Relocating bonnet release

[bravo 35]

I know this was asked a few months back, but no-one had a solution - I thought I'd come up with a good one, but I haven't.

The issue is the bonnet release lever fouling on front speakers whenever you install something larger than factory.

I have just finished putting my new fronts in, and of course have this problem.

You can't space the lever out or it fouls the glovebox, and you can't move the glovebox over becaus the latch won't line up (I may move the latch yet if possible, but don't think I can.)

So I am thinking of moving the lever either to in front of the speaker, or somewhere outside the car (like under the front bumper or something).

Anyone done anything like this???

Pic:

[Guest Andrew]

get rid of the grill on the speaker

[CaM 0]

chuck it under the bumper, sounds like a mean idea, wouldnt bee too hard either....

[Surge 1]

Cable operated so you could ditch the lever all together and have some kind of pully running off the braket...

Edited May 26, 2005 by Surge

[bravo 35]

Can't ditch the speaker grille - those baby's have some hell extension, and they just about hit the lever at rest - grill was the only way to protect the speaker. i was going to have the factory trims in front for a stealth look, but with 9mm of extension , there was just no way that could happen.

I tried other misc grilles lying around, but all fouled the speaker cone on full extension.

I am thinking of trying to put it inside the glove box, failing that under the bumper (could put it into a bike brake lever for easier grip, but yet to suss it. have been suggested to solenoid it like on show cars with shaved door handles, but not sure if I can find a big enough solenoid that will work,

That will be the shiznit - could open the bonnet using my alarm fob!

Any other ideas welcome, don't know if I want to spend the time or money installing a solenoid system even if I find one strong enough.

Edited May 26, 2005 by bravomikewhiskey

[Jimocles 0]

is it possible to turn the lever upside down?

so you pull from the top,

[Guest Andrew]

Can't ditch the speaker grille - those baby's have some hell extension, and they just about hit the lever at rest - grill was the only way to protect the speaker. i was going to have the factory trims in front for a stealth look, but with 9mm of extension , there was just no way that could happen.

I tried other misc grilles lying around, but all fouled the speaker cone on full extension.

I am thinking of trying to put it inside the glove box, failing that under the bumper (could put it into a bike brake lever for easier grip, but yet to suss it. have been suggested to solenoid it like on show cars with shaved door handles, but not sure if I can find a big enough solenoid that will work,

That will be the shiznit - could open the bonnet using my alarm fob!

Any other ideas welcome, don't know if I want to spend the time or money installing a solenoid system even if I find one strong enough.

just use the emergency release mechanism when you need to pop the bonnet.

[bravo 35]

Would involve dismantling the lever I guess (if possible, think the pivot is a rivet but could drill out ant put a bolt in maybe).

Will look into it tonight.

[downlow 0]

just use the emergency release mechanism when you need to pop the bonnet.

Were is this found??

[bravo 35]

Not all e30's have them. Mine does.

If you look through the front grille on the passenger side just to the left of the headlights, you'll see a small round thing with a slot cut into it. insert a long flathead screwdriver in the slot and give it a good twist (I find a quarter turn clockwise best) and the bonnet will pop.

Make sure your face isn't in the way as it springs forward lol (and no I didn't do it, but I thought of it the first time as it sprung)

Yeah - I thought of that Andrew, but it's a bit rangi. Good last resort though!

I have been talking to my old man who is a sparky - he reckons the solenoid is the go. I would mount it in the engine bay on a short cable (get one made), and then attach that to a spring and then to the bonnet catch - the spring would tension the whole lot, plus mean that I wouldn't have to worry about the solenoid pulling the catch apart if it had too much movement.

Then either mount a switch inside, or hook up to alarm.

Gonna rob a solenoid of a washing machine - they have 12v internal circuits - and give it a go.

Thanks for the ideas - I'll let you know when I'm done - might even hook one up to the boot too so I can pop that with the alarm fob without fumbling for keys when carrying shopping etc.

[petone 0]

I dunno about yours but my bonnet release needs quite a decent pull to release. I wouldn't have thought any reasonable sized solenoid woul dhave been stong enough, good luck with the washing machine one though. Just leave it loose in the glovebox, its out of the way. How often do you open your bonnet anyway? If it were me i'd save time/money for something else.

My 2c

[bravo 35]

Dad reckons it will be strong enough easily. (they are still 12v, but about the size of a windscreen wiper motor - i.e. massize!) Not the little mini ones at jaycar - they only go up to 2kg pull.

Don't want to hook it up to old cable as it needs a spring or else you need to exactly match the movement of the solenoid to the amount of movement required. Too little and bonnet won't open, too much and it'll rip the lock apart.

Solenoid will be free, and time I have, so will have an experiment. If it gets expensive, I'll just move the lever like originally planned.

[bumpstop325 0]

rangi mods says:

remove the lever and leave the cable in the glovebox. Now put a pair of vice grips in the glovebox. now evertime you want to open you bonnet. Open the glovebox and pull the cable with your vice grips!!! sweet as :thumb:

[petone 0]

But the bloody vice grips will take up more space than leaving the lever attached!

[kiwi535 538]

what about above the gloVe box,on the e34 there is a plastic trim that comes off and i am sure there is metal up there somewhere!!!ie open the glove box and look up to the underside of the dash

[Rod 0]

Not familair with the battery location in the e30, however note the following thought: If the battery is located in the engine bay and should the choice be made to use a solenoid, consider the requirement of an alternative method to open the bonnet if the battery dies. Chances are that when the battery packs up it will be dark, windy and raining. The car may not be at home either. Given that by this time the missus (or missus to be) would most likely be highly amused (=totally pissed off) regarding the lack of electricty, so laying under the car and getting covered in black filth attempting to release the bonnet is not a viable option. Best then that the alternative method does not require any illumination or any fiddly tools that could get lost on the side of the road (=down drains, etc), and does not require one to become a contortionist.

Personally I would stick with some type of lever mechanism as it will weigh less, and will have fewer modes of failure. A lever fabricated from aluminium with an offset design to clear the speaker grill would not be difficult to manufacture at home. This could then be polished and anodised, both of which are inexpensive. Attention should be focused on designing a lever mechanism that is not prone to vibration (use some type of soft bushing: nylon, polyamide, etc) if is to be manufactured from metal. Nothing worse than an anoying rattle. Consider also that most unlubricated metal to metal surfaces will gall, causing wear (I generally open the bonnet every few days for a visual check), most plastics do not suffer this phenomenon. The design of the lever also should not cause passenger injury due to hard driving (no points awarded if the missus's stockings get ripped). These thoughts appear to complicated, however it is not difficult. Happy designing.

[bravo 35]

Wow Rod - nice first post mate! :thumb: Welcome!

Today I received the spare lever cable and latch from Jonty which I intend on modifying to work by thinning it out and strengthening with a metal brace.

If it doesn't work I may have a go at fabricating a new one.

What I didn't realise till I looked at the latch is that the release cable has a tensioning spring which means the movement at the lever end is much more than at the latch end.

This means a solenoid is quite viable wit a non-sprung cable or wire .

As far as a back-up system goes, most e30's have a emergency release latch easily operated in the dark with a flat-head screwdriver. The only thing is that the solenoid would have to allow movement when no power to it so if flat battery you colud operate the latch manually.

Thanks for the ideas re: Al lever - if I can't get it to work I may try that.

Oh, and cheers for the parts Andrew!!!