BMW engineering...positive this time!
 

Soooo...i was doing a steady 110 on a clear stretch of road and I notice the left part of the hood jiggling slightly.

Of course I slow right down and stop and check at the first place I can.

Right hood latch engaged, left was not!

I had just picked it up from the detailing place. Some schmuck popped the hood and didnt close it properly.

I was running at a steady 110 for a good minute or two before i noticed. I shudder when I imagine what would have happened if that one latch let go!

So, with all the things people complain about with the E53, the hood latch mechanism shouldnt be one. BMW appears to have gotten this right. :thumbup:

The left side latch was so good on my E39 that one day decided not to open anymore .I decided it wasn't worth the money and time to fix it and sold it...well after I bent the hood to gain access to that stubborn latch.
I'm glad yours didn't open and hit the windshield...that would have been expensive..

Haha, so this is an area that has trouble too? E53's just cant catch a break, lol!

Thanks, yes, am grateful it held up this time!

Lubing the hood catches is a standard item on the BMW service schedule (Inspection 1). Trouble is, many people just do the oil and filter, and leave off all the other maintenance items (especially when the included maintenance is over, and many don't want to pay dealer service prices). So things like hood latches get a bad rap.

JCL, that's interesting, I never knew that. Thanks!

My hood latches are working perfectly atm, and it's a great time to update the maintenance on them.

Would you happen to know the details of servicing these things? I assume the mechanisms are the ones in the holes on the radiator support, left and right of the radiator? Is there a specific way they lube these up or do I just basically spray some lube on it? What about the cables, any PM for that?

Still has the emergency catch which is the one you release when you lift the lever in the kidney grill. As long as that one is still working properly.

Sarek, yup, it does have that. I am not sure it alone would have held up at a sustained 100+ mph run though, and I dont want to test it really. :D

I wouldn't want to test either :-) probably made out of high strenght plastic.

Lubricating the items you mentioned is part of my annual winterizing maintenance.

I use product called Tri-Flow (which contains TEFLON). I spray the moving parts of the catch mechanism that pops out of the grill (#18)...the upper locks (#14) at the top, and the lower locks (#13) at the bottom (each side of the radiator). And I also open the connector/junction box where the bowden cables (#10 & #11) join on the left fender...to help prevent any rusting or corrosion or freezing of any water that may seep into that junction box (remember to lubricate where the bowden cables (#11 & #12) connect with the lower locks (#13s), too.

Sarek, yeah, feels to be plastic alright!

Q, thanks for again taking the time to answer in such detail these kinds of technical questions. Will be adding this to the maintenance routine. :)

Both of mine are rusted. :D

I use white lithium grease on the exposed moving parts, and a Teflon spray on the cables. The same grease should be used on all the door latches, hood and door hinges, and so on. This is covered under BMW's Inspection I procedure, but I learned it 38 years ago from the shop owner who insisted that it be done with every oil change we did. He pointed out (rightly) that the engine needed clean oil and a filter, but that the owner wouldn't notice that once he left. The owner would notice a sticking door latch or hood hinge, or an oil leak. The details mattered, and the line ups to get in to that shop were a testament to that approach. Some of that old school approach may have gone by the wayside these days in many shops, and some DIYers never learned it, because they focused on items like oil and filter and not the inspection and lube point list.

The Inspection I list is posted here under Articles, Engine and Transmission.

http://www.xoutpost.com/articles/x5/...-schedule.html

I never heard of Tri Flow & just ordered a can.

Thanks!

They should have put that guy on the window regulator and door handle design team...lol!

That guy taught me to drive in the early seventies. He told me to not close the doors with the window glass all the way down unless I wanted to risk the glass coming off the regulators, because the glass was not fully supported in the track. This was based on problems seen in North American vehicles in the sixties.

I followed his advice. I have never failed a window regulator. And the failure mode on the BMWs at least with the clips breaking, appears to be the same as those 1960s vehicles. Everything old is new again.

JLC. You might be on to something. They did engineer vents to relieve the pressure from this in the rear area where the compartments are in the back corners. They have scupper flaps on them to keep air and water from coming the other direction. However, no where near as much pressure relief as an open window. An example is to release the rear hatch with the button on the dash, then close the front door. The hatch will lift slightly from the pressure, then latch in the secondary position. You might think that the button didnt work..... I wonder if slamming the doors would make them fail prematurely too considering all the plastic being used

Thanks JCL, definitely a good idea to do this to all the latching mechanisms!

I was just about to ask about a link to BMW inspection service too lol, thanks for the link.

Romeo, yeah, I wish this guy over-engineered the window regulators like these hood latches too.

I have one side hood latch that releases and the other one is somewhat reluctant. No amount of lubrication (cleaning/lubing), or pin alignment have a positive effect. It's something I have learned to live with: pull hood release lever, get out and pull up on driver's side of hood, pull hood release lever again, release safety catch and you have an open hood.

I just count the extra steps and effort as cardio so I can have another donut later in the day...:D

If that's the case, you will love the workout you will get if they both stick shut! :D

That's because it's out of alignment.

Tri Flow on UPS vehicle for delivery.

I hope you get good use for it. It's a great lubricant for lots of things around the home. The PTFE (TEFLON) will help with all kinds of things that bind or rub against each other...

• patio door/patio screen door glides & locks
• window glides/guides/locks
• exterior door locks/cylinders
• garage doors
• lawn equipment (moving parts)
• hand tools (pliers/shears/edgers/clippers)
• door hinges
• bicycle chains
• automotive uses (any moving parts)
• golf clubs
• guns
• fishing poles
• skateboards
• rollerblades

It came I sprayed everything in sight (and a few I had trouble seeing) lol What is the best way to get at the hood cables at the handle inside the car and also where the diagram shows the junction?

BTW the best shipped price I found was from the manufacturer on eBay.

Thanks again for the referral!