New Member Needing Urgent Help Please..

[Brigante]

Ok so here’s my story of woe.. Few months ago I bought a mk2 2005 ford focus ghia, everything seemed to be going well then all the problems started.. First was the tracking was out, quick £20 fix fair enough, then due to the tracking, the front tyres needed replacing so took it to the tyre place, about to take the wheels off then realized we have no locking wheel nut key, got in touch with previous owner only to find they had no idea where it was. After trips to about 5 different garages, none of which wanted to touch it saying it was literally impossible to get my type of nut off without the key and that they would have to be heated off, I took to it myself with a hammer and chisel and within an hour all 4 locking nuts was off, impossible my !Removed!. A trip back to the tyre place, 2 new tyres and a new set of locking wheel nuts, job done.

Things seemed to be going well again then they got really bad, literally a month into owning the car a lorry decides to cut me up when trying to leave a roundabout, smashes in my passenger side wing and rips a big hole in the front bumper, even takes out the centre cap of one of my alloys. About a £100quid later on eBay for a bumper and wing panel and my 'mechanic' sets about fitting the new parts. Pops the bonnet, removes grill, removes bumper, removes wing panel, new wing on, new bumper on, refits grill and slots lock barrel back into grill, closes bonnet.

Now this is where everything goes really bad, I notice the wing isn't fitted properly as the panels don’t line up flush, 'mechanic' goes to rectify this, goes to open bonnet, turns key left and right.. and nothing. It appears my mechanic didn’t know about the very common problem with the mk2 bonnet mechanism and how easy it can break or detach. I am now unable to open the bonnet, I know all about this problem and how to fix it. I have tried using a long screwdriver through the grill to push on the white plastic coupling while turning the key but it doesn't work, I have removed the under engine tray/stone shield and reached up to push the coupling in my hand but it still doesn't work. I actually work in a car manufacturing plant where I actually look under the bonnet of 100s of cars a day so I know about the 2 10mm bolts on the bonnet latch and that they need to be unscrewed so the bonnet can be prised open, I have jacked the car up, got underneath to reach up to access the 2 bolts but unless I just have really big hands, I don’t see how anyone can get their hands up between the engine block and radiator to get a ratchet to the bolts. I got my arm up as far as I could but it wasn't enough and any further my arm would have got trapped. I know you can remove the grill by chiselling the clips off but I really cannot see or feel where they are, I know I could smash the grill in but saving this for a last resort as well as taking it to a ford dealer for an extortionate fee.

I'm going to apologize now in advance for this long and boring post and I am well aware there are 100s of similar posts all over Google and many already on this website but I have tried them all already and can't find any recent posts, only ones from years ago. Just to save some time, I already know about the long screwdriver through the grill trick with no avail. I know about removing the under engine tray and reaching up to the two 10mm bolts but I cannot see any way of getting my arm up far enough to reach them, I know about removing the grill but can't see the clips to chisel off and I don’t want to smash it in just yet nor do I want to make the dreaded trip to the ford dealer.

Can anyone please shed any more light on this issue or offer up any suggestions I haven't tried yet or expand on any that I have? I actually like driving the car but with all the problems I really regret buying it.

I do apologize in advance for my first post being such a long one.

Many Thanks in advance.

[Lenny]

Hi Mate,

firstly welcome to the forum and secondly sorry to read about all of your misfortune and it has been an expensive time for you but the only problems you really have had with the focus that couldn’t be prevented is the bonnet lock and the tracking of the wheels, both would be normal wear and tear issues,

the accident with the lorry which led to you needing to fit some new panels, that would have happened to you regardless of what you had been driving at the time. and the wheel locking nut was a pain in the butt and i had bought my focus from the garage in 2010 i requested a full spare wheel so they swapped the contents of my boot compartment with the boot of another focus that had the full spare wheel kit,

This left me and the other focus owner receiving the wrong wheel lock key for our cars, Luckily I noticed it within 7 days of purchase because I tried to remove the rear wheels to paint the brake drums silver and they had not sold the donor focus at the time.

Anyways the bottom line now mate is your bonnet wont open and it would be ideal if someone could guide you through the process by maybe popping the clips on the inside of the upper grill. Worst case you will need to smash the grill and pick one up on eBay, if your focus was a facelift model I would be able to do a deal with you on an upper grill because i will have one for sale next month.

the upper grill is also cliped in to the slam plate whic runs across the top of the front bumper under the bonnet, so it may not be possible to unclip it. i reckon you will need a new grill to be honest mate so here are links to two of the cheapest replacments i can find.

http://www.ebay.co.u...=item19ced708dd

http://www.ebay.co.u...=item19d1bba97c

if you plan on keeping the car,

i can also give you advise on some preventative maintanance tasks to prevent future leaks.

