Car Owners Hub UK - Built by Drivers, for Drivers

Although I am not really enthusiastic about automobiles, I am attempting to assist a friend with the batteries. The issue is that the hood will not go up.

Using a lengthy instrument to pry it loose. Same here on my v40. My guess is that the prior owner or mechanic bent the latch on mine by accident.

To the right of the bonnet panel is the rear limiter catch. To activate the pedestrian protection airbag, the two hinges of the bonnet would have to be pyrotechnically stretched or a pin in the system sheared so that the airbag may inflate over the windscreen; only then should it engage.

Did you know that you may use a bar to push it to one side to deactivate it? After you've opened the bonnet, you should examine it.


When it is closed, does the bonnet rest flat against the back of the wing panels?

By bending the fixed latch, which is fastened to the frame, just a little bit, it is possible for it to engage or partially engage without the airbag ever going off.

A small jiggle is all it takes to unhook mine, which just partially locks. As far as I can tell, this is the same as his bonnet. Check out the dings on the frame's latch.

Maybe that's why subsequent vehicles debuted a new catch and cross bar design?

That wouldn't surprise me at all. Given the proximity of the latch to the hook and the mounting's pliability, it would be sufficient to close the bonnet using a tool elevated on that ledge to gently bend it.

So many times, completely on its own, the hook has nibbled the lock. My solution is to slightly bend the bottom section to the right, which fixes it. The component is carved from pliable metal, and I craft it by hand. After a few months of being perfectly OK, it bites again for no apparent reason, forcing me to bend it once more.

Watch an online video on how to change the battery once you open the lid; you won't believe how difficult it is.

Take this as an example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz9KdZ5SJNg

We greatly appreciate the responses. I even attempted to use a broom to push it! But I'll give it another go because I think it could require a little jiggling. By the way, I wanted to say thanks for the video on changing a battery.