Got a flat battery on my Puma and can't pop the bonnet!

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote in news:1168091083.528033.10940@

No car manufacturer would build a vehicle where the battery power is needed to access it's own location, without any other means. Not even the French would do that (at least I don't think so ;-) ).

It's far more likely that the mechanism is stuck. You can sometimes circumvent this situation by getting an assistant to yank the bonnet in various directions while you pull on the lever. If that doesn't work, you need to try and find a way to access the catch without doing damage, either from underneath or via the grill opening, and release it manually.

Good luck!

Stu

Stu ( snipped-for-privacy@thanks.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

IIRC the wedgie Aston Lagonda did.

No, the French just build cars that you need to start in order to raise the suspension to get a jack under to take the wheel off to get the battery out into the wheelarch...

But you're right - the problem with the Puma is almost certainly just a stuck or broken cable.

Adrian wrote in news:Xns98B09ED1E6809adrianachapmanfreeis@204.153.244.170:

LOL - if the French aren't first to come up with a stupid idea then it would have to be us Brits.

Only example I can think of is the Laguna, which has keyless entry & starting and no visible lock barrels on the doors.

There *has* to be some kind of key mechanism somewhere on the car, though.

Stu

Stu ( snipped-for-privacy@thanks.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Paging one of the Ians...

You could try one of those battery jump start things that connect via the cigarette socket

I would presume that the bonnet release is the same as the fiesta, just a cable pull release

No, it's a simple cable arrangement.

When you used the bonnet release catch under the steering wheel, did you feel any resistance to movement in it? Did the lever let you move it to the side? These can sometimes pop out of their mount, all you need to do is lie upside down in the footwell (usually with your legs sticking out of the drivers' door) and relocate the catch back into place.

If the catch has broken, give it a hefty tug with a pair of pliers. That will unlock the bonnet.

"A C" wrote in news:ckQnh.34598$ snipped-for-privacy@newsfe4-win.ntli.net:

You can't possibly jump start a car via the cig socket, the socket & wiring can only handle a small fraction of the required current, therefore you would simply blow the fuse in an instant. You could, however, charge it slowly over a period of hours.

In any case, the OP still needs to find a way to get his bonnet open, unless he simply runs the car until it breaks down and then disposes of it (excuse the sarcasm). ;-)

Stu

Make sure its the bonnet release and not the steering height adjuster your releasing , pratt in tyre sales took half an hour to open my bonnet

"Steve Robinson" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@news-text.blueyonder.co.uk:

LOL! No wonder cars get damaged from the use of incorrect jacking positions!

Stu

"Steve Robinson" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@news-text.blueyonder.co.uk:

I realised that. My point was, if a tyre fitter can't distinguish between steering column and bonnet release levers, one can expect errors when it comes to the identification of suitable jacking points :-)

Stu

That's not a problem on the Puma as I recall...

I used to wonder that aswell. There is a key built into the card. It slides out, and then there's a cap you pop of one of the front door handles (think it's the passenger side), and the car can be opened normally.

"moray" wrote in news:enosha$fou$1$ snipped-for-privacy@news.demon.co.uk:

Cheers, Moray. I knew someone would have the answer. No more sleepless nights for me ;-)

Stu

Has the bonnet been replaced at any point? If it's out of alignment in the catch it may be difficult to release. Get someone to press down at the front centre while you pull and hold the release handle. Get said assistant to release pressure and it may pop up, ready to lift (then you can let the handle go!).

That's due to the genius in Ford that decided to place the bonnet release catch where most cars have their steering adjustment lever. I wonder how many people opened their bonnets while driving before ford decided to move the lever back to somewhere sensible?

It's the other way around, essentially, Muppetry manufacturers decided to have an adjustable steering wheel and placed the control where Ford had been putting bonnet releases for an age.

Only those who don't read instructions.