Hi all,
I was wondering if anyone else has had any issues with the bonet pull and may be able to offer some advice. My 2003 coupe bonet cable is as it should be on the passenger side lock. The drivers side cable is not engaged in the pull , though the nipple is still on the cable ok. The previous owner told me to use a pair of pliers to pull the catch open. Everything works , so the cable can't have broken.This cable however is pulled into the cabin a couple of inches past the pull handle. Will pulling it back through and re inserting it into the handle make it work do you think? Or is there any other forms of adjustment?
many thanks for any assistance.

 

The hood pull cable is essentially the same as two brake or throttle cables on a Vespa. My first line of attack would be to resolder an end on the frayed cable and reattach. Short of that I would then re-engineer the cables to be attached to one another, but that may over-stress the single cable that is still attached. The RIGHT way to do it would be to get a used one and reroute it, but that could be a pain through the firewall. Here's a picture of the cable you need and what the ends look like.

 

Note that attaching the housing is just as important as the cable itself, else the cable will not slide well through the housing. It needs to leverage against itself.

 

Thanks for the help. The nipple is still there.

 

If I had a nickel for every time I've heard that in my life...

 

And pierced nipples taste like cars keys!

 

On a related note, my hood cable just last night was giving me a "bonnet open" warning when closed. I considered shorting the lead to the passenger side latch but I opted to give it a Brakekleen (to degrease) then Deoxit (to lubricate contacts) shower (isolated from the rest of the body) to refurb the latch. Applied a little lithium grease to the latch itself when done. Solved the sensor issue. Use Brakekleen sparingly and make sure to flush any remainder away, it can eat at things.

 

Now nearly sorted. The plastic had broke on the backside of the pull which held the far cable in. Replacement on order. Thanks for the help lads.

 

I'm just glad your nipples are intact! Glad it was a relatively easy fix.

 

Mine did this a couple of years ago. I was worried that the cable had snapped on the bonnet side which woul dmake it very difficult to open and repair. Thankfully like you're it was just the plastic latch that snapped, it looked like a very weak design.

 

I'm on my third plastic handle in two XJ8s. eBay seller wanted $45 and he turned down my lower offer. Right now I just tug on one nipple at a time. For a 23 year old car they don't hang that far and they are not symetrical. One is in fairly easy to reach. The other bends up.

 

I wonder if one could 3-d print nipple clamps.

 

Only appropriate with a black leather interior and tire chains.

 

All of this is ironic given how many people have called me a masochist for buying a 24 year old Jaguar.

 

I've often wondered exactly how one would get the bonnet open if one of these cables failed...

Can opener?

 

My parts XJR was in a front end collision that bent the bonnet. One lock was jammed and cable release would not work. Measured where locking pin was from my XJ8 and took a hole saw to it from the top. Not recommended.

 

I pulled up at a Circle K and there was an X308 VDP in the lot. Only one guy about my age in the store. Asked if his. 20ish cashier with purple hair said she just got it. Keep my mouth shut. I think I need to go back and tell her she needs to sell it ASAP and find a used Corolla.

 

I honestly can't see any option short of cutting a hole somewhere $$$.

 

 

I have distinct memories of my dad, in the mid 80s, standing on a chair and drilling through the middle rear of a Vega hood. I am sure alcohol was involved, as was the style of the time.