Car bonnet/hood lock, ford mondeo

[trirunning]

Firstly I know this is automotive, and if the mods feel it breaks the rules then please remove the thread. However I have to ask...

Unfortunatly my girlfriends 2002 Ford Mondeo has developed a fault meaning the speedo does not work and there are some engine issues. Checking the manual it would seem that one of the fuses has gone. This fuse is located in the engine bay, now the trouble starts.

Some clever guy at Ford decided that the way to open the bonnet on this model would be to rotate the front badge 180 degrees and put a lock behind it, instructions say that to open you should insert the key and turn anticlockwise until the bonnet clicks, then turn clockwise to fully disengage the locking mechanism.

Unfortunatly I got nothing...no click when turning anti clockwise, there is resistance after around 30 degrees, however it won't open, and too much force is going to snap the key.

Quick searches on google show this is a common fault and can be down to two things, 1) Part of the linkage breaks or 2) seized mechanism.

I am going to have a go tonight with some WD40 through the grill on the moving parts that link to the lock in case it is seized.

My real question is if part of the linkage mechanism is broken would you expect the plug to rotate freely in the lock with no resistance, in my mind it should which leads me to think that it is just siezed. Any advise?

I guess other than that it's a trip to the ford dealer.

Curse the person that thought it would be a good idea to use a cheap lock to open the bonnet of a car.

[Rickthepick]

I would say the most likely cause is just grease and grime in the release catch, try cleaning it as you said and maybe put a little pressure down on the bonnet to take any strain off the mech that may stop it popping open as easilly.

[EmCee]

Don't you just love car manufacturers? Difficult to see quite why it would be thought necessary to 'lock' the bonnet with a key but hey...never know when some tea leaf is going to be wandering about looking to nick some pistons or drain your windscreen wash.

Mind you, I can't talk...on the Seat Alhambra there's no access to the sidelights from the engine compartment. No, some genius decided it would be much more useful to make replacing the bulb a very awkward, fiddly, grimey, dirty job involving removing a panel inside the wheelarch (although the manual says nothing of this, just to take it to a dealer....to change a bulb ffs!).

Go with Rick's advice, especially the bit about pushing down on the lip of the bonnet to take any strain off the mechanisam. If spraying the linkage doesn't help, you might use the red tube to squirt a little WD40 into the lock then run the key in and out a few times to see if it frees anything.

Good luck.

Cheers...

[trirunning]

Cheers guys, I spent two hours on it last night, could not get the thing to budge, tried depressing the bonnet and lifting it, WD40, prying with screwdrivers, nothing worked.

Gave up at the point that I thought I might rip the front grill off.

Have gone through the manual with her and told her to drive it to a Ford dealer and tell them to get it open, refuse to pay for anything other than the cost of a new fuse.

Surely it's pretty fundamental to be able to access the engine bay of a car right? I am so annoyed that what should be a £5 fix for a new fuse that I could do in 2 minutes might turn out to be much more costly, just because I can't get to the fusebox.