Kansas City MINI Enthusiasts

I need help! Hood release has failed. The cable is slack AND the white cable 'stay' is exactly where is should be, see attached pic. Can anyone help me? I really want to open my hood!

What happened on mine was that white guide popped out of the bracket, I used a tie strap to lock it in place then carefully got mine open. I have no idea how you would do it with a broken cable.....

You might try a pair of vice grips on the cable end and someone pushing on the hood to help release the latches....

I will give that a shot, last ditch effort. Any cheap reliable shops in downtown kc that you would recommend?

Nthnsutton wrote:I will give that a shot, last ditch effort. Any cheap reliable shops in downtown kc that you would recommend?

Ask any of the shade tree mechanics on this forum if they're free to help you. I know of a few guys who fix their cars themselves on here who might be willing to lend some time and help you fix it. As for a shop, I swear by Baron Mini. May cost a little more but they guarantee their work. I took my old Mini once to a shop in Lansing when it went into limp mode, and after a new alternator and $1800 later, plus almost 3 weeks without my car, they figured out it was a $200 crank pulley.

Thank you, will do. I'll post the outcome... If it doesn't make me cry. Only had the mini for 8 months and had to replace the clutch and flywheel. Really don't want to spend a bunch on something so stupid.

Nthnsutton wrote:Thank you, will do. I'll post the outcome... If it doesn't make me cry. Only had the mini for 8 months and had to replace the clutch and flywheel. Really don't want to spend a bunch on something so stupid.

Contact Isaac at Baron Mini. Tell him the issue and ask what the likely cost to repair would be. Also look around online and on www.northamericanmotoring.com and see if anyone else has had a similar problem. My guess is yes given the fact that the hood release was redesigned on the F56.

It's a very popular issue. I have been looking at North American and other forums for a week. Tried basically everything that doesn't require taking the car apart. Wish I had a garage, then I would take it apart. It's the putting back together that's the problem lol

Nthnsutton wrote:It's a very popular issue. I have been looking at North American and other forums for a week. Tried basically everything that doesn't require taking the car apart. Wish I had a garage, then I would take it apart. It's the putting back together that's the problem lol

I wish I had a garage myself. I remember replacing strut bearings on my R53. Started at 8 in the morning and ended at 9 in the evening sitting in the driveway all day working on it.

The problem is, unless you can get the hood open you can't get to the latches to release the hood......catch 22. And I could not find any way to pull the front end off without opening the hood!

I was lucky, I got mine open and lubed the heck out of the entire mechanism and all the cables to make sure I wouldn't have a problem again.

Good luck!

Yea, that's the conclusion I have come to. There is a shop, autobahn motorwerks about a block away from me. I think I will have to just take it there. Have you heard of this shop?

I honestly don't know what they can do that you can't......but no I don't know them.

I had mine up on the rack at school and I could not find a way to get to the latches from underneath the car or from the wheel wells........

Good luck!

Try here

http://www.mini2.com/forum/second-gener ... 372?page=1