Guide To Fixing Common Focus Bonnet Lock Problem.

[troy45]

Also prudent to operate the latch mechanism by using a screwdriver or similar section of thin bar, to simulate closing the bonnet and try to operate the lock with your key. Least that way you'd spot the issue before putting the bonnet down and the job getting significantly worse to sort out.

[Stoney871]

Definitely test before closing.

Something I do when opening my bonnet is to put a bit of hand pressure on the bonnet above the lock before turning the key counter-clockwise.

This takes the strain off the locking mechanism and reduces the chance of damaging the clips.

[Mook]

If anyone can help with my lock problem I have put the post here

Just need some advice on what I have purchased to fix the problem. So close yet so far

Click here to go to the post

[Micro]

support the mechanism using a suitably sized block of wood.

Some advocate using drinks cans apparently.

Going to duct tape the cable jacket to something solid when I fit my parking sensors (to stop it pulling away), plus testing well before closing!

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Ford OC mobile app

[Mook]

This is the part I was missing to fix the final part of my problem. So I picked one up for 10 bucks, I Feels to loose when I clip it to the C shaped clip. Is it meant to fix hard against it?, If so I don't see how that can be? Can anyone explain how they did it? I haven't yet tried to attach it to the lock itself as I felt this end didn't feel right

I thought I could buy a new clip for a few pounds but I still can't get them to mate together and work properly. Anyone got any ideas?

[Micro]

They should mate flush together, if you look inside the female side you should be able to see that two sides of the cross are completely solid, and two sides are actually recessed for the clips. I needed some lube (spread!) and pliers to bend the clips together a bit before mine would mate back together

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Ford OC mobile app

[topoff]

Great help to me this post. Thanks

[chrisjacks]

Hey

Thought I'd let you know what happened with me on this one.

I had the same symptons, turning the key left worked but on turning right it just turned with no click or full release of the bonnet. Read about the screwdriver and tried it briefly but as the scuttle panel was still in place and it was winter I couldn't really see!

I ended up taking the bonnet catch off the car from the inside which wasn't as hard as it seems, 2 x 10mm bolts and pull it back to release a little then just lift the bonnet. The bonnet stuck a little the catch wasn't clearing the chassis but it pulled through, released the alarm sensor and it opened up all the way, just took the mechanism off with a screwdriver.

I didn't have the faff with the white thing at all, relubed the catch and spent some time just operating it and it came out all good, it had just seized.

Put it back in the car and lined up the end of the lock with the catch, bolted in, works fine. :)

[kookachoo]

Thanks to all involved in this guide. I had this dreaded issue. Snipped off the tags on the white bit and this didn't work, so it saw me down Frauds to buy the bonnet repair kit.

Found an awesome video talking thru how to assemble the lock barrel and wanted to share it here. In the end, we didn't do this, as we got the old lock barrel from my old one out (after drilling the pins out) and used that. But whilst Dad was drilling I was assembling the lock and got half way thru - quite easy really.

[Micro]

The cross only goes in one way, if it doesn't fit then rotate it 90 degrees.

Sounds like your lock was knackered?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Ford OC mobile app

[KlingKlangMan]

On my 2001 1.6 Zetec the key won't even turn. Anyone got a solution to that, other than an angle-grinder to the front of the car?

[KlingKlangMan]

Actually I found the problem: The grille was stopping the key going in all the way. All working now.

[KlingKlangMan]

I found why the grille didn't let the key in properly!

Looks like it's been "Posted" at some time in the past, what?

[jeebowhite]

how did you get in in the first place?

[KlingKlangMan]

Brute force and hope, I think!

[jeebowhite]

result!

[bobrob22]

Had this problem a couple of weeks back. Went to Ford dealer to check if they would sort it since it seems to me it must be a design flaw. No chance they told me. Would cost around £150 to £250 depending on what parts they had to break to get in. So, I bought a long screwdriver for £3.50 from toolstation - already got long nosed pliers - and followed your instructions. Result - bonnet opened in 2 or 3 minutes. Got to say that must be best return I've ever had on £3.50 investment! Cheers mate, much appreciated.

[jeebowhite]

I would suggest you buy the replacement kit from eBay and next time you get your bonnet undone, replace the mechanism, as it will only get worse!

[AmadeusMozart]

This is a long youtube video but it shows you how to get it in with a screw driver: www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtDAAjycrQY (or google "ford focus bonnet lock").

I have been thinking of gluing this piece of plastic in - does anyone know what kind of plastic it exactly is? I suspect nylon or delrin but prefer to know for certain. Found potentially some glue: www.tech-bond.net/How_to_bond_the_poly_s_2.html but it may be tricky to get it shipped to New Zealand.

(hope it is OK to link a website - no affiliation but potentially some help to others)

I also agree to replace the mechanism - since the initial episode I have now experienced it more often hence my investigation into the glue. I noticed an alternative on youtube and that is to leave the lock out altogether and just open it with a flat bladed screw driver.

[conuk]

hi guys

before christmas I managed to open bonnet.....think by sheer luck than anything...bonnet would pop on left turn but wouldnt quite release on right turn.... anyways washer fluid empty and now cant get in at all....nothing happens on both turns!

so ive bought a new mechanism and catch ....but cant really get to garage...dont have driveway etc

for the sake of getting in today can I just break bit of grill to get in temporarily....ebay have grill for £20 or so at least i can check oil and fluid.....cant really get access to car underneath.

