Land Rover Discovery bonnet release at 60 km/h

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Travelling at 60 km/h on the Glow Worm Tunnel Rd, Newnes State Forest
several weeks ago, the bonnet smacked into the windscreen without
warning. Luckily the road was straight and there were no on-coming
cars-I stopped the vehicle without further incident. Upon inspection,
two bolt/screws that hold a bonnet plate that engages into the
release levers were found loose in the engine bay (on the bar above
the radiator).

See photos at: http://home.people.net.au/~wabbaly/Disco Bonnet%
20Release%20at%2060%20kmh/

With some difficulty the three of us lowered the bonnet, carefully
manipulating the wipers under the bonnet's lower edge (they were in
that position because of the accident). Because there was no phone
reception, we couldn't call Land Rover's Roadside Assist, therefore
we tied the bonnet down and drown slowly home and called there.

Had the bonnet spontaneously released itself minutes before or after,
the three of us could have crashed into a pine tree or sandstone road
cutting. We are so fortunate the accident took place where it did.

The car: Was I driving an old Disco. No, it's a 2003 Land Rover
Discovery, Series II, purchased Dec 2003,
under warranty until Dec 2006. Serviced by the book by Land Rover
service centres.

Land Rover "Customer Care" were initially reluctant to provide us
with a replacement car or cover the costs of towing. This, and other
behaviour, was totally disrespectful considering that the three of us
could have died due to the malfunction had it occurred elsewhere.
Particular mention must be made of Andrew Howard and Maggie
(Margaret) Horesch (National Customer Care Manager for LRA) both of
whom work in Melbourne--they have shown complete disreguard for our
circumstance--I hope none of you have to deal with them when it
really matters.

Has anyone heard of this happening to Land Rovers?

The most important issue for me and my family is, why did this
accident happen? Furthermore, what will stop it happening again?

 
[email protected] wrote:


> The car: Was I driving an old Disco. No, it's a 2003 Land Rover
> Discovery, Series II, purchased Dec 2003,
> under warranty until Dec 2006. Serviced by the book by Land Rover
> service centres.


I take it that this means that the service book doesn't have a section on
checking the bonnet locking mechanism's integrity.

> The most important issue for me and my family is, why did this
> accident happen? Furthermore, what will stop it happening again?


**** can happen anywhere anytime. There is no rule that says it can't happen
again. Might be a good idea to check the securing mechanism yourself.



 
[email protected] wrote:

> The most important issue for me and my family is, why did this
> accident happen? Furthermore, what will stop it happening again?
>


There is supposed to a secondary bonnet catch so if the first catch
fails then the bonnet is still prevented from coming open.
My question would be is why did the second catch fail?
Bolts vibrating loose on a 4WD used on rough roads is not uncommon and
to a certain extent is to be expected, such things should be checked at
service time and should also be noticed by the owner/driver when doing
regular under bonnet checks as per the owners manual which of course you
always do?



Daryl
 
The same thing has happened on my 2A at 60mph.

I really almost did have to change my trousers afterwards!

I always check that my secondary locking hasp thing is clipped down
and locked now before i drive anywhere.

 

D Walford wrote:
> [email protected] wrote:
>
> > The most important issue for me and my family is, why did this
> > accident happen? Furthermore, what will stop it happening again?
> >

>
> There is supposed to a secondary bonnet catch so if the first catch
> fails then the bonnet is still prevented from coming open.
> My question would be is why did the second catch fail?


I'm unaware of the existence of a second catch--can you enlighten me?
Is it visible in the photos I've posted?

> Bolts vibrating loose on a 4WD used on rough roads is not uncommon and
> to a certain extent is to be expected, such things should be checked at
> service time and should also be noticed by the owner/driver when doing
> regular under bonnet checks as per the owners manual which of course you
> always do?


Since the car has done <60 000 km I didn't think loose bolts would be
an issue; and if they were, I thought Land Rover would note it in the
manual and/or inspect these bolts at service.

>
>
>
> Daryl


 
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> Has anyone heard of this happening to Land Rovers?


