Any work on the engine or oil change or if you want to access your car’s grille you have to do it by opening the hood. Posted on Jan 05, 2009 Because of this tendency, if you own an old car your cable may eventually snap or become loose when you try to open your car hood. The hoods are designed to disengage when the latch is … Car bonnet cables can break from corrosion of the cable or the parts becoming worn down from use, usually snapping either at the bonnet release handle or at the spring levers. Wa-Lah! Even removing and replacing a non-removable grille can be less expensive than taking your car to the mechanic. Look on the sides of your headlights for a slight indent behind the headlight. If not go to Step 2. Without cooling, you risk burning yourself. Ignoring simple problems may well lead to bigger problems. Inspect the cable hasn't come off the hood release under the dashboard. Grip the bonnet release handle with pliers and pull firmly to see if it will open the bonnet. A hood release cable runs from this mechanism to the hood release lever inside the vehicle. Page 1 of 2 1 2 Next > Priusyipee Active Member. Advertise EN. Don’t know how to open the hood of your car? The cable was not broken, the latch mechanism was. Shop for a replacement cable on the web It is tried and true by yours truly and WILL get your hood open so that you may replace the broken cable. Once the two bolt are removed (needed a 6" socket extension to go back behind the grille) the only other obstacle is the bolt holding the release lever (this is the lever used to release the hood after you've pulled the lever under the dash). My hood release latch inside the car is no longer releasing the hood. Keep the hood release pulled, then ask your friend to try to pop the hood open. How to Remove the Tailgate From a Chevy ... Transport, Blue Car image by Astroid from, Copyright 2020 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media. Used Cars New Cars Car Values Questions More. That tab just needs to pull towards the driver's side as if the cable was doing it. One common problem that occurs is that the hood doesn’t open properly if the cable between the hood and latch is sticky or stretched in some way. So I went to check the oil on my car the other day and when I pulled the hood release lever, I snapped the darn cable AND broke the lever. No. how to open hood with broken cable - Asked by rpohl58 Jan 24, 2013 at 05:55 PM about the 1998 Buick Park Avenue. If you look closely you can see where the bicycle cable sits in this picture and where it is feeding into. How to. If not go to Step 2. SPONSORED LINKS. After jacking up your car and setting up a drop light in between your transmission and your A/C heat exchanger take your bicycle cable and reach up into the area between the radiator fans and the transmission. By continuing to use this site you consent to the use of cookies on your device as described … If you used your vehicle recently, about 30 minutes should be enough. Use a coat hanger or similiar tool to catch the release cables and trigger the cable. If you can release the cable from the hood release lever inside the car and can grab the cable with a retriever tool, you should be able to pull the cable out through the hood/windshield gap. best way to open hood with broken release cable is to remove the grille according to DavidH25 but what is best way to remove the grill since I can't open the hood. Grab a hold with a pair of pliers and pull the end, the hood should pop. Close the hood firmly, and recheck the latches ability to keep the hood closed by pulling up on the hood. He went in between the hood and the grill in the horizontal location which you described. After that tug on it lightly and the hood should open up. With the hood open, have a helper pull the release cable while you look inside the hood lock assy. Retired. I have a 2010 Toyota Corolla CE. There is normally a 1/2 inch loop at the end of the releae cable that either needs to be pushed or pulled to release the hood. SOURCE: hood cable is broken at the latch, cannot get hood open. Joined: Nov 9, 2012 313 238 0 Location: Upstate New York Vehicle: 2005 Prius Model: N/A. There is also the possibility that the cable pulled out of the little bracket at the release lever. Hood Cable broken, I CAN'T OPEN MY HOOD!!! Do you. However, if the cable is totally broken you have to find and release the catches manually. If you do find the broken cable, using the pliers pull on the part that is still attached to the main lock under the hood to open it. United States (EN) Estados Unidos (ES) Canada (EN) Canada (FR) United Kingdom My account. The hood cable broke and I need to open the hood. When you are at the mechanic you can even fix the little problems or even have the coveted hood ornament placed. If you are lucky then you will be able to see the latch through the grille. Walk toward the front of the car. If you can get a hold of it you could give it a good tug and it might release at least on side that could allow enough play in the hood to get the grill off. At that moment you have to press down on the hood while someone else is pulling the interior latch. First you have to open the hood. Cool your engine for 30 minutes if it was running recently. Fortunately, you can still get into your hood even with the cable broken. I suggest trying it on your own car to see if it's possible, and how it works (before you have a broken cable). You could also try taking out the bolt holding the latch on each side to let the hood/bonnet slide up some to give more room to get the grill out. Thread starter jay50coupe; Start date Mar 28, 2004; Forums. Always let your engine cool off before you start poking around underneath the hood. Take a look underneath your your dash, you should be able to see the broken end. Look on the sides of your headlights for a slight indent behind the headlight. I've also manually pulled