[Brigante]

Cheers for your reply Lenny mate. Yup I know the nob ed lorry driver would have happend regardless of what I was driving, guess I just mean I wish I hadn't of bought it at the time and waited a bit, was originally gonna get a zetec but then I saw the ghia and thought I better get it as I do a lot of motorway driving daily so I loves me cruise control =)

Already been pricing up grills on eBay and seen the two you posted so thanks for confirming what I need. Looks like It will have to be a smash the grill jobby. How much do you reckon I actually will need a new bonnet lock kit? I know I can get one for £35 on eBay. Just don't see how it broke as I was there when we pulled it out the grill and we was ever so gentle with it so I reckon he can't have been as gentle putting it back in.

Oh yeah, only saying this for nothing more than it being amusing in a sad way, litterally a week after buying the car, the mrs and I parked in morrisons, came out and the front passanger side corner had been scratched right the way along it, whether someone scraped it with a trolley or pulling out I dont know, was propper wounded, got all the paint etc I needed to repair it myself and was just waiting for some dry weather to do so, then the lorry incident happend and I ended up needing a whole new bumper anyway =(

[Lenny]

Cheers for your reply Lenny mate. Yup I know the nob ed lorry driver would have happend regardless of what I was driving, guess I just mean I wish I hadn't of bought it at the time and waited a bit, was originally gonna get a zetec but then I saw the ghia and thought I better get it as I do a lot of motorway driving daily so I loves me cruise control =)

Already been pricing up grills on ebay and seen the two you posted so thanks for confirming what I need. Looks like It will have to be a smash the grill jobby. How much do you reckon I actually will need a new bonnet lock kit? I know I can get one for £35 on ebay. Just don't see how it broke as I was there when we pulled it out the grill and we was ever so gentle with it so I reckon he can't have been as gentle putting it back in.

Oh yeah, only saying this for nothing more than it being amusing in a sad way, litterally a week after buying the car, the mrs and I parked in morrisons, came out and the front passanger side corner had been scratched right the way along it, whether someone scraped it with a trolley or pulling out I dont know, was propper wounded, got all the paint etc I needed to repair it myself and was just waiting for some dry weather to do so, then the lorry incident happend and I ended up needing a whole new bumper anyway =(

seems the new car has been a bad omen on you mate,

but in general the focus is a great car and sorry to inform you but you can add cruise control yourself all you would need is the steering wheel with the controls and a software update, because the sensors for the cruise control is fitted to the pedals on all models weather it is fitted or not.

anyways back to the grill and lock,

i reckon once you get the lock out mate you would be able to free it up using some WD-40 i cant imagine you needing a new lock and they are not key specific neither so any rectangular shaped metal bar eould open it,

but when trouble shooting the lock mechanism i would use the spare key encase the flip key gets stuck in it when your trying to get it working again.

and if you have a dremil you would be able to cut around the grill rather than smashing it in,

if you cut around the oval section to gain access then you could glue the oval section back on once out.

then when glued you could sand it down and spray the grill black but if it was me id pay the £30 rather than spraying and stuff but it would work.

ive checked ford microcat and their is now sign of the bonnet lock on it to get a rough price and a finis number, ill keep searching through it for you though and here is a screen shot of the front section

[Lenny]

finally found it focus Bonnet lock mechanism LHD Finis 1343577 and from ford around £40 mate,

here are some screen shots

[Brigante]

Cheers for all your help mate. So you reckon only way is through the grill? Thought I would be able to go in from underneath between the engine block and radiator but after going under a few times I can't seem to see anywhere to get my arm up high enough to reach the 10mm bolts. Is there a specific way of getting my arm that I haven't seen? Or can anything be done via just removing the bumper stone shield?

[Lenny]

Cheers for all your help mate. So you reckon only way is through the grill? Thought I would be able to go in from underneath between the engine block and radiator but after going under a few times I can't seem to see anywhere to get my arm up high enough to reach the 10mm bolts. Is there a specific way of getting my arm that I haven't seen? Or can anything be done via just removing the bumper stone shield?

i dont know to be honest mate,

hopfully someone who has experienced this issue before can advise you further,

i havent had any experience in this yet and i wouldt B S you

[Brigante]

Lmao no worries mate, hopefully someone who is familiar with this problem will offer up some help. Maybe you can help me with somthing else, before everything happend I was planning to treat my car to some new alloys, as considering the ghia is supposed to be the top spec 'luxury' model, its got the worst alloy wheels in the range, but the new alloy fund went on repairs instead.

