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MG MGF Technical - Bonnet release re-location

Hi All,

After a camping trip this weekend where I stuffed quite a bit under the bonnet, the thought occured that it might be possible to move/replace the bonnet release from out of the boot and into the main cabin (like in every other car I've ever had). After a few pitstop style laps of the car to the boot then the bonnet each time I got a bit sick of it really.

Anyone done this?

Cheers

Phil
Phil Brindley - Leicester

Phil, I bored Lyn with this subject on the way home from Wales.

A thought: could an electric boot release kit be converted into an electric bonnet release kit, connected to the existing cables in the boot and have a button inside the car? An alternative to relocating the release handle.
JohnP

Can't see any reason why this couldn't be done.

You could go down the electric route as has been mentioned above, or simply relocate the handle - i would suggest by the side of the driver's seat as this is where the cable runs already (seems to be the simplest place to put it).

SF
Scarlet Fever

I was about to suggest exactly the same thing John! :o)

The advantage of using a central locking motor for the job is that you'd probably ensure that the only way to open the front bonnet compartment is whilst the ignition key is in the ignition, supplying a level of security. It is for security reasons that the boot release is presently located in the boot.

The only conceivable downside is the torque of the motor: it would need to be a reasonably powerful motor as it always seems to take some effort to operate the front latch from a lever either inside the car or the boot in my experience (or is this just a function of the cable???)

The Porsche Boxster has another, rather neat solution: mount the release buttons in the door shut space. That way, you'd need to unlock the door in order to access the release switch/handle.

A further solution would be to use a boot release from a Rover800 - which, IIRC, has a key to protect its operation.
Rob Bell

I thought about the electric approach but had the same thought as you Rob in that the handle always seems to require quite a bit of effort to operate so I thought that a central locking motor may not be strong enough, also I have no idea how to do this.

SF, if the cable runs along side the seat then that could be the best answer. I thought of getting the old fashioned pull handle as used in Lorna's Cooper and mounting it just under the dash, that way it's away from prying eyes.

I would much prefer the electric solution though so I might try and investigate this a little further first, love the boxster solution too, very swish.
Phil Brindley - Leicester

Just thought, any electric solution would have to be in addition to the existing manual one to avoid a locked boot/flat battery/D'oh scenario. Thise makes it a little trickier.
Phil Brindley - Leicester

Actually, the electric option would be fine: you keep the standard cable release.

The question is where to mount the CL motor - I guess under the bonnet shut panel? CL motors do tend to be pretty powerful, so there might be less of a problem that we think... Worth investigating further: you could even adapt a boot release kit to save on development time.
Rob Bell

in fact, why doesn't the bonnet open like the boot anyway - they're just both lids aren't they? The boot has some kind of self balancing hinge mechanism, yet the bonnet lifts like a lump and still needs a pole underneath to hold it up. The whole - EngineAlreadyRunning/Glovebox/Boot/Bonnet thing can get a bit tiresome.
Gary

Been looking into gas struts recently... (shhh, it's TOP SECRET!) ;-)

There is plenty of space under the bonnet slam panel to mount an electric release motor, this seems like the best place to fit one ifyou ask me, access is good (just half a dozen or so bolts and the 5 bumper screws). There is a shield under there to protect the bonnet from thieves, this may need to be disgarded to provide room, and if you are really clever you could use the shield's mounting holes for the motor - totally invisible mod! :-)

The bonnet release cable runs from the boot mounted handle, into the engine bay where it meets the throttle cable, both cables then exit the engine bay through a grommet in the parcel shelf, they then run under the carpet, below the T-Bar, down the rear panel (still under the carpet) and along the side of the driver's seat. At this point they travel through cable ports in some structural bracing of the cill, exiting under the carpet still, into the driver's footwell. Here the two cables split up, the throttle cable runs around the edge of the footwell, then up to the throttle pedal. Whilst the bonnet release runs up behind the dash, through a grommet into the front of the car. IT runs around the wing, behind the headlamp and into the radiator enclosure, through the thief shroud to the bonnet catch.

SF
Scarlet Fever

>> Been looking into gas struts recently... (shhh, it's TOP SECRET!) ;-)

LOL, funny you should say that, I was going to investigate this also. Keep me posted on this one please Andy.
Phil Brindley - Leicester

Andy - as you know, I've been thinking of gas struts for the bonnet for years! LOL Just too little time etc etc.

Electric motor is definitely looking like the best bet. Might still be a question of having some form of 'anti-tamper' shield to prevent tea-leaves from tampering with the bonnet release - but other than that it ought to be reasonably straightforward.
Rob Bell

This thread was discussed between 28/06/2004 and 29/06/2004

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