Newbie Needs Help!

[SmileySue]

Hi all,

I bought a Ford Ka 2, 2000 model yesterday. Now, please don't call me stupid for not looking under the bonnet, as even if I had I could have looked at anything and not known what I was looking at!!

On driving it home it cut out a few times and after doing lots of online research it seeems it could be the idle air control valve, which is easily cleanable yourself. So I thought I would have a look at it and see how easy it looked to remove.

Only I can't get the bonnet open!! There is no catch, I don't have a manual. Just been looking online again and it seems it's the red lever on the underneath of the steering column, but I am pulling that and nothing is happening! So I guess it is broken.

What can I do??

Sue

[SierraYankee99]

Take it back where you bought it from and get your money back. I know with the Ka the later models you opened the bonnet by rotating your ford badge on the front grill and using your key to open it in the resulting keyhole. The red release was only on early Ka's. You might find if this is so the lever under your steering column is for adjusting the steering wheel height.

[hendrix]

Dont like to to dispute things but we own 08 ka one of the last before the brand new shape came out. the bonet opens by pulling the lever under the steering column and then uncliping the little lever which is under the gap of the bonnet (bonnet will move a few cms but not open fully until this clip is undone). adjustable steering columns were never available on ka. Our old s reg model bonet opened in the same way. the focus used to open with the flip badge.

[jasonst170]

pull the lever & get sum 1 to wiggle the bonnet failin that its the tricky job of pullin the cable with plyers near the catch or catch its self

[SmileySue]

Thanks - I eventually got it sorted. The wiggling the bonnet was the trick that worked! It is the red lever under the steering wheel - it's just the catch is bent so it doesn't pop. But a wiggle gets it open.

By the way - someone on here has sent me a private message I presume to do with this but I can't open the message as it says I am not allowed!

[SmileySue]

Oh - and the cutting out problem was the idle air control valve. So all is good now!

[Hoke]

Dont like to to dispute things but we own 08 ka one of the last before the brand new shape came out. the bonet opens by pulling the lever under the steering column and then uncliping the little lever which is under the gap of the bonnet (bonnet will move a few cms but not open fully until this clip is undone). adjustable steering columns were never available on ka. Our old s reg model bonet opened in the same way. the focus used to open with the flip badge.

Adjustable steering columns are available on the Ka, mine has one!

[SierraYankee99]

Dont like to to dispute things but we own 08 ka one of the last before the brand new shape came out. the bonet opens by pulling the lever under the steering column and then uncliping the little lever which is under the gap of the bonnet (bonnet will move a few cms but not open fully until this clip is undone). adjustable steering columns were never available on ka. Our old s reg model bonet opened in the same way. the focus used to open with the flip badge.

I'm aware that the focus opens with the flip badge I have one. A search on the internet via google returned many links that suggested the later models of the Ka range also had this feature. As stated above adjustable steering was available on the collection special edition at least maybe others. It could also be that the flip badge bonnet lock was not consistent throughout the Ka range then.