Anyway I am unsure as to whether I should just get the 16inch ST style rims or get the actual 18inch ST rims, I know If I get the 18s it will throw my speedo out and I'll be travelling faster than I think I am and end up flashed by speed cameras, unless I get the right tyres so that I have a smaller side wall so the overall diameter of the wheel remains the same, Dont suppose you know what tyre size I would need do you? Wouldn't be able to use my tyres from my current 16s on new 18s would I

[Lenny]

Lmao no worries mate, hopefully someone who is familiar with this problem will offer up some help. Maybe you can help me with something else, before everything happened I was planning to treat my car to some new alloys, as considering the ghia is supposed to be the top spec 'luxury' model, it’s got the worst alloy wheels in the range, but the new alloy fund went on repairs instead.

Anyway I am unsure as to whether I should just get the 16inch ST style rims or get the actual 18inch ST rims, I know If I get the 18s it will throw my speedo out and I'll be travelling faster than I think I am and end up flashed by speed cameras, unless I get the right tyres so that I have a smaller side wall so the overall diameter of the wheel remains the same, Don’t suppose you know what tyre size I would need do you? Wouldn't be able to use my tyres from my current 16s on new 18s would I

Hi mate,

The ghia is more of an executive styled model than a sporty one although it has all of the gadgets in it,

The 16'' Snow flake alloys or ST style alloys they come fitted on the style model which is a lower spec as standard,

An 18'' rim without a tyre fitted would be the same size as your 16'' wheel with the tyre on it,

And your speedo is out by 5mph anyways, when it displays 100mph your actually doing 95mph so the bigger alloys wont effect it that much at all. they may even balance it out. you can see this for yourself if you drive the car with your satnav on and look at the speed displayed on the sat nav compared to your speedo they will be 5mph in the difference.

The next thing is,

If you fit 18'' rims and you want to keep the tyre's low profile then you would be looking at something like a 205/35/R18 tyre

http://www.ebay.co.u...=item5d32266858

They are a super low profile tyre, will look sexual but they are quite expensive,

And your car's ride height or stance will be 2 inches taller than it currently is,

So if your fitting the 18's id also fit a set of Eibach springs to bring it back down to the existing ride height,

With the 18's filling the arches, would look sweet but all depends on what you want to spend.

A happy medium would be the 17's tyre would be a 205/45/R17

They would be slightly cheaper to purchase tyres for when needed and you may not need to lower the car if fitting them,

Here is a link to one set for sale and also a link to the 17'' st style alloys

http://www.ebay.co.u...=item35bcb84371

17'' ST Style tyre would be a 205/45/R17

http://www.fordonlin...18_F1482518-581

and finally if your existing wheels are 16'' then you could purchase a set of the 16'' st style alloys and have your tyres transferred over to the new rims no problem, and the same if your existing tyres are 17's you could have them transferred over to the new ones.

16'' ST style alloys would be a 205/55/R16 tyre

http://www.ebay.co.u...=item43b0d88835

[Brigante]

Hi mate, thought the style model comes with steel wheels as standard. Was going to get a zetec climate pack all a long then last minute saw a ghia going and trumped for that instead because of all the gadgets but really wishing I went for the sportier zetec now instead. Was thinking about the titanium but could only find ones with leather seats which the Mrs said was a big no no as she didn't fancy getting third degree burns off them whenever its sunny.

Might go for the happy medium 17s so I don't have to get it lowered. When I've got the money I'll actually get an ST but the ghia will do for now. Knew my speedo was out as like you said the satnav will say 95 when speedo says 100 so thanks for clarifying this.

Not having much luck with replies for my original question about my bonnet lock, is there a better section of the forum I should repost this in?

[Lenny]

Hi mate, thought the style model comes with steel wheels as standard. Was going to get a zetec climate pack all a long then last minute saw a ghia going and trumped for that instead because of all the gadgets but really wishing I went for the sportier zetec now instead. Was thinking about the titanium but could only find ones with leather seats which the Mrs said was a big no no as she didn't fancy getting third degree burns off them whenever its sunny.

Might go for the happy medium 17s so I don't have to get it lowered. When I've got the money I'll actually get an ST but the ghia will do for now. Knew my speedo was out as like you said the satnav will say 95 when speedo says 100 so thanks for clarifying this.