Nah, the weight of the spare tyre, shovel & pick guaranteed mine to never
lift, I pretty much avoided lifting it as much as I could rarely saw any
good news in there :)


 
Tom Woods wrote:
> The same thing has happened on my 2A at 60mph.
>
> I really almost did have to change my trousers afterwards!
>
> I always check that my secondary locking hasp thing is clipped down
> and locked now before i drive anywhere.


Sometimes it's reassuring to have a 90 with the military bonnet clips on
the outside...
 
The secondary bonnet catch is useless in this situation as the actual
bolting mechanism has come off.

"D Walford" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:4483da38$0$500$61c65585@uq-127creek-reader-03.brisbane.pipenetworks.com.au...
> [email protected] wrote:
>
>> The most important issue for me and my family is, why did this
>> accident happen? Furthermore, what will stop it happening again?
>>

>
> There is supposed to a secondary bonnet catch so if the first catch fails
> then the bonnet is still prevented from coming open.
> My question would be is why did the second catch fail?
> Bolts vibrating loose on a 4WD used on rough roads is not uncommon and to
> a certain extent is to be expected, such things should be checked at
> service time and should also be noticed by the owner/driver when doing
> regular under bonnet checks as per the owners manual which of course you
> always do?
>
>
>
> Daryl



 
On or around 4 Jun 2006 23:19:22 -0700, [email protected] enlightened
us thusly:
>
>Has anyone heard of this happening to Land Rovers?


can't say as I have, personally.
>
>The most important issue for me and my family is, why did this
>accident happen? Furthermore, what will stop it happening again?


loctite on the bolts. They shouldn't be able to come loose.
--
Austin Shackles. www.ddol-las.net my opinions are just that
Too Busy: Your mind is like a motorway. Sometimes it can be jammed by
too much traffic. Avoid the jams by never using your mind on a
Bank Holiday weekend.
from the Little Book of Complete B***ocks by Alistair Beaton.
 
> The same thing has happened on my 2A at 60mph.
>
> I really almost did have to change my trousers afterwards!
>

60mph in a 2A?
Definitely a brown trouser moment, even without the bonnet coming open!


 

Austin Shackles wrote:
.....
> >
> >The most important issue for me and my family is, why did this
> >accident happen? Furthermore, what will stop it happening again?

>
> loctite on the bolts. They shouldn't be able to come loose.
>

That was my thought too, but the smash repairer said then they'd never
be able to be undone, if required (when would that be?). He suspected I
bought a "Friday afternoon" car, and that possibly some spring washers
were omitted.

 
On 5 Jun 2006 01:42:44 -0700, [email protected] wrote:

>> There is supposed to a secondary bonnet catch so if the first catch
>> fails then the bonnet is still prevented from coming open.
>> My question would be is why did the second catch fail?


It didn't. If you look at the pictures it is still latched to the front
valance in No.5. What has happened is that combined secondary latch and
primary lock unit has become detached from the bonnet. There are only two
bolts holding that unit to the bonnet if they fall out...

> I'm unaware of the existence of a second catch--can you enlighten me?


So you haven't been doing the weekly checks on fluids etc as per the User
Manual. You would know about the secondary latch if you had, as you
shouldn't be able to open the bonnet without releasing it.

> Is it visible in the photos I've posted?


Yes, in No.5 but it should be attched to the bonnet just below the gap in
the seal in No.4.

> Since the car has done <60 000 km I didn't think loose bolts would be
> an issue; and if they were, I thought Land Rover would note it in the
> manual and/or inspect these bolts at service.


It's not a service item and three years is ample time for a couple of
small bolts to work loose. Once a bolt is loose it'll work it's way out
surprisngly quickly, like hours or less.

**** happens, but the attitude of Customer Care leaves a little to be
desired but that may be down to a reaction against your apparently
agressive attitude. If you want people to do things for you, don't upset
them. Human nature being what it is means that some one annoyed by
someone will do the minimum required (or by the book). Get them on your
side and more stops are likely to be pulled out to assist you and get you
what you want.

