Well, well. Renault bonnets.

Playing devil's advocate here.....

It's not unknown for catches to play up in such a way - in fact, the one on my 75 did it, too. (ISTR it's the safety catch causing issues).

It's something that's pulled up on an MOT and should be common sense to check during normal servicing.

(ie. if the safety doesn't work, lubricate and / or adjust)

Seems to be a combination of things - the main catch fails due to corrosion after a few years (they were suggesting due to insufficient plating for the wear it gets round the hole), and the secondary catch is then too flimsy at speed to actually catch and hold against a fast wind snatching the bonnet up.

Yes, it should be oiled, checked, adjusted as needed. But until we get sealed bonets and mandatory (and double checked!) service schedules, it ain't gonna happen.

How far to we have to take this?

'I didn't know it was dangerous to drive a car with an insecure steering wheel'

I think "I didn't know it was dangerous to drive a 3 year old car at 60mph on a flat road" is probably within the bounds of a reasonable way to take it...

True, but it would appear bad design is causing a higher than expected amount of incidents.

Justin.

PC Paul ( snipped-for-privacy@bitrot.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Why do none of these people ever notice that the safety catch is seizing when they check the oil level once per week or so?

[...]

I didn't know the security of the bonnet was part of the MOT. I've never seen it checked...

Chris

You know, I really can't imagine. You'd think it would be obvious.

I've had an advisory for an iffy one.

PC Paul ( snipped-for-privacy@bitrot.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Wouldn't you just...

The only possible explanation I can come up with is that they never undertake basic maintenance - so basic it's even included in the driving test now.

And *surely* that couldn't be the case, can it?

Ahh, but if they did that, they couldn't blame someone else.

'Where there's blame there's a claim'

Thanks, it makes perfect sense, but I couldn't find it here:

I spend some time at a local MOT place, but I've never seen an actual check done so I suppose closing the bonnet counts as that.

Chris

HTH.

Because it gives them untroubled access to the bonnet so they can check the oil level once per week or so?

To be fair, it probably does hold when stationary, it's just when it pops up at 60+ that the wind gives it enough of a tug to get it all the way open..

Good job there's no second problem like corrosion which makes the primary catch fail, eh?

oh yes, in fact i failed a fiat multipla last week as the bonnet wasn't securing fully. i have to say though, they are bloody ugly looking vehicles.

reg

Chris Lawrence ( snipped-for-privacy@holosys.co.uk.invalid) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

And they don't think "OOooh, no safety catch. That's unusual..."?

... and the driver does not notice that the bonnet is flapping about.

Examing bonnet catches is in the driving test now is it? How about the bushes on the anti-roll bar? Or the rear bearing? How about the blocker bars inthe gearbox? Shouldnt they all be checked too?

McK.