URGENT HELP needed ..... Bonnet release cable snapped - Facelift

**Phenoxan** · 28th June 2016, 23:12

So like an idiot i only skimmed the guide to tighten my cable. Ended up loosening it and closing the bonnet in blissful ignorance. cue me frantically searching these boards falling into a deep pit of despair as every post said to smash the grille. This post has made me a very happy person. 7am this morning I was out with a long flathead screwdriver. located the spring and pushed on it. pop! up came the bonnet. I readgusted the cable and all was good with the world. I am a very happy person.

Thank you Stradivarius

**Smithy69ers** · 15th August 2016, 13:31

Hello new member hi all , have a vectra c 2005 , have read all the threads with regards to opening the bonnet , is there any way of doing this without damaging the top grille ?? , only just fitted new grille 3 and would be gutted to smash it at £89 , many thanks

**Phenoxan** · 5th September 2016, 03:23

This thread tells you exaxtly how to do it. Read through it. Its worked for many people. Me included.

**nikroc** · 7th September 2016, 17:10

Anyone got the pictures that SPELLY took showing 'how to' release a stuck facelift bonnet?..He's not been on line for a few weeks...

**refinedstrings** · 1st June 2017, 02:23

Originally Posted by Stradivarius

Hi,
The bonnet release on my 2006 Facelift Signum failed today - the cable had sliiped out of the lever. I read all the posts - all looked rather tricky or worse - then my daughter found a piece on You Tube where the reccomendation (for a '96 Saturn!!) was to undo the end of the latch spring rather than try to replicate what the original cable was supposed to do.

I studied the photos of the How To on front bumper removal just to see the latch mechanisim and came up with a method that worked without grille damage!
http://www.vectra-c.com/forum/showth...84#post1277584

1. Obtain a pice of stiff wire about 3mm diameter and 300mm long - I used the wire handle off a £1.40 Wickes builders bucket - a coathanger will not be stiff enough.
2. Bend this into a shallow curve - like the curve where the top of the door meets the roof - and form a loop as a hand grip on one end.
3. Look under the front edge of the bonnet and spot the small square gap between black plastic shoulders where the safety catch is. Also look at a picture of the bonnet catch and how the end of the spring is tucked into a hole in the radiator shroud. It is this spring end you need to free from its hole.
4. Lift the bonnet safety catch (to make some working space) and insert the piece of bent wire at 45 degrees under the safety catch in the direction of the drivers side wiper arm (but not that far!!) Try to skim across the top of the flat metal where the latch spring is located.
5. Aim to push the end of the spring rearwards and towards the drivers side to unlatch the spring from its hole. After three goes on mine the bonnert catch released. The only damage was three scratches across the metal work where the spring was hooked into its locating hole.

With the bonnet open I reset the bonnet release cable into the other end of the spring and adjusted to free play with the single torx screw that holds th ecable outer.
Finally I put the bent wire in the boot for next time.

For some reason i cant see your pictures.. it says i am not cleared or something. Does anyone think they can send me a private message with them ? Thanks!!

**Big Dave** · 1st June 2017, 10:31

Originally Posted by refinedstrings

For some reason i cant see your pictures.. it says i am not cleared or something. Does anyone think they can send me a private message with them ? Thanks!!

New members can no longer see the how2 files without meeting certain criteria. See HERE for info.

**refinedstrings** · 1st June 2017, 16:15

No offence but why would anyone need to join the forum if they don't need help

**bigwul** · 1st June 2017, 16:38

Originally Posted by refinedstrings

No offence but why would anyone need to join the forum if they don't need help

you are right - but a lot of forums are the same - kinda to stop people just taking - and not giving.

I have come across the same situation - not so much here - but on other ones...

Chuck a few replies / posts at the forum and you will soon become a regular so to speak.....

It confused me too - I had no access to the How 2 when I joined.

**refinedstrings** · 1st June 2017, 19:57

So now I can't use my car (not anyone else's fault) but I can't see how to fix it because of some rules? Really?
Isn't there anyone who can PLEASE send me them pictures from post #10 in private?

**Woody** · 1st June 2017, 20:55

Why not just join as a full member and get full access and a membership of Vauxhall Trade Club as a bonus ?

The special price for service parts ... say GM Dexos are around half the regular public price so you would get more back than the cost of membership with some service parts savings.

Plus of course you would be contributing towards the costs of running the forum like a lot of us are already

At least you know that the details you need are there to see and of course you would be joining "Probably The Best Vectra-C / Signum Forum ..... In The World"