Bob Hovey

Hi Everyone:

I was wondering if someone could guide me through this.

Lately, when I reach under and pull the hood release, my hood does not pop open. I have to give the hood release another tug. Then, I hear a small click. The hood still looks shut. If I take my fingers and stick them under the hood near the windshield and pull up, the hood opens.

I checked the latch thingy under the hood (the thing that is on a spring and grabs the bullet like thing on top of the hood and hols it closed). It moves freely. The cable seems ok. I noticed the small nut and larger nut on the end of the wire/cable. Looks like some kind of adjustment is possible. Maybe those are used to shorten (thighten) up the cable?
Does anyone have a fix for this?

Thanks,

Bob

Bob Hovey

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Juliet

My '87 does the same thing. I've been advised that the fix is to replace the springs in the latch mechanism. I've also been told that the cables themselves stretch out over time. You might find something about it in the archives.

The hood issue is on my list of things to do. Let us know how it goes. I haven't dived into this project yet. Good Luck.

Aggravated4life

Hey Bob,
You need to determine if all the hood supports work and help to push the hood up when releasing the cable handle.

Make sure its all greased up...make sure the large hood nut that holds the pin on there on the underside of the hood. etc didnt back off and etc.
Makesure the pin itself is secured with the spring by using a large screwdriver and see if its loose.

Anyways,as you saw the cable nuts and assembly, the plastic thingy...it takes two 13 MM open end wrenches to adjust.

You hold the long plastic nut with a 13MM wrench..the small nut in front, you loosen with the other 13MM wrench...that allows you to free the long nut to adjust by wrench or hand to adjust/pull the cable in or out in the latch area.

Then as you turn the long nut by hand(preference..a wrench may be easier), you can see the locking latch move inwards or outwards depending on the way youre turning it.
Do this in small increments...turn the cable so the latch pulls inward towards the motor then lock the small nut down to keep the long nut firm and test it by closing the hood...
This will fix the problem if the cable stretched over time.
When the cable stretches, the latch lock moves outwards in the latch area making it difficult to lock the hood down.

Hope this sets ya up..be careful..if you over adjust the plastic nut on the cable, it will lock and wont release the hood!!!

purple jinx

if its the original hood release cable, you're living on borrowed time. once it breaks it is pure hell getting the hood open. replace it while you can get in there to do it. WELL WORTH IT to avoid the hassle. once mine broke it was $250 later that it was fixed because of the hood being locked down. can probably adjust the cable for a short term fix but if this is a new symptom and its never been a problem before, replace it before it breaks and you're screwed

Hendej

I don't have any personal experience with it, but places like MAD sell a tool to open the hood after the cable breaks:

http://www.madvet.com/pdf/609637.pdf

Bob Hovey

Thanks everyone for suggestions.
Bill, I'll try the adjustment this weekend.
I assumed the small and large nut were there to adjust the thing. I'll make little turns and test it and be careful not to over tighten it.

Cheers

Bob

Juliet

Let us know how it goes Bob. ~Juliet

Juliet

Bob, did you get it adjusted? Any tips or suggestions you can offer up? Thanks, Juliet

Ray Quayle

Bob,
You have mail!

ratortor

Mine doesn't pop up either although everything is adjusted. I also replaced the springs in the housing. Still no popup.
I wondered if stronger front struts would help.
Did you have succes with anything you tried.
Another Bob