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there's even a close-up of how to disengage the end of the strut.
If you don't have an assistant, you will need to prop the hood open once you have disconnected one strut, as the other won't hold the weight on its own. Don't rest the prop on the engine covers! (tip from someone on here who did).
Once you have the hood raised in the vertical service position, be sure to run a couple of long bolts through the open hinge holes so there is no chance the hood can come slamming down on you or any tools or parts you may have spread across the engine bay. I keep a couple of appropriately-sized bolts on my motor oil storage shelf in my garage just for this purpose....
Doesn't really matter as disconnecting either end will allow the hood to open fully. In practice, disconnecting the body end of the struts allows them to hang on the hood out of the way rather than lying in the engine compartment. The strut fastenings are the same on both ends.
I just wedge a small flat-bladed screwdriver under the clip to prise it open a little. Don't overdo it else it will fly off and disappear forever.
You can remove the screwdriver once you've done this as the strut end can be just pushed onto its locating pin with the clip back in place.
Last edited by michaelh; Mar 21, 2017 at 06:33 PM.
Since we last had a discussion on this topic in November 2012, I've had one more XK8 and an XK. Still never needed to use the 'service position' - on the car.
I'm sure I've seen a Jaguar document on the recommended procedure but I can't find anything on it in JTIS. Presumably there will be a TSB so worth a post here if anyone has it.
First have two decently sized bolts with nuts. Then open the hood. Then disconnect the struts from it (just undo them from the hood, leave them connected on the fenders and just put them out of the way. The hood will move quite a bit forward. Youll see down on the hinges that they make a hole that you can stick the bolt through. By having the right diameter bolts, it will have minimal play (I don't want it moving around) and stay up.
These pics should help:
That second picture, I don't use the struts like that to hold the hood, I don't think it's secure enough.
Hood/bonnet in service mode
