Open Hood Release Latch

How to Open a Car Hood

A stuck car hood is very hassle to deal with. When the hood gets stuck-up, the owner is not able to check the oil or add windshield washer fluid.Also to diagnose a larger engine problem hood has to be opened. 

car owner's do not realize their car hood is stuck until they attempt to open it. 

Almost any routine maintenance you do on your car will need that you open the hood. All car hoods open very much the same manner.

Opening your vehicles hood is a relatively simple task that can be done in a few minutes with no tools required. You would be pleasantly surprised to find how easy it is to get under the hood of a vehicle.

Why It Is Necessary To Know How To Open Hood 

• It is a good idea to know how to open your car's hood. 
• Once the hood is open it can help gain access to the inner workings of your car's engine and other accessories. 
• It is required for anyone needing to perform a service, repair or maintenance their vehicle. 

How a Hood Latch Mechanism Works

Function And Operation Of Both Primary And Secondary Latch Assembly:

• The hood release consists of two separate latches that include a primary and secondary latch. 
• Most vehicles are equipped with an inside primary latch and a outside secondary latch.
• Both must be activated to open the car hood. 
• The latch used to open your hood is usually located in the passenger compartment on the driver's side, under the dash or built right into the dash. 
• Once the primary latch has been located pull the hood release and the hood will pop up a noticeable amount.
• Further located the secondary latch, push the hood down slightly and move the secondary latch and lift the hood into the upright position. 
• This secondary latch is a safety device so that if the hood is accidentally released while driving the hood doesn't open completely and cause vision obstruction. 
• Always make sure the hood is properly secured by using the prop rod or helper springs before removing your grip. 
• If your hood is equipped with a "prop rod" you will need to install it in the designated position to hold the hood up properly. 

Why Car Hood Will Not Open?

The most common possibility for this problem is hood release latch.The functioning and importance of hood release latch is already described above.

1. Generally, a car hood latch sticks due to lack of routine maintenance. Overlooking to clean dirt off the hood latch may lead mechanism fail to function properly. Without proper lube, it is difficult for the cable, hinges, and springs to work properly. 
2. Many a times due to this it causes a cable to move around the primary latch, allowing the hood to spring up a few inches then it actual position. At this point, the secondary safety latch engages. This latch prevents the hood from hovering up if a person hits the release by accident while driving. 
3. To open the hood all the way, the driver must operate the release lever on the safety latch. Problems with hood operation often originate from issues with latch or cable flexibility.

Some hoods are held in the upright position with hood elevation springs or shocks. These springs or shocks help lift the hood and then hold the hood in position until closed. To close this style of hood holder simply pull down on the hood slightly. If a hood is slightly damaged or just sticky it can cause the hood not to "pop" open, in this case you might need a helper to pull up on the hood to allow the primary latch to release.

Hood Release Latch Will Not Release The The Hood Easily

Car Hood Open And Close Problem

• Sometimes it will take a small rap with your hand on the hood near the latch to allow the hood latch to release. When performing this action use caution to not dent the hood. 

• Sometimes once a hood has been opened and you are tiring to close the hood but it wont stay down it could be because the latch has fallen to the closed position. 

If this is the case you must pull the hood latch while the hood is in the open position and make sure the latch is in the open position. 

• If this doesn't help you might have to help the latch open by using a screwdriver to help the latch open. Once the latch has re-opened the hood can now be closed into it normal closed position. 

Sometimes this just works for once or twice then same problem again occurs.So remember to close the hood firmly and recheck the latches ability to keep the hood closed by pulling up on the hood to confirm closure. 

If you have pulled the hood release and have a helper pulling up on the hood but it still won't open it could be the cable the actuated the hood has broken or is maladjusted. 

• In this case the hood latch must be opened manually from the outside of the car.
• To do this it takes some imagination because there are many different ways to perform this action.
• Sometimes you can retrieve the activation cable through the front grill while other times the only way to activate the hood release is to gain access to the latch from underneath the vehicle.

How to Open a Car's Hood

To open a car's hood is mostly simple operation that anyone can perform. Start with your car on level ground, in park with the emergency brake on. 

Then, locate the primary hood latch on the inside of the car on the drivers side. 

This primary latch location can vary because every manufacturer is different. 

Most primary latch locations are on or near the left kick panel, but they can be in the dash or under the steering column also. 

Most hood release handles are clearly marked with a white illustration of an open hood.

Locate the hood release lever inside the car. Most cars have a lever on or near the kick panel by the driver's left foot. Some may be on the bottom of the dash panel in the same area. It is usually marked Hood or Hood Release.

Once located the lever pull the primary hood release until the hood "pops" open exposing the secondary latch.You should hear or feel the click indicating the release.

Locate the secondary latch.Find the hood safety catch lever. This is typically located just under the hood of the car, through the grill openings.Push down slightly on the hood and active the secondary latch.

Lift hood into the full open position.

Open the hood of the car fully and secure it with the prop rod.Properly install hood prop rod to hold the hood in the open position (If your car is equipped with a helper spring or shock skip this step)

Once the service or repairs have been completed remove the prop rod or simply push down on the hood to lower.With a firm burst of energy push the hood to the latched position.

IF THE HOOD WILL NOT OPEN

Common Problems For Car Hood Stuck Closed

1. Slow-moving hood latches that stick due to Dirty, worn-out latches.
2. Once the primary latch has been activated the hood will not "pop" to the semi open position due to a sticky latch.
3. Primary hood activation latch cable fails, leaving you to open the hood manually from the front or underneath the car.
4. Hood will not close due to the latch failing closed while the service or repairs are being performed.

How to open car hood when the release lever is broken?

If a component of the hood latch system is damaged or badly corroded, repair might be the only option. Over time, the latch assembly may become rusted, or the release cable may need adjustments. Without regular maintenance, the whole system can seize up, causing the cable to snap when pulled too forcefully.

As long as it is only the plastic lever that broke you should be able to grab the end of the hood release cable with a pair of pliers and pull on it to open the hood. You could also just change the release lever with a new one.

It all depends on your car and where the hood release lever is located.

If your release lever is on the kick panel by your left foot, remove the trim panel that covers it and find where the cable goes into the release lever. Grab the cable with a pair of pliers and pull to open the hood. Once you have the panel removed, the lever should only be attached with a couple of bolts, so it would be easy to change.

If the lever is under the dash you will also need to remove the panel that covers it and do the same thing.

If its the cable that broke you will have to find the end of it and pull it with a pair of pliers. You might have to remove some of the plastic shield that the cable runs through to find the end of the cable where it broke.

This will help.

Thanks.