having trouble opening the hood.

Pull on the hood release and the hood pops open on the drivers side but the passenger side does not release.

i tried pushing down and tapping the hood to try and get it to release with no success.

This is a stupid problem!! Reason I need to get hood open is because the engine was over heating and there is coolant running out on the ground.


stupid problem.....

 

This happenned to me in the past.

This is what you should:

1. Remove the front passenger wheel
2. Remove the fender splash guard
3 Looking up towards the front of the car you will find a hole (The hole is just enough for your hand to through)
4. With your your hand through the try to search for the hood release cable. Pull on the hood release cable.
5. If the hood does not open then it means the hood release cable has come off the latch.
6 Move your hand hand towards the front of the car following the release cable and try to unlatch the latch with your fingers. It needs someone with a small hand. Keep on trying and you will get it.
Good luck.

 

You could try taking the grill off, as long as it's not the mesh style grill. If it's the standard, straight lines up and down all the way across, you are good. There are 10mm nuts that you can see that hold the grill to the hood, just shine a flash light. You may have to put something in between the lamp and hood to spread it enough. Use common sense though, nothing that would break the headlamp assembly. Look to where the latch is, the cable runs along the bottom of the latch. The cable either came off, or it's streched, and it that case it would have to be replaced. Use a long flat screw driver and push on the latch and the hood should open, may take a few trys. If this sounds like a pain in the ***, which it is, I would take it to the dealer or shop.

 

I once had a hood lock cable break on me and ever since then the first thing I do to any car I own is add a length of new cable from the lock down and behind the bumper where I can access it and unlock the latch from there. I even drill a hole in a piece of wooden dowel and make a little handle.

Funny though...ever since I began doing that, I never had another cable break and have had to use my backup cable!!??

 

$50 later / Merchant Tire and Auto.

Also... Diagnosed the coolant problem... Merchant said it was the water pump. So I got my own water pump and put it on and problem seems to be fixed.. Only thing is.. the old water pump looks fine. I don't see any problems with it. Merchant Tire wanted $550 to replace the water pump. Major over charging if you ask me. Did it myself for under $100. I am sort of wondering if Merchant didnt just find a loose hose and try to charge me for a water pump???????????

 

Water pumps normally begin leaking around the bearings. Since you replaced it and didn't pay Merchant for doing anything except opening your hood, I doubt that they tightened any hoses for you from free.

You may not have noticed the seepage around the bearing and since the car isn't overheating now, it probably was the water pump.

 

For all ya'll trying to get latches open, there are 2 square openings in the front lower splash panel directly below the latches. Using anything long(i use a $10 long standard screw driver from harbor freight) you use that and pop the latch lever over to the side to open. Of course youll need the car jacked up or on a lift

 

Now that is what I call "prepared"...!!!

Feel free to stop over anytime and execute your alternative hood latch strategy on my fleet! Just in case you want some practice....

 

I was once a Boy Scout...LOL