Originally Posted by Chris Nason
Got my letter this morning.
I guess the wording has been carefully edited to cause no alarm.
The bit I want to know is what unit is not working. I suspect it is the cable jamming, preventing the release returning. I can't believe it's the catch sticking.
Then we have to know why the safety catch is not working?
There are two problems with the 156's bonnet release both of which I've had in my old 1.8 veloce but never in the GTA - probably because I've carried out the preventative maintenance to stop it.
1) Inside the car the mechanism can get trapped on the carpet if you look where the release mechanism is it's right up against the edge of the carpet, and the carpet can shift so the catch sticks partially open enough to stop the bonnet closing.
2) This is the subject of the recall - pre facelifted 156's have a grille that effectively funnels all the road spray,debris and crud into up around the bonnet catch - it when combined with the heating/cooling cycle of an engine bay is hostile enough to cause the mechanism to gunge up, stick and eventually rust. The effect of the recall is threefold.
a) lubricate all 156 bonnect atches to stop them gunging/rusting up
b) tell owners how to ensure the catch works even if it is slightly stiff -
the drop will overcome the gunge/rust friction.
c) change the service schedule to ensure the catches are properly lubricated at service times.
Effectively it's drop a dollop of grease on the catch and do it again every so often and tell the owner to shut the bonnet by dropping it rather than lowering it and pushing it shut. Oh and to check the bonnet is shut by trying to lift it afterwards
After having problems with my first 156 it's something I do check every couple of times I check the oil - just twang the catch whilst the bonnets up. If it looks stiff give it a squirt with WD40...
Oh and the saftey catch is working, it's just not designed to hold the bonnet shut at motorway speeds for any length of time - you should notice your bonnet moving if you are paying attention to your driving. The bonnet is acting like a wing and generates significant amounts of lift (compared to the weight of the bonnet and the strength of the saftey catch) given a forward velocity of 70+ MPH.
Simon