Bonnet cable broken

[KennyW]

Hi All,

Has anyone replaced the bonnet cable mine has recently broken. It appears from service Citroen the cable is no longer available.

Kenny

[c.morewood]

Is it the small one or the long one Kenny? I have a spare short one.

[KennyW]

Chris,
It's the long one and reading the BOL,it says remove dash and heater assembly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm thinking, of using a a bicycle cable and pulling it through with the original cable attached through bulkhead.

Kenny

[c.morewood]

Sorry can't help then Kenny. Paul (citroenxm) might have one.
I know the feeling.. the clutch cables used to go quite regularly on my BMW K100 .. after the first couple went .. I learned to have a spare one in the pannier and some tape and string to pull the new one through with.
Hopefully it'll be as easy as that.

Good Luck!

[Richard_C]

Do you actually need the cable? At least in the short term. It strikes me that the main reason for a cable is to stop anyone opening the bonnet unless they have unlocked the car. Could you not simply make up a short length of wire or nylon cord from the catch to somewhere behind the grille or bumper? Chances of any passers by randomly tugging at bits of car to see if they have ersatz bonnet releases seems to me to be slim...

[KennyW]

Richard C,

I can open bonnet by reaching under and pulling the cable. I was looking for anyone who has replaced it previously.
I have replaced the heating matrix before so well aware of the time it takes. Hence I'm looking at the alternative method i have suggested.

Kenny

[KennyW]

Well replaced the cable without removing the dash .
Pretty simple really, The cable runs through an outer plastic sheath which is within a protective plastic covered metal spiral pipe.

I first removed the plastic steering cowling to reveal the orange bonnet release. Unbolted same from steering column,knocked out the broken head and small cable left.
There is a plastic outer pipe which runs through the fascia to the bulkhead, around the bulkhead to the N/S wing to joint where it connects to the short bonnet release cable. Simply release it there and remove cable from plastic sheath.
I used a brake cable from a bike but it is only 2M long and it requires some cutting of pipe to fashion it to fit but no problems. I adapted a electrical connector to fit the extra length required.

It works fine.

If you have problems running cable through it maybe as a result of heat melting the inner plastic sheath and little more judicial fettling is required.

Otherwise a simple 1 spanner job as per BOL which recommends removal of Fascia.

Kenny