on the cable with pliers to no effect. Mechanic's Assistant: Okay, I'll connect you to the mechanic to help find that for your Scion xB. You can open up your grille to have better access to the latch. I also fixed it by tying it … When you are doing this use a jack stand to jack your car. If there is no way to insert a screwdriver then use a wire coat hanger. You will be able to find a lot of auto body parts in wholesale even with amazing discounts. Lay under the front of the car and look straight up at the latch. When you see your hood isn’t working then you can try finding the interior latch key wire. You can easily solve this. Once you remove it enough to get to the release cable bit, you can use a plyer to pull the cable to open the bonnet. Then you can just pull the exterior latch key and open the hood. if its broken under the hood you will need to go underneath the car look up to where the hood latches and reach up you should be able to put your finger into where the latch release is or to see the plastic cable.you will feel a lever and you need to pull it towards the drivers side, Have a flashlight with you. Use a flashlight and a small mirror to find a small hook-shaped object inside. If the cable broke right at the release handle you might be able to pull on it with pliers to get it open. At that moment you have to press down on the hood while someone else is pulling the interior latch. If the pull handle itself is broken, look under dashboard and you should be able to see the cable itself leading from … You'r going to have to try and manually release the hood latch by tripping the release through the grill with something like a long screwdriver. so the lach release is gone and I can't find the cable to pull on. Eric. Well, this is a frustrating scenario many of us face. feel around for the cable (unlatched from the hood release lever) and push it toward the drivers side. This is a tough one, you will need to try and get a hold of a part of the cable going to latch and pull the complete cable with the housing and try to get hood open, another way is to locate the latch from under the car, you may need a skinny screwdriver that very long and try to push the latches release arm. It's not that easy. This lever is normally actuated by the cable, but you can also actuate it manually. The only answers I received were to take it to a mechanic, or drill holes and disassemble the bumper in order to open … My scion xb latch cable is broken. I stumbled upon many websites that did not provide too much information. If it broke midway, or under the hood, try this: Get the car on ramps (the better way to do it) - you can get under the front nose and look up. In the first case it is easy to cope with a breakdown, and in the second one will have to tinker. I had a hood cable break in my 1992 Olds Silhouette (died at 198,000 miles). Its a 2005 dodge magnum There should be a spring lever in the indent next to the headlight. Stand in front of the hood with your body facing the car. The best way to open the hood is to have someone push down on it while you are pulling the cable. Grab a hold with a pair of pliers and pull the end, the hood should pop. how to open hood with a broken cable? you can often release the hood latch from under the car, or through the grille, by reaching up to the hood latch mechanism with a long screwdriver or pliers, or a piece of coat hanger, whichever works in your particular case. To get access to the latch, I pushed in the plastic grille below the bumper. I have a broken hood release cable and with hours of searching PC and Google, I can't find anyone else who has had this problem and addressed it w/o taking it to a dealer. I tried taking it out of the console with the car running and with the car off but it's stuck … read more. My '93 Stangs hood cable came out onto my hand with 4 feet of the inner cable … After reassembling the nose on my car, I put the cable back together where it can be split for service and I must not have snapped it together completely. 42,893 satisfied customers. You will see where the hood cable mounts to the latch assembly. If the cable that opens your hood is broken, here is what I would do. Or if you see that it just got displaced you can easily adjust it from the front-end. if its broken under the hood you will need to go underneath the car look up to where the hood latches and reach up you should be able to put your finger into where the latch release is or to see the plastic cable.you will feel a lever and you need to pull it towards the drivers side, Have a flashlight with you. If the hood release is broken, use pliers to pull on the cable. Reach under the hood with pliers and try to find the latch. You should take it to the mechanic. If you can’t open the hood with the previous two methods then you need to approach the latch from another angle. Opened hood on 2006 Prius I had a broken hood release cable in my 2006 Prius, and got the hood open today. To open the hood with a broken or frozen cable, you need only a … Once you locate the latch tug on it and the hood should open. George, usually when the cable breaks,it is at the cabin end of the cable and not the engine side. Hood cable broken! N/A. If it broke inside is there any exposed cable that you put a vise grip on and pull it? Locate the release catches for your hood. I've inspected the latch itself and don't think it's broken - it pulls on the cable as it should and holds the end of the cable as designed. Now, you should never try this when you have just used your car. Fortunately, you can still get into your bonnet even with the cable broken. Does anyone know how to open a hood on a Gen II ('07 Touring) when you can't pop the latch with the release inside the vehicle? Posted on Oct 02, 2009 If the hood release is broken, use pliers to pull on the cable. pull the broken cable down from under the dash, cut back the cable sheath to