Timing belt success then crushing failure!

[drmarcj]

Hi folks. I decided to tackle my timing belt this weekend (120,000 km = now or never). Used the DIY and everything was super - took me a bit over 7 hours of shop time, spread over 3 evenings. "Next time" it will take me closer to 4 hours . Anyway, it fired right up, and everything runs great (pats self on back).

Unfortunately, victory turned to failure when I went to re-open my hood to put the engine cover back on - and it wouldn't open! Apparently my hood release cable seems to have gotten disconnected when I pulled off the bumper. So now I have a perfectly running car but no way to get under the hood ever again.

Poking around the forums this morning it looks like there's a way to get the front grille off from the outside, and then unlatch things that way. I just have to do it when I'm feeling more patient, since I don't want to mess it up the grille in the process. I guess that's my project for next weekend...

[AudiA4Turbo22]

thats awesome! that sux!

[drmarcj]

The more I search the more I realize I'm not alone - literally 4 posts here and on passat world where people had this problem after doing their TB - looks like it happens because you have to pull the rad/lock carrier assembly off. I guess no good deed goes unpunished!

[Yohan]

The same thing happened to me after my timing belt job. I guess when I put the hood release cable back it didn't seat properly. I found out the hard way the hood wouldn't open when I ran out of windshield washer fluid in the middle of winter.

I was able to reach the hood release mechanism by snaking my arm from the underside of the car and pushing the tail end of the release cable back into place. You can give that a try and see if it will seat itself. The space is pretty tight so your arm will feel like it's wedge in at times.

Good luck.

[absolutegtr]

Same ting happened to me after doing my timing belt...but I caught it RIGHT before I closed my hood!!

GL with getting it opne though

[Smiley]

happend to me when I took my car to Independent Tuning..

I got pretty pissed off cause i drove like 45 mins and then i get there and the hood wouldn't open!

They went from underneath the car, and did something and it opened right away, pretty sure they did what Yohan did!

[drmarcj]

The same thing happened to me after my timing belt job. I guess when I put the hood release cable back it didn't seat properly. I found out the hard way the hood wouldn't open when I ran out of windshield washer fluid in the middle of winter.

I was able to reach the hood release mechanism by snaking my arm from the underside of the car and pushing the tail end of the release cable back into place. You can give that a try and see if it will seat itself. The space is pretty tight so your arm will feel like it's wedge in at times.

Good luck.

Doh, I'm already out of washer fluid (had to drain it when I did my TB and forgot to refill it.) Crap. I'll try the reachy-thing and see what I can do. I kind of have meaty paws, so my hopes are slim. By "tail end of the release cable" do you mean the part that actually hooks into the latch thing right in the center at the front of the engine compartment?

[drmarcj]

Woot, I got it open!!!

I jacked up the car a bit and then stuck my arm up between the engine and rad. It took about 45 minutes of peeking/feeling around to find the disconnected cable. Then another 45 minutes to figure out where to snap it back into place. At the end of the cable is a little plastic housing with a ball-end of the cable inside. The housing snaps into place at the top of the hood latch mechanism. I basically did trial and error until I found somewhere (by feel!) that seems "right". I'm glad the kids were in bed because there was a lot of colourful language being used. Also my arm is all scratched up from the very tight fit.

I might post some pics of the mechanism and how it all fits into place, in case it ever happens to someone in the future.

[Papachristou]

nothing but battle scars! congrats on your victory!

after my TB job, i could tell the hood latch was a little harder to pull open, i loosened it all back up and its fine now

[converted2audi]

haha, i wouldnt call that a crushing failure, based on the title of your thread i thought your engine blew up or something!

i had great success doing my timing belt last weekend too! SO WORTH saving the $600 in labor i would have cost me to have it done.....

this weekend im putting in my OFE SS woot!

[drmarcj]

Frankly I was shocked when I cranked it and it just started up fine, with no CEL or other ominous beeps! Somehow I failed to do it wrong, probably because I checked everything 10 times. One thing I'm noticing is it idles a bit more smoothly now - no more nasty vibration idling after a cold start. Maybe it's because my snub mount got 'reset' a little bit when I took the front end off and put it back on? I also noticed my water pump had a bad bearing so it could be that swapping it out helped too, somehow.

Anyway: for anyone who's wary of doing this yourself, totally worth the time and saved money, and not nearly as hard as suspension work.

Just check your hood latch didn't get disconnected.

[Yohan]

I bet you sighed a big breath of relief when you heard the hood pop open...lol. I know I did.

[drmarcj]

I bet you sighed a big breath of relief when you heard the hood pop open...lol. I know I did.

It was more of an Austin Powers "Yeah Baby!"