B544 bonnet release

[benplums]

Looking for some help with the bonnet release cable for a 2002 B544 (Fiat, square headlights, not round). It's becoming hard to release the bonnet and I'm worried the cable might break at some point. There's some suggestion from other posts/forums that this cable should be the original Ducato one, but from the photo below this is clearly not the case - I'm thinking my cable has been "fixed" at some point in the past with the wrong cable, which has just been threaded through a convenient hole and crimped together. What should this cable and release mechanism actually look like? Can someone send post a pic of theirs? Any advice on which cable I need and where to get it? Many thanks!

Also, I'm interested to know why some B544s of this era seem to have square headlights and some round - if I do a google image search for Hymer B544 2002, almost all of them have round headlights. My V5 says first registered in 2002, so I don't think that's wrong. Was there just the option of either design? The van does say "Classic" on the front - is that the difference? The small plate on the side of the van also says "BC544", rather than just "B544"... Feel like I'm missing something!

 

[pappajohn]

A bit of grease on the mechanism would be my first line of attack.
The cable looks fine but a squirt from an oil-can wouldn't go amiss.

 

[benplums]

It seems to be the cable that's being difficult... the mechanism seems fine. We've tried various things but you still have to put a LOT of pressure on the release lever inside the cab to get the bonnet to open. I'm guessing that's not normal. Also I'm struggling to believe that the cable in the pic is the original Fiat one, just bent over and crimped. But maybe that's how it was done??

 

[Manic]

A BC544 is also known as a Classic, they are a more basic model without the complete fibre glass front and different side to roof joint, also internal cabinets are flat rather than curved.
This is the bonnet catch on my 2001 B584, it’s the original Fiat catch that’s been repositioned by Hymer, but it looks the same as yours.

 

[rb62]

Have you had someone pressing down on the bonnet when your trying to open it?

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[Lenny HB]

Could be a frayed strand within the cable.
They are a few companies who will make cables up to your spec or you could make one yourself from a cycle brake cable. First thing to do is take the cable out and go from there.

 

[Scoffsontour]

Ours is the same. We press up and down on the bonnet at same time as pulling the lever its always a 2 man job. It has worked up to now

 

[wfdTamar]

I have a 2002 B584 Classic. The Classic line was the earlier model continued as a budget line after they introduced the fancier model with round lights. Functionally not much difference, though at some stage the latter model got double floors for winterising and I think the Alco chassis.

My bonnet release is exactly the same type. It got really stubborn to open and eventually just wouldn't. That is VERY hard to fix. I had to get at the catch from underneath with spanner taped to a second spanner. Was just able top remove the loop from the bonnet. So fix it BEFORE this happens.

It's not the cable. It's most likely the catch. The bar that pushes the bonnet loop forward (red line in photo) is so flat and weak it bends up sometimes instead of pushing forward. The more times it happens the worse it gets as the steel weakens. Replacement is cheap. Just look for Ducato bonnet catch until you find yours. The cable is not like the standard Ducato.