Bonnet catch release is stuck! SOS!!

[OttoT4]

Hey guys, I'm sure you know the drill by now... the bonnet release lever in the passenger footwell of my T4 has failed to open the bonnet, due to ball at the end of the cable popping out of it's housing! I've looked at previous threads on many forums but all the good stuff has been taken down due to the whole "you're telling people how to break into our vans" stitch up. If anyone has got some helping advice that'd be much appreciated, I've tried to get under there myself and could only just reach the actual catch (I'm 6'5 and skinny), but once there I was at a loss as to what to do next. I've taken it to a mechanic and he gave up, so this is the last resort before I take it to the (very costly) Volkswagen mechanics.
Message me if you feel uncomfortable putting it out there for the world to see!

Please help me out! I'm desperate (and poor )!

[Sunny43.5]

I cant help but isn't it wonderful how car makers across the board write whole books dedicated to repairing cars ie workshop manuals , but here is the rub NOT one of them will tell you how to dissasemble something if its BROKEN . I get this all the time with car sunroofs, page after page of instructions but every one of their repair procedures are based on the sunroof actually working GRRR . Now can you still get to the end inside the cab ? if so can you get a pair of vise grips onto the end of the cable and yank it or is it broken at the bonnet end .

[OttoT4]

I've tried to pull the cable with vice grips and pliers a few times, no success! It feels like the cable would rather shred/break which I'm assuming means the ball is 100% out of its housing in no-mans land 😢

[Sunny43.5]

Maybe get a second person to push down on the bonnet while you pull the cable if the pressure is released then if the cable is still attached it should release easily .

[jets]

NOT one of them will tell you how to dissasemble something if its BROKEN .

Many moons ago, I owned a 356B Porsche [actually I owned it twice], that had instructions on installing a hidden wire in case the main bonnet release cable broke. A hole was drilled in the inner guard. I wire connected to the catch was fed through the hole, fixed somehow & painted over with body underseal/deadener. Mine was only 6 years old when I bought it & some previous owner had already carried out the factory suggestion or maybe they finally came out of the factory that way.
I had the bonnet up on my T4 yesterday after completing a water pump & belt change with lots of help from farmsyncro & had a quick look at the catch to see if I could see a way to open when the cable no longer works.
I will be interested to read how the OP comes up with a solution.

[Umai Naa!!]

If you can get to the bolts that hold the latch to the radiator support, you can usually lift the bonnet up enough to manipulate the lever to open it.

[jets]

I had another look at my T4 again & if you remove the 5 Philips head screws holding the grill in place you may be able to get some access to the catch.

Edit. I doubt that you will be able to undo the top 3 screws with the bonnet latched. You may have to remove the belly pan & come up from underneath.

[LogicprObe]

Did you get it open?
I've wondered about this myself.