Bonnet release cable

k31ron said:
Ok so I've soaked it WD40 and and bounced it till I'm blue but I still cant get the damn thing open, I removed the front kidney grill (mines 2003 so in understand the catch is in the middle) to access the mechanism but I cant work out what I need to do .... any advice?
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Always tricky when closed. Try getting someone to press on the centre of the bonnet - gently as it's alloy. someone pull the footwell lever fully and then you pull the release cable a little extra from the left had grille. That should do it.
Clean, lube and adjust it afterwards.
 
cj10jeeper said:
k31ron said:
Ok so I've soaked it WD40 and and bounced it till I'm blue but I still cant get the damn thing open, I removed the front kidney grill (mines 2003 so in understand the catch is in the middle) to access the mechanism but I cant work out what I need to do .... any advice?
Click to expand...

Always tricky when closed. Try getting someone to press on the centre of the bonnet - gently as it's alloy. someone pull the footwell lever fully and then you pull the release cable a little extra from the left had grille. That should do it.
Clean, lube and adjust it afterwards.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that, will give it a try at the weekend (with a few more WD40 squirts)
 
Stop using WD40 it's a water dispersant. Use penetrating oil to free things and them any light machine oil, chain oil or special grease.
 
You can pop the Z4 bonnet by taking the kidney grilles out and using a screwdriver to push what the bonnet release cable 'pulls'...

I damaged my release mechanism doing this though as it's just a plastic part where the cable attaches.

I bought a new bonnet release mechanism for £25 from BMW which solved all my issues, and fixed the broken bit. In the end I wish I'd just removed the latch and cleaned it as nothing was really wrong with it, and after fitting a new one it became clear that the problem was just muck basically.



Trying to grease/lubricate the mechanism is a losing battle. It just attracts dirt and then gets stiffer.

My best piece of advice is to remove the bonnet latch and soak/clean it thoroughly and then re-fit and it should be like new... it's about 5 mins job to take it off so not a huge issue to clean every 4 years or so to keep it working nicely.
 
Pom, thank you so much so helpful with the tip to release the catch. From a stuck bonnet to it opened degreased and relubed with thinner oil in 5 mins. Fantastic help ... don't you just love the internet on these occassions
 
Guess I had the odd scenario where it would open but wouldn't catch and stay shut. Again, rectified by cleaning the gunk and grease then regreasing slightly. Seems to just be a maintenance item.
 
To add my experience to this.

I had the same problem and initially removed the locking mechanism, degreased and cleaned it all with brake cleaner and then re greased it all.

Put it all back together and the bloody thing still didn't open!

Eventually ended up replacing the front section of cable to solve the issue. Was about £20 off eBay iirc.

Now it seems that the cable is poorly designed. When under no tension the lug on the end of the cable appears to sit very high in the plastic release part, about 10mm from the bottom.

This means that when you pull the cable this slack has to be taken up first, meaning it only releases right at the end of the levers movement.

Why didn't they just make the cable about 5mm shorter? As it is, any stretching means you can't easily open the bonnet. Daft.
 
SideExit said:
To add my experience to this.

I had the same problem and initially removed the locking mechanism, degreased and cleaned it all with brake cleaner and then re greased it all.

Put it all back together and the bloody thing still didn't open!

Eventually ended up replacing the front section of cable to solve the issue. Was about £20 off eBay iirc.

Now it seems that the cable is poorly designed. When under no tension the lug on the end of the cable appears to sit very high in the plastic release part, about 10mm from the bottom.

This means that when you pull the cable this slack has to be taken up first, meaning it only releases right at the end of the levers movement.

Why didn't they just make the cable about 5mm shorter? As it is, any stretching means you can't easily open the bonnet. Daft.
Click to expand...

Is there an option to put some spacers in to take up slack?
 
Resurrecting an old thread which didn't quite have the answer..

When I bought my Z the bonnet lever in the footwell was missing but the cable was there and the previous owner had provided pliers to pull the cable. I've just tried to fit a new handle but as I suspected, having fitted it, the bonnet does not open as cable has been stretched. How easy is it to replace the cable?
 
Not sure if you're aware, but the bonnet release cable is in two parts. The lever in the footwell pulls the cable at one end of a mechanism in a little junction box that's attached to the bodywork, in front of the washer bottle and behind the headlight. This then pulls on another cable that goes to the bonnet catch.

If the junction box becomes detached from the bodywork (mine was), then the internal mechanism won't work and the bonnet won't release. If the lever in the cabin is like pulling fresh air, you may want to check the above.
 
If the cable does need replacing, it might be worth looking to see if the new cable can be attached to the old one and then pulled through? Just an idea!
 
Wooly999 said:
skelters said:
Replacement cables on the eBay.....

https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/Genuine-BMW-Z4-E85-BOONET-Hood-Release-Cable-Front-51237041999/1650536787

I've used Muc Off Dry Lube for a bike chain on the bonnet catch and not had any problems since.
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Thanks Skelters, I'd seen these available but wondered how straight forward it was to actually fit a replacement. Did you replace yours? Any info or tips would be most welcome.
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No I've not replaced the cable. Muc off cured the opening of the bonnet.

You can rip the grill out at the front and open the catch with a screwdriver.
 
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