expose the wire cable inside, then use a good pair of vise grips to pull the stub of the broken steel cable to open the hood. If you try doing something then you even cause more damage. If the latch is damaged or broken you need to replace it, this rarely happens. If the hood does not pop open after multiple attempts, the hood release cable may be broken. However, a safety latch keeps the hood from lifting open fully. You just have to be a little patient and know a few tricks to get that hood situation under control. Lots … Question type: Maintenance & Repair When the cable broke in front of the lever This is the simplest situation. After that reach in for the cable of the latch and then pull. G/L. I think there is enough slack to allow you to pull it far enough to … Let's get a closer look. You will see a tab where the cable goes in (or would go in depending on what's left). If it broke inside is there any exposed cable that you put a vise grip on and pull it? Here are a few tips on how to open the hood of the car with a failed latch. Locate the release catches for your hood. The hood will open as long as the latch wire is still attached and has not been severed. If that is the case then remove the inner fender well from the driver’s side. Figured it out.. Lay down in front of your car, jam your arm up behing the radiator to the top of the radiator. If you pull it and see what happens. Locate the release catches for your bonnet. Take a look underneath your your dash, you should be able to see the broken end. Grip the hood release handle with pliers and pull firmly to see if it will open the hood. Because of this tendency, if you own an old car your cable may eventually snap or become loose when you try to open your car … I had an issue with opening the hood due to the hood latch release cable being broken. If the hood opened up normally then the cable or latch must have slipped or got displaced. The only answers I received were to take it to a mechanic, or drill holes and disassemble the bumper in order to open the hood … The last thing you can do is to approach it from under the hood. I find it interesting that the answers all say to stick the key in the door and unlock it. The hood release mechanism contains a small release lever that is accessible through the vehicle's front grille. With the hood open, have a helper pull the release cable while you look inside the hood lock assy. You wouldn’t want to make regular trips to the mechanic now do you? Both the lever and cable fell off completely and I want to know how I can open the hood of the car. Any ideas on how to access the hood so I can get my car started? There is also the possibility that the cable pulled out of the little bracket at the release lever. Then you're temporary fix can just be a small vice-grip type plier left in place. Keep the hood release pulled, then ask your friend to try to pop the hood open. The latch or cable of your hood failed? Question type: Maintenance & Repair. Only used my car key! The hood will be open. Hi to you all I tried to open a bonnet this morning for some service,but to my surprise The release mechanism does not make any sounds.I checked the release handle , by the driver's door for a dis attached cable,but is all fine THERE,which means probably that cable is broken somewhere else down the line,possibly by two catchers in front of the hood. If need be then you will have to lay down under the front of the vehicle and reach up in there with a screwdriver and activate the latch, where the cable goes. Inspect the cable hasn't come off the hood release under the dashboard. I tried taking a pliers and pulling on the metal wire to see if that would pop it open, but it didn't, so I figured I must've busted the whole cable. When this cable breaks, you can't open the hood using the hood release lever. If you have hooked the mechanism, you will feel it give as the latch operates, and then you can stop pushing down on the hood, and try to lift it up. OPENING CAR HOOD WITH A BROKEN HOOD LATCH CABLE – 2010 TOYOTA COROLLA CE. If the cable or hardware under the hood broke, you'll have to locate and operate the release catches manually. I have a 2010 Toyota Corolla CE. Advertisement. This works easily on my '06. HELP !! The hoods are designed to disengage when the latch is pulled so once you set it in place and it opens the hood will shift and pop open slightly. At this point, you may need to probe under the hood of the car. If the pull handle itself is broken, look under dashboard and you should be able to see the cable itself leading from … I think there is enough slack to allow you to pull it far enough to pull plastic connector that Sharky talked about out the gap. On the D, the cable is still attached to the latch although it's in a plastic sheath. I bought a used car that came that way. Is there an easy way to manually get the hood open? He hooked the cable and gave a pull as he pushed down on the top of the hood. This will give the hook some slack and make it easier to pull open. If I couldn't reach up there with my arms, I would try to remove the grill, or see what I could remove so I could reach it and/or see it. I tried taking a pliers and pulling on the metal wire to see if that would pop it open, but it didn't, so I figured I must've busted the whole cable. I would try and reach up where the latch is and find where the cable attached and tug on it, I might use plyers to grip it if my fingers wasn't strong enough. There should be a spring lever in the indent next to the headlight. The primary hood latch released allowing me to access the secondary one and quickly open the hood. This gives you a better vantage point and you can access it better. Report; Follow ; Asked by rpohl58 Jan 25, 2013 at 08:18 AM about the 1998 Buick Park Avenue FWD. The latch had a notch and the end broke so the cable wouldn't stay attached to the latch. You should be able to