Popping the bonnet on an L wagon when the cable's broken?

mrflames · Post by **mrflames** » Sat Jan 03, 2009 10:58 am

Does anyone know how to release the bonnet on an L wagon when the release cable is broken?

I can access and move the lever at the front with a wooden ruler, but it seems I need to actually release the catch first.

To complicate things slightly I've got a big bullbar on it from which I've removed the spotlights, but still don't have room to remove the front grille.

Any advice would be appreciated - my saturday is disappearing rapidly!

Cheers,
Jono

fredsub · Post by **fredsub** » Sat Jan 03, 2009 9:58 pm

I guess you would have worked it out by now:mrgreen::mrgreen:........

hehe, trying to remember what I did, I think hand through the grill...you need to move the latch sideways.....

anyway, take some advice from a hard earned lessen, I was a slack arse and never fixed it,............

got a fire under the bonnet, I suppose if I could have more easily popped the bonnet, could have helped....as it happened it was a write off, even the firerys who were there in minutes had trouble releasing the bonnet, by which time the front was well and truly burnt and stuffed.

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Sat Jan 03, 2009 10:36 pm

From memory I think I've done it by accessing the mechanism from under the bumper/bullbar to get behind the grill. From there you just need to find the latch to push/pull to pop the bonnet.

Cheers

Bennie

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 10:05 am

we did that on L series once, it broke once and i used a bike hand brake thing that you attach the cable with allen key.. anyway we removed the grill and pulled back with screw driver to unlock the bonnet...

I wonder if its a common problem for subarus?
Cheers
AP

T'subaru · Post by **T'subaru** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 11:18 am

It is a common problem on all 3 of my L series. 2 have broken cables and 1 is on the way. I have a heavy gauge wire thru the grill I use until I get time to hit the wreckers.

BrennyV · Post by **BrennyV** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 11:25 am

my leone hasent had a cable for years. it takes 5sec's to pop for me (bullbar makes access easy also)

Busdriver · Post by **Busdriver** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 11:54 am

I have no grill in my L and I can open the catch by putting my hand behind the support bracket to release the catch.
I might try some heavy gauge wire on the catch release and put the grill back in, as it seems that this is not uncommon and a new cable might do the same again.
The end of my cable came off once when I was pulling the cable inside the car and the inner cable came up through the outer before I twigged what was goung on and because it had frayed up I could not put it back in.

mrflames · Post by **mrflames** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 9:21 pm

Thanks for the advice guys. I managed to pop the cover off the latch assembly through the grille, then got under the car and used a small mirror to see what I had to pull. Got it open by hooking the latch with a large allen key. Now to fit that new cable!

Cheers,
Jono