Got the same problem, back from holiday, battery totally flat. You can access the car by removing the end of the handle to expose the barrel. BUT you cant access the engine compartment as you need the passenger door open to pull the handle, advice from Skoda, call the AA. Really stupid design!!!!

On 24/06/2017 at 08:40, suzanne@back2backhealthcar said:

Got the same problem, back from holiday, battery totally flat. You can access the car by removing the end of the handle to expose the barrel. BUT you cant access the engine compartment as you need the passenger door open to pull the handle, advice from Skoda, call the AA. Really stupid design!!!!

Open drivers door, then plug battery charger into 12V power socket.

I first heard of this 'clever' design feature over on Pistonheads.

 

It was mentioned, I can't remember if it was from the AA etc or a Skoda dealer, but they said you can grab hold of the handle and pull/twist it with the door shut. They have not had a bonnet handle break. - just in case you don't have a 12V supply handy to plug into the ciggy hole.

 

 

Seen this mentioned twice but no explanation - Need passenger door to open bonnet - Why ? Is it electronically linked to the door lock on the MKIII ?   On my MK2 FL it was a cable from handle to bonnet locking mechanism ( mechanical system).

You can not pull the bonnet opening lever if the passenger door is closed.

There's no room because the speaker cover is in the way.

 

Picture:

Thanks that explains. 

 

Another area of design over practicality & not thought through properly. 

Just been trying this out so I'll know in future. RHD drive model and prising off the drivers door handle cover is easy using the key tip, there is a recess designed for it. The bonnet pull handle is flexible enough to slide past the passenger side speaker cover and it is easy to pop the bonnet without the passenger door open.

These comments about inadequate design are overstated.

 

Bob

Agreed.  AA guy got my bonnet open, by manually opening the driver door then manipulating the bonnet release, in 20 seconds, after leaving dashcam live over a week's holiday.  The gel type battery took charge from the alternator so no new one needed.  

Thank god for VW......

 

Bonnet release on MK7 Golf is drivers side...

 

in UK...

Which page of the manual is this on? I've a downloaded manual on my Android and a search of door, lock or emergency does not give a result.

No need of the manual, just look at the car and follow my post above.

 

Bob

just had this problem, managed to pull the bonnet release sideways past the speaker which popped the bonnet. bonnet release handle survived the bending.

in my case the dash cam flattened the battery.

When this happened to me and I couldn't open the lever since the passenger door was completely locked and I could only open the drivers door, I pulled the lever towards myself slowly until the lever came up over the speaker so I could turn it to open the bonnet. Be careful when you pull the lever towards you because you're not really supposed to and it could break, but it's the only way to open your bonnet by yourself with no external help. 

 

Also my fingers are smaller so they fit easier under the lever to pull it up.

That's good to know. I have not yet read any reports of the lever snapping. Cold weather may make the lever less flexible.

Should be mandatory to have the release on the drivers side for easy access in case of an emergency

I've had the same issue with mine from leaving dashcam on for a week. Except I'd previously had drivers door damage (that's another story...), so the emergency key lock didn't work. RAC guy had to jack the car up and jump it via the starter motor, which gave just enough power to remote unlock the car. Useful fact to know that the starter motor is accessible from under the car, and has a permenant battery feed.

On 28/09/2017 at 20:28, fabdavrav said:

Thank god for VW......

 

Bonnet release on MK7 Golf is drivers side...

 

in UK...

 

 

Yep, it’s another example of cost cutting too far.

Hopefully this obsession will be fixed on the mk4, or it will be goodbye to Skoda for a fair few customers.

On 28/07/2016 at 17:57, gullyg said:

I believe there was someone on this forums that had this exact problem.

 

You can open the driver's door with the key but not the passenger's.  I have no idea why Skoda thought this was a good idea on a RHD car (probably didn't think as with a lot of other things).

 

From memory the Skoda assist person who came out to the member basically yanked the bonnet leaver sideways in order to allow it to be pulled - whether that required a new leaver or not I don;t think was ever mentioned.

 

Simply Clever

I just sucessfully tried this on my 2016 Octavia Scout. The driver door handle lock cover clipped off fairly easily with no damage and once inside you don't have to bend the bonnet release lever very hard to get past the passenger door and it worked with no damage to the lever, so great tip thanks.

Had this problem today, myself. First off, my thanks to the previous posters who at least got me into the car and helped me understand that opening the passenger door (to release the bonnet) was not going to be possible.

I online chatted with Skoda UK. All they could do was suggest I call out Skoda Assist/The AA. Fortunately they were able to confirm I have 10 weeks left on my Skoda Assist. I did express my disappointment that their only solution, should this happen again once my cover had lapsed, was to call out SA/AA/RAC etc - so requiring me to insure against a design flaw. I would almost certainly buy such cover as a matter of course - but that is hardly the point.

 

Anyhow, I called Skoda Assist/The AA and I am happy to say I can provide the final piece of the jigsaw as a result.

 

The chap I spoke to said they were happy to send a mechanic BUT...

 

If I simply pulled the bonnet release and 'twisted it around the door as I pulled', the bonnet would release. He assured me the bonnet release would not snap as a result. I said I'd try it and call back if it didn't work or I got too nervous about snapping the lever.

 

IT WORKED!

And thought I'd read all of the previous posts but now see GSRobb had already shared the solution - DOH!

ok, flat battery.  Car locked need to gain access to cabin to open the boot of the engine.

 

Solution, for Kessy type vehicles you can remove the thumb area of the door handle by using your key to jemmy it gently open through the slit.

 

Once the cap is off, use the traditional key to open the door.  

 

Now right hand drive cars, still have their boot open lever on the left hand side of the car, but this is blocked by the speakers when you try to pull the lever backwards towards the rear of the car.

 

Solution here is to pull the lever back towards the car as far as possible then pull the lever right wards towards the right side of the car.  

 

Hope that helps, worked for me yesterday.

If your battery is flat and you cannot open passenger door to pull bonnet catch (UK and right hand drive), it is possible to bend the catch over the passenger door to release bonnet. At least it's possible in my 2014 Rapid. 

Clever design!

Good luck.

Yes, the fix design for this situation works well for the European (right hand drive), but badly for left hand drive markets.  It would have made more sense to put the emergency lock on the passenger side door....but who am I anyway?

9 minutes ago, varaderoguy said:

Yes, the fix design for this situation works well for the European (right hand drive), but badly for left hand drive markets.

I think you have crossed over LHD and RHD.

 

In the UK we drive on the Left in Right Hand Drive vehicles, in Europe they drive on the Right in Left Hand Drive vehicles.

2 hours ago, varaderoguy said:

Yes, the fix design for this situation works well for the European (right hand drive), but badly for left hand drive markets.  It would have made more sense to put the emergency lock on the passenger side door....but who am I anyway?

My garage is just wide enough for me to get in and out of the drivers door with the n/s almost touching the wall. If the emergency lock was on the passenger door I would have no access to the car.

 

Why is the design bad for left hand drive cars?