Not having much luck with replies for my original question about my bonnet lock, is there a better section of the forum I should repost this in?

the focus climate came with steel rims and no air con as standard mate buy my car was a focus style and came with the 16'' alloys, heated windscree, bluetooth, voice control, cruise control and air conditioning aswell as adaptive steering control and ESP.

this may help you mate,

http://focusowners-s...et+latch#p89435

and perhaps ask the question on their too, most of the members are very helpfull and some are also members on here including myself lol

[Brigante]

Lenny mate seeing as my thread has had 147 views yet you are the only one to reply I'll just keep asking you for advice =) I want to get one of these MS design body kits

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221059004135?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

what do you reckon to it? I know a few people on this forum already have it and it looks good. If I could I'd put the ST or RS kit on it, but it isn't an ST or an RS so I'm not going to pretend it is and it would just get laughed at. So for now think I'll start with the MS kit.

But don't wanna get ripped off on price, what would you say a fair price for this kit is and what is a fair price to have it sprayed in panther black to match the rest of my car, Dont suppose you know anywhere I could go to to get one and get it sprayed?

Still aint got the bonnet open yet =\ due to a lot off running about and not having the time but hopefully get round to having a good go this week, if it dont work gonna smash the grill.

Cant wait to start doing the car up, got bodykit, alloys, new stereo and reverse camera, window tints and bucket seats planned. Just gonna have to do one at a time for now as it looks like im gonna be out of work this month till I get redeployed

[Lenny]

Lenny mate seeing as my thread has had 147 views yet you are the only one to reply I'll just keep asking you for advice =) I want to get one of these MS design body kits

http://www.ebay.co.u...984.m1438.l2649

what do you reckon to it? I know a few people on this forum already have it and it looks good. If I could I'd put the ST or RS kit on it, but it isn't an ST or an RS so I'm not going to pretend it is and it would just get laughed at. So for now think I'll start with the MS kit.

But don't wanna get ripped off on price, what would you say a fair price for this kit is and what is a fair price to have it sprayed in panther black to match the rest of my car, Dont suppose you know anywhere I could go to to get one and get it sprayed?

Still aint got the bonnet open yet =\ due to a lot off running about and not having the time but hopefully get round to having a good go this week, if it dont work gonna smash the grill.

Cant wait to start doing the car up, got bodykit, alloys, new stereo and reverse camera, window tints and bucket seats planned. Just gonna have to do one at a time for now as it looks like im gonna be out of work this month till I get redeployed

Hi mate,

thanks for asking my opinion on this,

i paid over £800 for the zetec s kit in primer grey. so i reckon the kit you have found is a very good price.

when fitting it i would highly recommend you use tiger seal or if getting the body shop to fit it then i would provide the tiger seal to them to ensure the kit doesnt start to peal off in a month or two after the fitting.

and im not sure about a good body shop in your area mate but i traveled an hour to get to the guy that was recommended to me, their is a local fella 10 minutes down the road but he isint as highly recommended as the guy i made efforts to go to.

he sprayed and fitted the hole kit for 400 euro so that may give an idea for the fitting of your kit mate,

im not sure if your kit is primed so it may cost a bit extra to prime and colour code then fit it. but the payment to the body shop is 100% worth every penny because any problems encounterd during the painting or fitting are then their problems not yours, and you can put your feet up and watch the clock in the comfort of knowledge that your car will be ready for collection with a full body kit fitted and bonded with the best body kit adhesive on the market all you need to do is wax it and drive it,

no worry about holding it in place till it sticks or sanding with wet&dry all of that will be done for the price they ask,

when you think of it like that then around £650 - £700 for the linked kit purchased sprayed and fitted doesnt seem bad at all and cheaper than what i got mine purchased and done for.

id ask around your area ''who is a good body shop or panel beater'' and ask around 10-15 different people and see what they tell you, because the kit could be great but its only as good as the guy thats fitting it, and if his heart isint in the job then your better off going elsewhere even if you do need to travel an hour away like i did,

and the guy i went to works out of a shed at the side of his house, no big signs or adds in the local newspaper, probably because he doesnt need to because people know he is good, but the local guy has pictures and adds in the papper aswell as a huge sign on the front of the place and his work is pure dirt, flakes off after 6 months and ive saw him fit a bumper to a car then spray it, instead of spraying first then fitting. pure lazy workmanship and no care for the finished results.

