WD40

[Emmam202]

I need some advice. My car bonnet won't stay locked down properly. My car mechanic friend says it's a common problem and I need to spray some WD40 on it sharpish or it might fly up in my face when I'm driving and I'll crash into a ditch. Unfortunately I'm not the handiest of modern girls and WD40 isn't something I keep in stock (I also tend to use tweezers or knives instead of screwdrivers etc). So what I need to know is does anyone know what I could use instead given the typical contents of a cupboard under the sink and a bathroom cabinet?

Not sure why you'd 'oil' it if it won't stay shut? Surely that is more likely to make it fly open?

Be safe and take it to a garage!

Is the closure catch sticking? WD40 would be a good temporary solution to allow you to drive to a garage to have it checked properly, but I would hesitate to suggest it as a long term fix. Get it looked at, this could be a life-or-death thing!

Your bonnet has 2 locking mechanisms ... First is released by the handle and operated by a cable when you pull the handle. The second is a fail safe latch you operate by hand at the front of the bonnet.

It sound like the cable mechanism is sticking. WD40 is actually penetrating oil which spays onto themechanism and cable to free it, but may not stop it sticking again. Part of the mechanism may need grease to stop it happening again.

You could use cooking oil or butter instead of WD40 or grease if you were really stuck, but neither will be effective.

Google/you tube is your friend to find out what to do.... But WD40 is a good investment!

me neither you can never not have wd40 in the house, it's fab, get some pronto

Wd40 is dead cheap, just buy some.

Wd40 is amazing. Just buy a tin next time you're at garbage!

Boring Saturday night is it? Perhaps you could devise a novel scoring system for the Eurovision instead

WD40 is a great thing to have in- you can oil your hinges, clean stuff with it, allsorts!

Just buy some WD40. Is it a Renault Clio?

A small can of WD40 will cost you less than £3.00. Just buy some.

(There are people who exist without WD40 in their lives?)

Buy some. Then Google the duct tape/WD40 flow chart.

'I'm not the handiest of modern girls'

Time to turn yourself into a competent woman.

Even our own dear Queen can strip and reassemble a truck. You don't need to be expert on everything, but you do need to get proper tools etc as a basic home and car maintenance kit plus manuals (car specific, home general). For things go wrong at any time, and being able to use the basic tools properly can be an important skill.

Did your friend see the car, and has he explained where you need to spray?

I bet our own dear Queen can only go so far, now everything's got computerised engine management systems.

I grew up on a farm. If it can't be fixed with baler twine or duct tape, it's not worth bothering with.

Yes, you're right; she'd need an older vehicle (or an Ambassador - they're still in production, aren't they?)

Basic bodging doesn't take you as far as it did. But the basic skill/principles are surprisingly useful an awful lot of the time.

Mine has started doing this recently, and yes to fix the bonnet, it needs a generous spray if WD40.

fantastic stuff WD40, I got through cans of it with my first car.

If something is sticking or otherwise in need of investigation the first thing I get is my trusty rusty can