Ford c max how do you open the bonnet with a faulty lock?

Answer 1

There are many of us out there who have experienced this problem and you hear some Horror stories of how people have had to break in their front grill to open the lock and then have the pleasure of paying to replace the grill, lock and a new coded key.

However, many times you can get around this. The way I managed to open my bonnet that was suffering from this obvious design fault was like this:

1). Apply pressure with one hand on the front of the bonnet right above where you put in the key.

2). With the other hand turn the key to the left. Applying varying levels of pressure with one had and turning the key anti-clockwise multiple times should release the first part of the mechanism and allow the bonnet to move up where it is caught by the main catch.

3). Remove the pressure from the bonnet, then carefully (you don't want to snap the grill) push the key in toward the lock whilst turning to the right (clockwise). You may need to apply a fair bit of pressure during this step, and with a bit of luck and multiple attempts of turning the key, eventually the mechanism will engage and release the lock and the boot will open.

Now there is also a way you can fix the lock yourself (apparently) although that is my job for today. It involves taking the actual lock off and attaching a cable tie to the section of the mechanism before it enters the lock. Apparently this stops the locking rod from slipping through the catch and not engaging which is what causes this problem in the first place. Let's hope it works!