[Brigante]

nice advice mate. true what you say about the bloke who works from a shed and the bloke who advertises, by rule if somthing forces advertising down your throat you dont need it, like all these comparison sites.. If you need somthing decent you'll already know about it without needing adverts to tell you you need it.

What do you know about car wrapping? a bloke in glasgow said he will do me the kit, ready wrapped in black for £230. Would of had my car all finished months ago by now if it wasn't for arsehole lorry drivers and having to mess about for months trying to get it repaired while at work. Think first thing is the body kit, then new alloys, then maybe lowered then I'll start on the interior.

So what did your car actually look like before the kit anyway?

[Lenny]

nice advice mate. true what you say about the bloke who works from a shed and the bloke who advertises, by rule if somthing forces advertising down your throat you dont need it, like all these comparison sites.. If you need somthing decent you'll already know about it without needing adverts to tell you you need it.

What do you know about car wrapping? a bloke in glasgow said he will do me the kit, ready wrapped in black for £230. Would of had my car all finished months ago by now if it wasn't for arsehole lorry drivers and having to mess about for months trying to get it repaired while at work. Think first thing is the body kit, then new alloys, then maybe lowered then I'll start on the interior.

So what did your car actually look like before the kit anyway?

If he can get the wrap to match the body work then id be tempted to go for it mate,

but how long is the wrap guranteed to last and would it fade with the sun or road salt in the winter months.

im not too educated on the wrap to advise on it to be honest mate,

had the lorry hit you after you had the car all finished mate you would probably be joining the forum from a prision cell after being locked up for GBH, its probably best that the accident happend before you began to invest in the body work and your plans for it sound very good mate, the body kit is a very rewarding modification followed by some wheels and lowering.

i dont want to hog up your thread with pictures of my before & after so instead i will link you to two of my threads containing images of before and after mate. these links are picture heavy so please give then 2-3 minutes after you click on them to allow all images to appear.

Before the Zetec S kit:

http://www.fordowner...__gopid__147914

and here

http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/29347-guide-fitting-second-reverse-light-ford-focus-mk2-mk25/

After the Zetec S kit:

http://www.fordowner...__fromsearch__1

[Brigante]

lol yup i'd deffinatly be behind bars mate, its true what they say though accidents are more prone to happen when your close to home.. Happend on a island I drive round atleast twice a day for work and its litterally 3 maybe 4 minutes from my house. I did chase after him for a bit but he werent stopping and I thought no, if I get hold of him i'm getting sent down and I aint gonna let that happen cause im not leaving the mrs on her own. So I drove home and prepared myself to get out and look at the damage. suppose it could have been worse really, I've uploaded a pic to my profile.

Anyway back to wraps, apparantly they last 3 - 5 years when done properly and I'll have probably sold it by then anyway. I've got money saved up so I could easily do it now, but I'm temporarily out of work till end of month/start of next month plus need to save for the mrs' bday fund.

Its actually winding me up having the car cause its so hard trying not to go mad spending on it yet and gotta do it bit by bit.

[Lenny]

lol yup i'd deffinatly be behind bars mate, its true what they say though accidents are more prone to happen when your close to home.. Happend on a island I drive round atleast twice a day for work and its litterally 3 maybe 4 minutes from my house. I did chase after him for a bit but he werent stopping and I thought no, if I get hold of him i'm getting sent down and I aint gonna let that happen cause im not leaving the mrs on her own. So I drove home and prepared myself to get out and look at the damage. suppose it could have been worse really, I've uploaded a pic to my profile.

Anyway back to wraps, apparantly they last 3 - 5 years when done properly and I'll have probably sold it by then anyway. I've got money saved up so I could easily do it now, but I'm temporarily out of work till end of month/start of next month plus need to save for the mrs' bday fund.

Its actually winding me up having the car cause its so hard trying not to go mad spending on it yet and gotta do it bit by bit.

Its not worth getting a criminal record over it mate, you doen right to turn around but id be the exact same in that situation and i know exactly what you mean in regards to going mad spending lol eBay is so easy to purchase parts from and paypal make it easy because you dont need to put in your credit card details so you dont get the chance to have a second thought before buying anything,

[Brigante]

I know mate, I aint getting a criminal record for somthing like that. First things first is to somehow get my bonnet open. gonna give going through the grill another go when I get a long enough screwdriver to try and push it back in, if that dont work i'll take the stone shield back off and try getting a ratchet to the 2 bolts again.. If all else fails it'll be a 60quid spend on eBay for a new grill and lock kit and i'll be smashing my current one in. Looked at that link you gave me and think it must just be for the RS/ST whichever it was cause I cant seem to get the grill out the same way but I need to give it a better go when I get time. Still aint had anyone else offering up some advice. Know what you mean about eBay though I'm on it every day pricing everything up and its where I got everything for my repairs from.

