HELP, I cant open my hood
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 432
Likes: 0
From: Lancaster CA
HELP, I cant open my hood
i was trying to adjust the rubber bumpers on the hood that adjust it up and down. not the drivers side wont latch down and i cant get the passenger side to unlatch. i cann see the cable moving on the drivers side, so i dont think its a broken cable. can anyone offer me some insight?
Corvette ***** OG
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 4,776
Likes: 21
From: Charlotte NC
St. Jude Donor '05
CI VI Veteran
Re: HELP, I cant open my hood (SSLT1KID)
I don't want to mislead you but I remember reading a post about someone going to Pep Boys or Autozone and buying a "hook" tool that allows you to reach in there and pull the cable.
I'm not sure if it was for a stretched or broken cable and like I said, I don't want to mislead you but you may want to do a search.
Perhaps someone else could chime in?
One more suggestion. If you have made an adjustment, it could be pulling too hard down or over now that it is latched. Have someone help you and pull the release cable while you gently "help" the corner that won't release. You may need to push down, pull up or push over a bit (usually down) to give it a little bit more slack. Hope that helps.
Mark
I'm not sure if it was for a stretched or broken cable and like I said, I don't want to mislead you but you may want to do a search.
Perhaps someone else could chime in?
One more suggestion. If you have made an adjustment, it could be pulling too hard down or over now that it is latched. Have someone help you and pull the release cable while you gently "help" the corner that won't release. You may need to push down, pull up or push over a bit (usually down) to give it a little bit more slack. Hope that helps.
Mark
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 9,715
Likes: 27
From: Kempner Texas
Re: HELP, I cant open my hood (vinnies87)
I've had this problem more than once and each time I simply used a coat hangar to open the hood. You can buy the special tool for this purpose and go through the inside of the car to reach the cable, but the hangar method has always worked for me.
Fashion a hook to one end of the coat hangar. Stand on the opposite side of the car from the side that won't open - if it's the passenger side that won't open, stand on the driver's side -.
Fish the coat hangar between the rubber hood seal and the firewall lip and push it over to the approximate location top where the cable is located.
Turn the hooked end of the coat hangar until the "open" end of the hook is facing downward. Reach and pull, reach and pull, and eventually you will "hook' the cable. Give the hangar a slight yank and the hood will pop open.
It will probably take a few minutes to hook the cable, but you will eventually.
I added a couple of wire ties (plastic tie wraps) to each cable so that if the same thing should happen in the future, I simply fish out the end of the wire tie and pull on it. The plactic wire ties can be hidden down under the windshield wipers and will be out of sight. Comforting to know they are they though.
Hope this helps.
Jake
Fashion a hook to one end of the coat hangar. Stand on the opposite side of the car from the side that won't open - if it's the passenger side that won't open, stand on the driver's side -.
Fish the coat hangar between the rubber hood seal and the firewall lip and push it over to the approximate location top where the cable is located.
Turn the hooked end of the coat hangar until the "open" end of the hook is facing downward. Reach and pull, reach and pull, and eventually you will "hook' the cable. Give the hangar a slight yank and the hood will pop open.
It will probably take a few minutes to hook the cable, but you will eventually.
I added a couple of wire ties (plastic tie wraps) to each cable so that if the same thing should happen in the future, I simply fish out the end of the wire tie and pull on it. The plactic wire ties can be hidden down under the windshield wipers and will be out of sight. Comforting to know they are they though.
Hope this helps.
Jake
Racer
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 429
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From: chagrin falls,oh,usa
Re: HELP, I cant open my hood (JAKE)
i've had problems with my passenger side twice in five years. in both cases the stamped clip that attached the cable to the operating arm broke.
i wasn't as fortunate as the above responder with the coat hanger wire. i've had to remove the inner fender and make a "custom" tool from a cheap screw driver which allowed me to grab and operate the release mechanism.
i wasn't as fortunate as the above responder with the coat hanger wire. i've had to remove the inner fender and make a "custom" tool from a cheap screw driver which allowed me to grab and operate the release mechanism.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 182
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From: Newberry SC
Re: HELP, I cant open my hood (johndezman)
i wasn't as fortunate as the above responder with the coat hanger wire. i've had to remove the inner fender and make a "custom" tool from a cheap screw driver which allowed me to grab and operate the release mechanism.
