This is a fairly common issues on most fords where the key is required to open the bonnet. To conduct any repair you fist have to gain access. This video will show you how to open the bonnet on a mk2 Ford Focus.
Yep, it actually amazes me that someone suggested they use the least reliable mechanism known to man to open the bonnet, which is something every single car needs to be able to do and they all agreed and made a billion cars with this ridiculous design.
Great video, although I've broke into the lock by jacking the car up and getting a 10mm rachet spanner up between the radiator and grill, in order to undo the 2 x 10mm bolts that secure the lock, then pop the bonnet up using a straight edge under the bonnet (wrapped in a bit of card so not to scratch the paint) A great car, but why Ford, why fit such a terrible lock!?
I've just literally finished doing mine,thanks alot mate for sharing this,hardest part was getting my grill out,all in all it cost me £21,£19 for the lock and £2 for the plastic screws,l just got a chisel and chopped through them by tapping it with a hammer,managed to rip the entire grill and panel out did abit of damage on the inner panel but nothing too bad,thanks again 👍🏻
Just a heads up..I've changed mine but it was actually my lock that was sticking..try to undo the 2 10mm bolts on the lock from underneath the car rather than destroy the lock cable as I did. Chances are it's the actual lock😮
Exactly! They used this flawed design since the late 90s until recently. Thankfully they seem to have reverted back to the tried and tested latch and cable setup.
Thanks top G! I followed your guide and managed to get into mine! I'm just using a long screwdriver to get it at the moment whilst my replacement part comes.
Shitty Ford invention that didn't even have an emergency cable under the steering wheel. Pitiful. Ford Focus RS MK2 here and lock not working again after it has already been replaced!
Thanks buddy catch mine tomorrow, big gub down the road said it can’t be opened I’d need to get car into a garage, looking forward to shutting him up with your method tomorrow 🤣🤣🏴🍻
Thank you so much for this! We've been using the wire behind the grill to open our bonnet for ages but it just decided the night before my birthday that it wants to stop working for us and thought my partner wouldn't be able to get to work tomorrow. You helped us big time!!
Mate you're a diamond, I've just sorted my daughters Focus bonnet easily following your video..thank you brother. Also, as someone else commented, I'm not gonna replace it, I'm gonna buy or make a long screwdriver to access it in future. Thanks again 👍🙏😉
Just found out mine won’t open so found this video. Was just about to order a new locking mechanism after trying everything but I’ll give this a go first 🤞🏼
I've a Mondeo but the locks look alike. Turn the key to the left the bonnet pops up a little bit but is held by a catch till the key's turned to the right. However, turning the key to the right no longer releases the catch. Life was much simpler in days gone by when you opened the bonnet then slid your fingers under to press the release catch. On this I don't know where the release catch is.
The lock will be exactly the same set up as this one so the same (or very similar!) procedure will apply. Like yours, turn to the left and it pops up a little, turn to the right and it releases the catch. Thankfully the newer ford's seem to have reverted back to a traditional bonnet release cable inside the car.
@@themidnightmechanic9368 Thank God! This locked bonnet was the world stupidest invention, where do you need it when cars have had immobilizers since 1996.
The issue with that is you now have two different keys! The barrel itself doesnt fail, easy to swap over.... its like the bonnet incident never happened! lol
Hi there. Thanks for the question. The actual locking mechanism isn't removed, just the lock barrel and the cable attached you it. Bonnet still shuts securely but to open it you use a screwdriver instead of the key. Hope this helps.
Nice one I done similar didn’t fully remove grill and put a flat bar against plastic bit and smashed off with hammer the knocked the bits out, and put a long Phillips screwdriver through the grill above ford badge to unlock
Thanks for making this. Same problem with our 2008 C-Max which I discovered when the battery had died! I managed to fix it after watching this but had to sacrifice the grill. Without one of those tools and only fairly small screwdrivers there was no way I could pop the holding screws out so I just bent the grill out of the way and set to work with the hammer:-) Also, that plastic surround took ages to smash before I could get the cable off - must have baked solid over the years. Anyway, thanks again and the car is happily charging up now and the new grille and lock are on their way. If I could give 2 thumbs up I would.
