Hood Latch Help
gocar
Band Wagon
Just got my car back from my uncle borrowing it and tried to pop open the hood. To my dismay, it wouldn't pop. I investigated a little closer and noticed that the wire under the hood separated from the latch.
I'm going to be servicing my car soon and was hoping if anything had any tricks to pop it open?
My hood is bent so i'm able to stick my hand between the hood and the bumper right now. I'll take a picture tomorrow for better reference.. Thanks!!
I'm going to be servicing my car soon and was hoping if anything had any tricks to pop it open?
My hood is bent so i'm able to stick my hand between the hood and the bumper right now. I'll take a picture tomorrow for better reference.. Thanks!!
Comments
I don't know what the deal is, even when I get the little ball on the end of the cable into the latch, it still wont release the hood....
So here is what I did.
1. Take out the outside screws on the bumper lights and slip them out of the bumper, remove the bulbs and push them back through the holes in the bumper where the lenses were.
2. Take out the phillips head screws on the very ends of the bumper, they face towards the rear of the car.
3. Looking through the hole where the bumper light was, you will see two 10mm bolts. Use a 10mm socket and long extension to remove the two bolts from each side of the car, four all together.
4. Then all you have to do to remove the bumper is pull the side of the bumper at the wheel well away from the car to unhook it from it's little mounting clip. Do this on both sides and the bumper will come right off. It's definitely easier with two people. If you don't have someone to help, use something to support the unhooked side of the bumper while you undo the other side.
5. Now you can use a flashlight to inspect the latch mechanism. Looking at it from the passengers side of the front of the car, you should be able to see a small square tab with a hole in the middle, and a slit in the side (so the cable can get into the latch). You can use a flathead screwdriver to pry (carefully, but it does take a little force) the latch towards the passenger side of the car, releasing the hood.
6. If you can figure out how to fix the problem, awesome! I could not, so I took some nylon string and wrapped three strands between the hole in the latch, and a hole in the radiator support on the passenger's side. You can see approx where on the picture below. So now I can release the hood by pulling on the nylon cord through the holes shown below in the front bumper.
I would suggest pulling the string as a release a few times before putting the bumper on, it is a bit hard to do and you should know what to expect. You can't just reach through the bumper and yank the string real quick. You will need to use both hands and pull as perpendicularly as possible to the latch (parallel to the ground, pulling towards the passenger side of the car). It's still kind of a bitch, but now I can release the hood without having to go into the cabin.
I'm trying to come up with a better way to put a new release behind the bumper, but one that is easier to use.
Glad I could help! Now if we can only figure out why the latch won't release using the lever.... Does anyone know how the cable is supposed to attach to the latch? Is there some kind of rubber or plastic spacer which puts a little space between the lever and the little ball on the end of the cable?
I discovered that pressing down on the hood allowed the catch to release. Of course, that made it a two-person job to open the hood.
I adjusted the knob on the hood. I can't remember if I tightened or loosened it. Anyway, it works now.
Probably not your problem, but just in case...