Ford Focus Bonnet Lock

So, the plastic rod (about the length of a pen, was extendable and had a spherical connector at one end) from the back of the key barrel to the bonnet locking mechanism kept falling off whenever I turned the key. The way I fixed it the first time was to jack the car up, take the stone shield off, and reach up behind the grille to reattach it. That worked for a while, but now it doesn't and the rod has come off completely and just doesn't work.

I was under the impression that Ford no longer supplied the original lock fitting, but when I ordered the lock today from my local Ford garage, one of the mechanics said that the part I needed was definitely in the kit (i.e. the rod). I have my reservations, although I'm willing to hope that he's right.

In any event, if it isn't the right piece and is actually Ford's updated locking mechanism (which I suspect it will be), how hard is it to build the lock and fit the mechanism?

I'm prepared to rip/cut/smash the grill to get to the lock and then:

a) Drill through the screws either side of the lock to remove the lock.

Or

b ) Get a screwdriver or a pair of pliers to turn the locking mechanism directly, letting me under the bonnet and taking the mechanism out from the top.

It's the building and installation of the lock itself that I have no idea, and since the Haynes manual would be for the original fitting, that's not going to be much help.

Hoping someone here can shed some light on this!

Cheers,

Rob