--
Cheers [email protected]
Dave. pam is missing e-mail



 
[email protected] wrote:
> D Walford wrote:
>
>>[email protected] wrote:
>>
>>
>>>The most important issue for me and my family is, why did this
>>>accident happen? Furthermore, what will stop it happening again?
>>>

>>
>>There is supposed to a secondary bonnet catch so if the first catch
>>fails then the bonnet is still prevented from coming open.
>>My question would be is why did the second catch fail?

>
>
> I'm unaware of the existence of a second catch--can you enlighten me?
> Is it visible in the photos I've posted?
>


I should of looked at the photos before, the second catch is the yellow
lever you lift to open the bonnet.
Both catches are attached to the bonnet by the same 2 bolts which IMO is
a bad design.
>
>>Bolts vibrating loose on a 4WD used on rough roads is not uncommon and
>>to a certain extent is to be expected, such things should be checked at
>>service time and should also be noticed by the owner/driver when doing
>>regular under bonnet checks as per the owners manual which of course you
>>always do?

>
>
> Since the car has done <60 000 km I didn't think loose bolts would be
> an issue; and if they were, I thought Land Rover would note it in the
> manual and/or inspect these bolts at service.



How much off road have you done, corrugations will shake even the
tightest bolts loose?
I'm surprised you didn't notice something wrong ong before the bolts
fell completely out.



Daryl
 

Dave Liquorice wrote:
.....
>
> **** happens, but the attitude of Customer Care leaves a little to be
> desired but that may be down to a reaction against your apparently
> agressive attitude. If you want people to do things for you, don't upset
> them. Human nature being what it is means that some one annoyed by
> someone will do the minimum required (or by the book). Get them on your
> side and more stops are likely to be pulled out to assist you and get you
> what you want.
>
> --
> Cheers [email protected]
> Dave. pam is missing e-mail


I agree with you Dave. I was polite to all I spoke to at Land Rover
Customer Care and thought that they would understand the severity of
our experience. Several did understand and could put themselves in our
shoes, however the ones that had the power to make things better chose
to not to. Thus it seems to me that the latter were thinking about the
bottom line rather than their customer; i.e. they didn't seem to "care".

 
Zodiac wrote:
> The secondary bonnet catch is useless in this situation as the actual
> bolting mechanism has come off.
>


Correct, I didn't look at the photos the first time around.
IMO thats not a good design, the secondary catch is supposed to stop the
bonnet flying open if the first catch fails but it can't work if it all
falls off.
BTW I went and looked under the bonnets of my 2 Toyota's (Hilux and
Corolla), the bonnet latches are a different design but if the bolts
came loose then the result would be the same as what happened to the
Disco so the Toyota design isn't really much safer.


Daryl
 
In article <4484172b$0$508$61c65585@uq-127creek-reader-03.brisbane.pipenetworks.com.au>, D Walford <[email protected]> writes:

> BTW I went and looked under the bonnets of my 2 Toyota's (Hilux and
> Corolla), the bonnet latches are a different design but if the bolts
> came loose then the result would be the same as what happened to the
> Disco so the Toyota design isn't really much safer.


As Damo also found. Two reported cases of this in as many
weeks ...

Adds bonnet release failure to front tire failure as phobias ... as
well as the health related thread. ****! at this rate I'm not even
gunna get out of bed in the morning for fear of breaking meself.

URK!

--

--------------------------------------------
4x4 Hilux Auto Service Centre,
BP 106 Timbuktu,
Mali (West Africa)
Tel: 292 91 52
Specialising in turbo diesel and R290 aircon
--------------------------------------------
 
On 4 Jun 2006 23:19:22 -0700, [email protected] wrote:

