Citroen XM Forum

Bending the rods was a last ditch thing. I really didn't want to ruin a perfectly good bonnet.

The way the latches work is that the U shaped cam is pressed downwards and a second latching pawl interlocks with the cam. It sounds like the latching pawls have stuck, so not clicking into the cams.

Try pressing the cams down with a screwdriver, they should latch.

Out with the old . . .





In with the new. Well, when I say new, I mean the old ones that have been soaking in diesel for the past three weeks

I meant to just leave them in for a couple of days but, as it's the silly season, everything just gets in the way.







Whilst the nose cone's off the whole of the front end is going to get a good clean down. May even take the headlights out and separate the glass to clean inside.

Don't do what I did a few months ago, and forgot to hook in the release cable!
All was well until I pulled the bonnet release several days later, and . . .
Tw*t!
Did find, though, that a well placed long screwdriver will push the release lever aside, so was able to get in.

Not likely to happen here as the whole point of this is to get the bonnet catches to hold the bonnet. Gonna make sure that works before the nose cone goes back on.

That diesel bath certainly seems to have worked.

It's a good idea to occasionally check the operation of the bonnet catches, both primary and safety. Ony this morning did I see a Renault Clio with the bonnet folded back over the windscreen and roof.

Grease is the word...

Didn't Renault refuse to acknowledge there was a problem with Clio bonnets (which blew open in their hundreds), and became the subject of a BBC Watchdog campaign? I think they tried to blame the poor bonnet catches on "lack of appropriate servicing".

White Exec wrote:Didn't Renault refuse to acknowledge there was a problem with Clio bonnets (which blew open in their hundreds), and became the subject of a BBC Watchdog campaign? I think they tried to blame the poor bonnet catches on "lack of appropriate servicing".

Which is correct. The servicing mechanics weren't lubricating the primary and safety catches, so if the bonnet came loose, the safety catch didn't stop it flying wide open.

The ship was lost for a hapenth o' tar.

The safty catch on the bonnet siezed. sarah had one and had the recall but the bonnet release spring that pushes the bonnet up when you pull the relase also siezes so when you pull the bonnet release it dont spring up so it needs two to open.. mainly on the 1999 to 2005 models i think were affected the most.

Found time to fit the bonnet catches, but with the end result being the same. The rods are still not catching and hence the bonnet springs back up again










That's with the bonnet pressed down so that it is down below the line of the wing - and it will not catch! Springs straight back up.



Same on the nearside, although there is a very faint click as though it's trying to clasp the rod but the end result is the same.

The problem is I cannot press the bonnet down far enough to clasp the rods even when I press it down below the level of the wing, and the clasps are fixed with no adjustment.

One unexpected bonus though - she started on the first turn of the key, even though it's over ten weeks since I last kicked her up.