frequently Asked Questions

 

Good to know, thanks guys!

 

I agree, WD40 has an undeserved bad reputation with some people.
It works well as a 'carrier' to get thicker oil into something like a hinge then when it evaporates off the thicker oil is left in place.

 

Just uploaded a video this afternoon with my findings. My guess is the hinge itself is shot. I'll let the experts (you guys) decide...

Jaguar XK8 Hood Hinge Problem - YouTube

Is the hood hinge a serviceable part or do I just replace the entire unit?

 

Being youtube phobic, here is a guess anyways:

A stiff hinge may have resulted in the hinge bending the sheetmetal where it attaches since the hinge material is much stronger than the sheetmetal.

In that event, a new hinge will not solve any alignment problems. You would have to "adjust" the sheetmetal or take advantage of any adjustment available in the hinge attachment mechanism.

If the hinge itself is not bent, then a good soaking in solvent, working the hinge back and forth; and re-lubrication may save you the cost of a hinge.

 

Lubriplate A will cure your woes, I would stay away from WD-40 for hinges and latch


http://www.lubriplate.com/products/s...ay-lube-a.html

 

pull latch out and work it in a vise with some blaster.then if it works add some light lube and reinstall after checking cable to see if its stretched or broken.then its just a mater of adjusting it a little higher to get it to latch[1/8] inch or so.when you close your hood let it drop about 20"s. i see a dimple in the hood,that tells me someone has worked on it before...steve.

 

It may be as simple as a stuck release cable on that side holding the latch in the 'open' position.
If you can get any purchase on the lock tongue then a good dose of WD or whatever followed by working in situ may save Steve's solution of dismantling it.
You might get away with spraying then waggling the bonnet release furiously!

 

Good eye on the dimple on my hood. The PO said he attempted to fix it once or twice. Scares me to think what methods he took when attempting to fix this.

I'm going to take the hinge off next chance I get and soak it in PB Blaster, try to free it up a bit.

Good point on the cable as well. I'll take a picture next time I can. The hook on the cable that loops into the hinge itself looks odd. Almost jammed in there. I'm wondering if it's something as simple as that. Too much tension on the hinge as a result of a misaligned cable.

Thanks for all the input. I'll share my results as soon as I have some.

 

Well, thanks tot he help of a good friend we resolved the hood latch issue. My issue was with the cable that hooks into the latch assembly. It was bound up and jammed against the assembly itself causing the latch to constantly stay open. We freed the cable and re-hooked it to the latch. All is well now!

The attached picture is a REALLY crude picture I drew up of what was happening.