What you reckon the best headunit would be? siding towards the pioneer avh 1400dvd, was gonna get an avic with satnav, but I use a tomtom anyway and be no point paying all that just so its got a world satnav on it when i'd never use it abroad as I wouldnt bother flying the car out on holiday with me. And personally I wouldn't ever use bluetooth so no point getting the 2400bt and paying few 100 more for the bluetooth feature I'd never use. What you reckon to a reverse camera?

[jeebowhite]

I felt this thread was a little too much of a private convo between you too so decided to burst in ;) glad to see that Lenny has been able to help you, he is the Sherpa after all ;)

Out of curiosity, I read your post and saw that you paid out for the damage to your motor. Please tell me you either a| got the lorries details b| got the lorry done, or c| chased after him and used what remained of your car to run him off the road?

It would be a real shame if you had to lose out to that, there is no way, he could have driven over you and not even noticed!!!

[johnson13]

Hi all not a Ford owner yet but will be on Thursday when I pick up a 2006 2.2tdci titanium x mondeo.

No questions yet but no doubt there will be!!

[Brigante]

Whey hey someone else has replied =) and no jeebowhite mate actually didn't manage to get his details =( initially was concentating on not crashing head on into a sign after trying not to get full on sideswiped by the lorry but still ended being clipped by lorrys back wheel, then I chased after him for a bit intent on dragging him from the cab and inflicting some pain, but then I thought no, I'll ejoy it but I'll get locked up for it so not worth it. Didn't manage to take his reg down cause of the blind rage.

Then cause I was so close to home I just drove back to the Mrs to look at the damage, had to treck down to wilkinsons to get some tape, taped it up best I could then drove it to work the same night. Did phone highway agency to ask them to check the cctv only for them to say they dont monitor it, it's monitored by nottingham council or somthing.

Then due to me working funny hours It took 2 weeks to get the parts together and get them fitted, only to find after they was fitted I now have the dreaded problem of not being able to open the bonnet. I'ts always opened fine before though and opened fine to actually fit the pannels so I don't see how its broken so I asume the connection must have just come loose when sliding it out the grill so I reckon the + shaped key just needs lining back up, only problem is I can't get the bonnet open to fix it. Can you offer up any more help?

[Brigante]

If anyone's watching this I can gladly bring this thread to a close =) looked in wickes, wilkinsons and other hardware shops for a long enough screwdriver with no luck so I ordered one off eBay and it came today. Slid it through grill and applied preasure to the white connection while the Mrs turned the key left and right. Took a few attempts to get the right angle but within 5min we cracked it on the left turn and the bonnet popped, shoulda saw both our faces light right up so I said turn it to the right quick then I lifted the bonnet before I lost the connection, lined it up, applied pressure with screwdriver and smacked it in with a hammer, heard it click back in place, tested it again obviously by turning the key and it was still good. Closed the bonnet, opened it again and it works perfectly then sprayed some wd40 in the lock mechanism for good measure.

More importantly it saved me about 70quid for not smashing the grill in and buying a new one and a new lock kit incase it was broke. Quietly pleased with myself =)

[Stoney871]

Good effort indeed.

Well done with the solution.

[Podzak]

What's wrapping?

[Brigante]

Cheers Stoney mate, it actually is !Removed! easy to do if that is the problem when its just come loose like luckily was all wrong with mine so you just gotta keep going till you get the perfect angle and maintain the pressure till you can turn it left and right then once you opened the bonnet your laughing. But its that easy to break too though in which case you will have to smash the grill and buy a new kit then get a locksmith to build it up to your own barrel.

And podzac its vinyl wrapping for cars, like when people carbon wrap random bits of their car like wing mirrors and bonnet lips etc except you can wrap your entire car and have pretty much any colour or design you want to make it completely unique. So instead of paying out for a full respray you can wrap it, which also protects your paintwork from stonechips and scratchs etc. Then if in a month or a year etc you change your mind you can just take it off and go back to your paint colour, or wrap it in another colour. Also, as its only temporary and lasts 3 to 5 years, it doesn't count as a permenant colour change so you dont have to inform the dvla, so if you was to get stopped by the police you just show them its just a wrap and not an actual respray and they'll let you on your merry way.

Have a look at this:

http://www.totally-dynamic.co.uk/