Can i deffo get in by pulling the grill?

then matching up the new barrel to my key is another task!

[AmadeusMozart]

Just persevere with pushing it in with the screw driver - it will help if you have some helper who can turn the key while putting enough weight on the screwdriver. Some posting show to push at the top, others at the side and I suspect you can even try at the bottom. You may also want to try to push the key towards the bonnet at the same time.

I suspect strongly that outside temperature has a lot to do with it - it is hot here now and it comes easily undone. Similarly if it is freezing outside I suspect it may be harder to push back in.

The video I have linked to shows how to make the lock.

I have seen a video of someone who has taken out the lock and just has a hole where the lock used to be and pokes a screwdriver through there to open the bonnet. I've thought about it but decided against that.

Don't know if you can get in by removing the grille - you still have to remove the nylon lock part on the part holding the bonnet down. Then once you have removed the outside of the nylon I suppose you can pull out the little piece that is the culprit and then open it with a screwdriver.

Good luck anyway - it is one of the most annoying faults of this wonderful car.

On another note - I have ordered the glue mentioned in the post above and will try that out on the old lock and if it works I'll use it on a new lock before putting it in. I'll let you guys know how it goes but it will take at least two weeks for the glue to arrive in New Zealand so don't expect an update soon.

[conuk]

true... but I have all the new bits I need to install .... just cant get in .... if the cable has a snapped pin or something ... surely no amount of pushing will open it anyways ?

weather is turning tomorrow night and I really need some screenwash in there lol

was even considering the leaving the lock part out... the car is very old now and wouldnt really bother me to be honest.... a real crazy situation.

Thanks for the link - Ive watched that recently - seems quite straight forward.

[AmadeusMozart]

Are you pushing while you are turning it a bit one way and then the other? The little crosspiece has to line up and I noticed that the cable part has to be straight otherwise the nylon piece holding the cable itself is pushing back. In other words you have to push the lock itself towards the bonnet, you'll need a second pair of hands.

I am starting to think about putting a pin in there to prevent the cable pushing back when it is twisted and in that way have the crosspiece being forced out.

I bought today the whole new cable and aligned the pins for the key as per video. Was a great help, would not have dared to undertake it without that video. However there is an error in the video - the spring has to be differently installed because in the way shown the key does not return all the way. This is remarked in the replies below the video. It is not a big issue - you just have to wiggle the key a bit when removing it and it is almost impossible to fix since the two small pins will have to be removed and cannot be cleanly pushed through like the big pin. Update: I found some maintenance manual that mentioned they could be knocked out and I did that but it distorts the pins and the last little bit of getting them out needs a lot of force. So now I have got the spring correct, yippee.

I aligned first the pins on one side, then took the pins out and lined them up on the table (so knew where they would go) and then did the other side. Once the other side was done it was an easy job to put the first side back in. Somewhere one spring jumped out and fell on the floor (carpet, inside the house) and it took me the better part of half an hour to find it again.

I am now waiting for the glue from the US to arrive and then I'll take the old lock out and take it apart so I find out how it fits together and what I can do to fix this permanently. Don't ever want to go through this again, no fun when you've got bad arthritis.

[AmadeusMozart]

Update: Glue isn't working however the better solution is to remove the hooks on the crosspiece that go into the latch. Any backwards movement of the cable will then not pull the little crosspiece out of the nylon counterpart on the lock side (which is the part normally coming out).

You may also notice that when you turn the cable itself (outside, black part of the cable) that it will move backwards forcing the crosspiece out. This is because in the nylon piece has a mechanism forcing the cable out when turned.

A small screw in the bottom will stop the inner piece (the one that holds the actual outside of the cable and that the screw driver pushes against) from moving backwards and then the problem is solved once and for all. Just make sure that the cable is pushed all the way in when you do this (so that the crosspiece sticks out furthest in the direction of the latch) and that the screw is not too long and does not go into the cable itself. I pre-drilled with a small hand drill.

To reassemble: just put the lock in and then when this has been put in place (into the grille and into the cross member) then attach the latch, no need to assemble latch and lock together and then put into the car.

Have been looking how to upload pictures but cannot figure it out - I hope the explanation is clear and that it helps some poor soul that got trapped with this bad design issue.

Edit: Just as well I replaced the whole lock: The hooks on the lock side are quite distorted after having had to push it three times back in. It would not have been long before I would have had to go in from underneath which would have meant a garage job since I'm unable to do this myself. And I was quoted that would take several hours...

[Paul95]

Hi, i have recently discovered i have the dreaded bonnet will not open problem on my 07 focus. I tried the screwdriver trick but could not get this to work. I managed to remove the grill, suprisingly easily without doing any damage. I then realised that the nylon cable connecting the lock to the locking mechanism had actually snapped. I have removed the lock and snapped cable part and what i have now is part of nylon cable going into the white collar bit which i can easily get to as the grill is removed. I still can not get the lock to unlatch though, i tried pushing the collar in and turning the cable with pliers but no luck.

What i am thinking of doing next is removing the white collar with snapped cable and then hopefully this will give me access to the bit with the cross piece, then removing that and then putting a screwdriver in there to turn the locking mechanism.

Does anyone know if it is possible to remove the white collar with cable using the gap created by the removed grill? Is it just a case of pulling it with a bit of force?

I will try adding a photo in the morning to give a clearer view of the problem.