Hi, it’s Pete here from Northside Automotive with a message about bonnet struts. Bonnet struts are small, usually gas-charged cylinders that are used to support the hood of your car while it’s open so that you can get to work on all the important stuff.Here are some important things you need to know about how bonnet struts work, and what to do if they fail.
Why do bonnet struts fail?
Have you ever been busy working under the hood of your car, only to have the bonnet struts fail and the hood crash down on top of your head? Ouch!
Not many people know it, but bonnet struts only have a life span of about three to five years. After this time, they will need to be replaced if you want to be able to keep working safely under the bonnet of your car.
One of the most obvious signs that your bonnet struts will need to be replaced is that they start to leak fluid. Other signs of bonnet strut failure are that your car’s hood may begin to close slowly on its own, that the hood will fall down suddenly, or that it won’t stay up at all!
Replacing bonnet struts
Luckily, replacing your car’s bonnet struts is straightforward and simple, however, we still recommend you get this done by a professional so make sure it is done right.
How do we do it? We remove the old strut from the mounting point on the body of the car, using a flat blade screwdriver. We then unclip the strut from the mounting point on the panel. Next, the new strut is installed by pressing the clip into the mounting point on the body, and the mounting point on the panel. Finally, we repeat the process for the bonnet struts on the other side of the car and check to see if the struts are working by lowering the hood up and down.
Why is it so important to have working bonnet struts?
If bonnet struts fail while you are working under the hood, you could suffer a serious injury.
Faulty or broken bonnet struts often prevent drivers from checking the important stuff under the hood, such as oil levels and coolant. Avoiding these checks could have serious consequences for the safety and well-being of you, your passengers, and your car.
So remember – if your bonnet struts are leaking or the hood slams down unexpectedly, it means that the struts need to be replaced. The same applies for the tailgate struts (boot) too.
If you have any questions, just give us a call. We’d be happy to help. Till next time.