i have the wheel off, and the fender skirt pulled back , and i dont see a grommet as mentioned on the forum to enter and i assume use a flat head screwdriver to pop the hood open. thanks,
It was not there in my 99 model. I had to drill a hole. Be careful section of wiring loom is in that area
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It should be there … all the X308s have them, AFAIK … Keep looking …
There are NO access hole predrilled in the X308 body!!!
You have to determine the exact location and drill your own hole.
Luckily I have 6 X308 sedans so when one of my sedan cables came loose, I popped the bonnet on another car and found the correct spot to drill the hole on the faulty car.
No need to fill the drilled hole as the plastic fender liner will cover the drilled hole once put back in place.
Guys, and no disrespect to Motorman, but I have to disagree on that point … How else do you explain all the XJ8/XK8 owners who have removed their wheel arch liners to find the hole (my Harlem included)? Many members of JLers have also posted finding such holes on their cats … In fact NOT having a hole there would seem to be the exception, not the other way around, from what I have seen and read. Are these ALL holes that happened to be drilled by POs (the only other alternative)? It would also seem likely Jaguar would have created such an emergency means to open a hood with a broken latch or latch release cable … same as they did for the fuel filler door latch (i.e. the small plastic manual “trigger” release). How else would you get the hood open? 
I only have one 308 a 99 model. That is my only experience with a 308. Mine has no access hole to release hood. The aggravation with mine was I removed inner fender liner drilled hole , opened hood fixed cable. I did not address the other side while hood was open. Guess what about two weeks later I was working on the other side.
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Every time the cable comes loose from the latch, I have to drill my own hole.
I have gotten good at guestimating where to drill. (and I have plenty of cars to look at in case I forget)
Never seen a car with a hole already done when a cable becomes disconnected.
Same thing happened recently with Harlem, as far as first one side of cable fixed (driver’s side), and then shortly thereafter the other side developed an issue. 
I wonder if maybe it’s a matter of “forces” being distributed differently, the weakest link, etc. ?
Atty Dallas, where is the “…small plastic manual “trigger” release…” for the fuel filler flap?
Kind regards,
Chris
Good question, in regard to Superblue’s … According to the owner’s manual, you first remove the left side trunk carpeting piece (the one that forms a “corner” near the boot light on that side). You should then be able to spot it, somewhere in the vicinity of the fuel filler flap lock solenoid/motor. The other day when Superblue locked me up (and would not respond to her fob) at the gas station I did just that, but looked and looked and could not find it. 
I even stuck my hand behind the bulkhead piece in that area to try to feel for it, w/o success. I remember it being in that area though when I had Supercat. I then got kinda panicky, as I was almost out of fuel and had no way to get more fuel into her. Fortunately for me, I had presence of mind to then put the key in the driver’s door lock and try turning it back and forth a few times while banging on the fuel filler flap near the lock mechanism with my fisted other hand. That finally triggered the mechanism to unlock things. 
I stuck the carpeting piece back in place, fueled up, and took off.
I did vow later on when I have some time to return to that area to look in there with a mechanic’s mirror, or better yet, my Lizardcam (fiber optic) to find the damn thing. I’m suspecting maybe a PO broke it off somehow when yanking on it a bit too hard, perhaps in a panic like I was. IIRC, the mechanism is plastic and white in color (or off white). Anyone know for sure, or better yet, have a photo of one? 
btw, I just noticed … this is with the XJS model … I can’t remember if the X-300s or XJ8s have something similar, but I would think they do … ?
Nick. Mine is in drivers side , is it about 2 inches down to drill from that top grommet hole in the corner, what exactly can you see, and what to push exactly, lastly what was your issue? And your fix?
Thanks mike
Atty Dallas,
thanks for the answer ref the manual latch for fuel flap.
Kind regards,
Chris
In fact, I’m pretty sure they do, b/c my first Jaguar - “Layla”, my '88 XJ40 VDP - had one, which came in handy once when I couldn’t get the flap locking pin to unlock/retract 
(I surmised that water had maybe gotten into the solenoid somehow at the time) .
Michael it’s been about a year since I fixed mine.I won’t be back to my car for about two weeks. Motorcarman might chime in and tell you where to drill hole. I can send a picture of fix when I’m back. Once I had hole drilled I fished around with a flat bladed screw driver to release latch.
Michael your in the USA? LHD?
nick thanks, i got it. problem now i cant decide to buy new cables which are over $100 USA., or crimp
the edges together so they ball cant slide out, from where the grommett washer over the years had eroded allowing it to slip out.
mike
I used a different fix, but if motorcarman says to crimping slot a little it will work
Tell me your fix versus new cable?
I used a aircraft rivet nut. I shortened the length of it ,just by trial and error. Then cut slot in it to fit around cable and crimp in place. But I think I was reinventing the wheel. Motorcarmans fix would be a lot easier.
I had to drill holes in my 2000 and 2001 x308’s for access to the latches, on both I squeezed the fork ends together, then filled the holes with 1" diameter plastic grommets and body seam sealer