Thanks for taking the time to leave a message. Really pleased the video helped you. It's comments like yours that encourage me to keep doing what I'm doing. Thank you.
These must be a real nightmare, as 2 of our local garages have refused to fix my broken latch. They know what a pain in the arse they are I think. I also cannot get the grill off, certainly not without major damage at least. so i'm stumped now.
Just do exactly as I did to remove the grill... once those screw rivets are free then give it a good sharp pull. I found pulling one side of it at an angle towards the opposite side the grill comes out easier.
If you push the white collet back in it will re-connect they usually just get loose, like a male - female insert just need a screw driver to apply pressure to it while turning the key
When you get the pick tool in at the start of the video, do you still need to prise the bottom of the grill to get it out? I have this same issue on my Focus MK2, same colour as yours lol
Thanks for the comment. Yes, you will still need to prise the bottom clips out. You need to get your hand in behind it to release the little tabs on the lock barrel. Hope this helps.
@@themidnightmechanic9368 Thanks mate i really appreciate the advice. I have one more question before i do mine tonight 'fingers crossed it goes ok cos i have a headlight bulb out and with no way to change it I'm screwed'. You know when you get the grill off and have access to the cable lock, can you just pull on it to rip it off, would that work. You said you knocked your plastic fitting off with hammer, but would it be ok to just rip out cable with brute force?
@@J_M_E_83 you could try brute force. All you need to be able to see is "plus sign" slot to get a screwdriver into. Either way it needs broken off so do whatever you need to do to get access to that "plus sign" slot behind that cable. Couple of small taps with a hammer and it broke and fell apart if I remember correctly so you might be about to break it off by hand.
Thank you for your comment. Prices will vary wildly depending on the garage and where they source the new parts. Here in Glasgow, Scotland, I'd estimate about £100 - £150 would be about average.
@@themidnightmechanic9368 I wish. I find in the UK you have not much choices to find a guy who fixes cars privately. It's all mostly garages. Makes it expensive for the not so great mechanical minds.
Thanks for posting this. Did my daughters focus a couple years ago and am about to do it again on her replacement focus. Looking on here because can't recall how got grill out ! It's same arrangement on my mondeo3 and transit - an anti-tamper connection stops owner ! You need a longer screwdriver for the focus than on mondeo. No way would I replace any of this rubbish design - I read Ford dropped it on mk3 focus Regards
Thank you for the comment, really appreciate it! You are right, more modern ford's reverted back to a traditional pull cord inside the cab as the key on the grill was plagued with problems!
Thank you for your comment. I never got round to ordering a new lock kit for it. Ended up selling the car. Swapping the whole mechanism is the easy part though, it's only held in with two 10mm bolts (on the engine side of the slam panel).
About to attempt this method after getting RAC out to help me with me car as it was making a horrendous noise ( power steering fluid/pump ) to then find I couldn’t get into the bonnet. Thanks Ford. But thanks for the video.
I followed the video, it helped me out thnx, What are the black plastic screws that hold the grill and other plastic cover together, after I snapped the heads off, my grill is held together with cable ties for now.
Glad you found thr video useful. I call these things screw rivets or "scrivets"... I'm sure people call them different things. If you Google "screw rivet", "push rivet", "plastic rivet" etc you will find what you need. Hope this is helpful.
4:50 was play on mine, some forward and back movement so pushed inwards with some force and it managed to pop it open the first pop the next I had to push towards the right on the metal clip, viola, now the white plastic piece is still in however it seems worn so not sure if the new one will have it… it’ll arrive tomorrow… thanks for the guidance to save a single mum some money!