> Travelling at 60 km/h on the Glow Worm Tunnel Rd, Newnes State Forest
> several weeks ago, the bonnet smacked into the windscreen without
> warning. Luckily the road was straight and there were no on-coming
> cars-I stopped the vehicle without further incident. Upon inspection,
> two bolt/screws that hold a bonnet plate that engages into the
> release levers were found loose in the engine bay (on the bar above
> the radiator).
>
> See photos at: http://home.people.net.au/~wabbaly/Disco Bonnet%
> 20Release%20at%2060%20kmh/
>
> With some difficulty the three of us lowered the bonnet, carefully
> manipulating the wipers under the bonnet's lower edge (they were in
> that position because of the accident). Because there was no phone
> reception, we couldn't call Land Rover's Roadside Assist, therefore
> we tied the bonnet down and drown slowly home and called there.
>
> Had the bonnet spontaneously released itself minutes before or after,
> the three of us could have crashed into a pine tree or sandstone road
> cutting. We are so fortunate the accident took place where it did.
>
> The car: Was I driving an old Disco. No, it's a 2003 Land Rover
> Discovery, Series II, purchased Dec 2003,
> under warranty until Dec 2006. Serviced by the book by Land Rover
> service centres.
>
> Land Rover "Customer Care" were initially reluctant to provide us
> with a replacement car or cover the costs of towing. This, and other
> behaviour, was totally disrespectful considering that the three of us
> could have died due to the malfunction had it occurred elsewhere.
> Particular mention must be made of Andrew Howard and Maggie
> (Margaret) Horesch (National Customer Care Manager for LRA) both of
> whom work in Melbourne--they have shown complete disreguard for our
> circumstance--I hope none of you have to deal with them when it
> really matters.
>
> Has anyone heard of this happening to Land Rovers?
>
> The most important issue for me and my family is, why did this
> accident happen?


Is this a troll??????

I mean no-one could possibly have been unaware of LR's ****e attitude
to their customers *after_the_sale* ?
Their ****e design?
Their ****e build quality?

Yeah - It has to be a troll..

Anyway, in the extremely unlikely event your piece was not a troll, LR
is at this moment kicking themselves severely up th' arse for offering
that very un-traditional longish warranty.
So, you can be pleased you've had 'some' impact on the bastards.


> Furthermore, what will stop it happening again?


You're kidding if you dn't know the answer to that - troll or no
troll:)


--
Toby.
quidquid latine dictum
sit, altum viditur
 

[email protected] wrote:
> D Walford wrote:
> > [email protected] wrote:
> >
> > > The most important issue for me and my family is, why did this
> > > accident happen? Furthermore, what will stop it happening again?
> > >

> >
> > There is supposed to a secondary bonnet catch so if the first catch
> > fails then the bonnet is still prevented from coming open.
> > My question would be is why did the second catch fail?

>
> I'm unaware of the existence of a second catch--can you enlighten me?
> Is it visible in the photos I've posted?


Its normally in place to prevent the bonnet from flying up.
>
> > Bolts vibrating loose on a 4WD used on rough roads is not uncommon and
> > to a certain extent is to be expected, such things should be checked at
> > service time and should also be noticed by the owner/driver when doing
> > regular under bonnet checks as per the owners manual which of course you
> > always do?

>
> Since the car has done <60 000 km I didn't think loose bolts would be
> an issue; and if they were, I thought Land Rover would note it in the
> manual and/or inspect these bolts at service.
>

Nah......you might aswell check that you have your cloths on.
You need Bonnet Pins
http://www.speedzone.com.au/trader.asp?product=1921&id=5624
Age old solution for families with bonnet problems.
Landrover should install them for you

 
Patrick Young <[email protected]> wrote:
> In article <4484172b$0$508$61c65585@uq-127creek-reader-03.brisbane.pipenetworks.com.au>, D Walford <[email protected]> writes:
>
>
>>BTW I went and looked under the bonnets of my 2 Toyota's (Hilux and
>>Corolla), the bonnet latches are a different design but if the bolts
>>came loose then the result would be the same as what happened to the
>>Disco so the Toyota design isn't really much safer.

>
>
> As Damo also found. Two reported cases of this in as many
> weeks ...
>

A good case for fitting extra bonnet tie downs as required by race cars
rules.

> Adds bonnet release failure to front tire failure as phobias ... as
> well as the health related thread. ****! at this rate I'm not even
> gunna get out of bed in the morning for fear of breaking meself.


I've never experienced either but a car still managed to stuff my knee
last week:)
Hopefully I'll find out what's damaged tomorrow.



Daryl
 
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