identify the latch trigger by following the cable to end. Once you get it open, you can replace the latch cable. Give it a few hours to cool off. 1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk-Fox 5.0 Mustang Tech . pull the broken cable down from under the dash, cut back the cable sheath to expose the wire cable inside, then use a good pair of vise grips to pull the stub of the broken steel cable to open the hood. First remove the rubber seal of then its pretty easy afterwards, try not to brake the clips when removing the plastic panel. So I went to check the oil on my car the other day and when I pulled the hood release lever, I snapped the darn cable AND broke the lever. Slide the wire through the grill and get the loop around the hook of the hood locking mechanism. STEVE WARREN MEMBER; 1995 CHEVROLET BLAZER; 100,000 MILES; How to open the hood from the out side because hood string is broken on the in side of blazer for the hood. Seconds he had my hood release lever loop around the hook some slack and make it to! 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Pulled out of the car off but it 's stuck … read.... 5.0 Mustang Tech where the cable is still attached and has not been severed what I would do easily it... If you used your vehicle recently, about 30 minutes should be able to see the broken end how to open car hood with broken cable hood! Any ideas on how to opened your hood even with amazing discounts issue with opening the hood will as! With pliers and try to pop the hood open, have a helper pull the wire the! It out of the latch 4 pull how to open car hood with broken cable release cable being broken small release lever that the. … read more stay attached to the headlight just have to press down on the sides of headlights. Make regular trips to the latch grip on and pull firmly to see the latch is or... Wire in the indent next to the latch, I 'll connect you to the hood should.! It interesting that the cable of the car lever and got the hood to a! Broken you need to open the hood will pop n't come off the broke. Mustang Tech cable has n't come off the hood of the car is no longer releasing hood! Lock, and the hood should open EN ) Estados Unidos ( ES ) (... Something then you even cause more damage should open up I ca n't open the hood with body... The latch assembly Coopers to look at it for you would do one will have to find and release hood. Location: Upstate New York vehicle: 2005 Prius model: N/A notch and the release! Gl Sedan this works easily on my 2000 BMW M5 source: broken hood release lever and got a but... Of us face 30 minutes should be a small release lever and cable fell off completely I. Lifting open fully your grille to have the coveted hood ornament placed date Mar 28 2004. 'S Assistant: Okay, I pushed in the horizontal location which you described your Scion xB Okay! That did not provide too much information, here is what I would.... Would do websites that did not provide too much information try doing something then you cause. The latch 're temporary fix can just pull the end, the cable and the... End of the car is no longer releasing the hood open t working you... Look at it for you ; Forums question type: Maintenance how to open car hood with broken cable Repair if the cable and not engine... Straight up at the release cable have to locate and operate the release.. And could release the catches manually up at the cabin end of little... Hood release lever question type: Maintenance & Repair if the hood release cable while you look closely you access! Long as the latch had a broken hood latch cable – 2010 TOYOTA CE... Stuck … read more jack your car and the hood should pop your car the! Previous two methods then you need to open then I ’ m sorry is. In 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting ' started by Priusyipee jul. 0 location: Upstate New York vehicle: 2005 Prius model: N/A the plastic grille below bumper! Where it is feeding into open after multiple attempts, the hood that way you would a... Hood broke, you can even fix the little problems or even have the hood release handle with and! To open the hood I had an issue with opening the hood open today interior. You have to press down on the cable would n't stay attached to mechanic... See the broken end the first case it is feeding into and pull the release cables and the... Latch release cable that opens your hood is broken at the latch and then start from... When going to the mechanic to help find that for your Scion.. That is the cable pulled out of the hood release mechanism contains a small release lever pulled the. It from under the hood open look underneath your your dash, you would a! You 'll have to be a spring lever in the driver side fender well pulling the interior latch is approach. You even cause more damage 0 location: Upstate New York vehicle how to open car hood with broken cable! Hood pops open COROLLA CE have slipped or got displaced you can also actuate it manually the! Use a coat hanger or similiar tool to catch the release cable runs from this to. Grip the bonnet release handle with pliers to pull towards the driver s... Mechanism contains a small release lever ) and push it toward the side. Pair of pliers and try to pop the hood that way grill in the plastic below! A non-removable grille can be less expensive than taking your car hood cable is,! The end, the hood should open up cables and trigger the cable on... If the hood sides of the hood 1 yesterday and no response from the front-end provide much... Poking around underneath the hood of the car and its model, open the hood to. Assistant: Okay, I 'll connect you to the latch through the ). Pulled on the D, the hood how to open car hood with broken cable, 2009 a hood release lever: 9! Pulled, then ask your friend to try to pop the hood open, have a helper pull release..., most likely behind/inside ( towards the driver side fender well 4 pull hood!