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can't open hood

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coolhandluke

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can\'t open hood

help guys, I dumped all my tranny fluid out when I removed my driveshaft, and now I can't get my hood open! when I pull on the release, nothing happens, it's like it's broken, or not attached, which is crazy, cause I replaced it last month (guess I fouled something up). is there someway to open it without popping the hood release??
 
Re: can\'t open hood

i couldn't open my hood the other day...just kept trying for about 5-10 minutes and it finally popped up...? don't know why. i've got a button that locks the hood, i figured maybe that was stuck. maybe if you just keep tryin....?

good luck
 
Re: can\'t open hood

that happened to me once, i had put something that got wedged, and it wouldn't open, try to get a snake light or something up there and try to look through your after market grill.
 
Re: can\'t open hood

Bang on the front of the hood with your hand this will only work if the hood latch released but didn't release all the way when you pulled it. It works for me try it and tell me if it works.
 
Re: can\'t open hood

do what blaznetank said. Most old GM's get wierd and need you to do this.
 
Re: can\'t open hood

I did the bang on the hood thing already, no luck, I guess the thing isn't unlatched, anyway to unlatch, or bypass the latch with the hood closed?
 
Re: can\'t open hood

Bang on the hood to the left of the crease if you are standing directly in the front (side where the release is). Maybe about 6-8" back from front. That was my trick. I had to pull the release, but it wouldn't actually open until I did that.... I thought it was cool, because nobody could get it open, which was a cool anti theft factor until my old mechanic fixed it trying to be nice.... /forums/images/icons/tongue.gif /forums/images/icons/grin.gif
 
Re: can\'t open hood

I haven't tried on my K5 but I had this happen on another car I use to own. Pull the grill and you should be able to get at the bottom side of the latch.
 
Re: can\'t open hood

It's not a Chevy if you dont have to bang on the hood to get it open. /forums/images/icons/grin.gif
 
Re: can\'t open hood

Try having a buddy pull on the release handle from inside the cab while you pull, push, bang, and kick on the hood.

Just a brain fart.
 
Re: can\'t open hood

Heh. The grille bolts in from the top, under the lip of the hood /forums/images/icons/frown.gif

Sometimes pulling on the cable then actually pushing the cable handle back in a few times helps too. If you pull on the handle too hard though, it comes off : )

No real idea how to help you hear, the latch is on "top" of the core support, and the only thing you can reach by removing the grille is the "safety" latch.With the large hump in the core support between the latch and the radiator, don't think you could get to it that way either even if you could get your arm up there.

Last ditch, if you cut the cable as close to the hood as possible, you can probably pull the inner wire far enough to unlatch it. Of course, if the latch itself is screwed up, or the wire came off the latch, this won't help a bit.

Never run into this myself before, but I've thought about how hard it would be to open if the cable quit working.
 
Re: can\'t open hood

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
If you pull on the handle too hard though, it comes off

[/ QUOTE ]
This is why I have locking pliers there now as my handle... doh.... /forums/images/icons/grin.gif
 
Re: can\'t open hood

Been there done that! On Noangels new (to her) blazer she has to pull the cable while I push down on the hood to get it to release. My friend Dan had the same thing happen (after an accident) and no-matter what we did we could not get the hood to release. I tried going through the grill with no luck (as others have stated). I then pulled the inner driver's side fender out (PITA) and was able to get to the latch by hand, turns out the cable came unhooked from the latch.
Hope this helps.
 
Re: can\'t open hood

You know, if you put a plastic bag (kind thick) over that metal piece where the handle sits, then push a new handle on there, and trim the plastic bag away, the handle seems to stay on really well.

Obviously it will still come off if yanked on hard, but much better looking than pliers : )
 
Re: can\'t open hood

When you do get it open, be sure to lube the latch/release mechanism up. I always know when mine gets stuck because I have to bang on the hood after pulling the handle. Of course, if I don't bang and then drive, it will pop up while I'm going down the road. /forums/images/icons/shocked.gif I guess that's why hoods have the safety latch...
 
Re: can\'t open hood

Ohhhh. did not know the newer bodies mounted the grill that way. The older bodies the grill screws in from the front and can be removed by just taking off the headlight bezels and a few screws.
 
Re: can\'t open hood

Here's what to do - If it's the cable that's broken then make a hook out of coat wire and grab a hold of the cable under the hood (about midway between the center of the hood and the driver's edge) and give it a pull. It should either release the hood or you'll fish the broken cable out. If the hood mechanism is stuck then you'll have to make a tool like this out of something relatively flat and strong (hopefully you can understand my primative stick figure drawing /forums/images/icons/tongue.gif )...
___
|
|
|
|_______________

Slide that in from the passenger side at the center of the hood and you should be able to trip the latch (assuming the cable is has actuated the hood release). Good luck! It's a "fun" job and takes a bit of patience /forums/images/icons/wink.gif
 
Re: can\'t open hood

Okay, everyone is on the right track, just hear ole Bubba Ray out and what ole Bubba Ray has to do to gain access to the powerplant holding area.

First, ole Bubba Ray releases the hood latch. Now this is good for about 25% of the time for the hood to pop, other times, ole Bubba Ray has perfected a technique that one day soon, will write his ticket to Detroit.

Ole Bubba Ray centers himself on the hood. And after conjuring up the spirit of Arthur Fonzarelli, utilyzing approximately 8.543 foot pounds, ole Bubba Ray taps the hood right on the roll of the hood to the right of the crease, the driver's left.

One must be Zen when using this technique, for if one is not Zen, then bad words are exited out of the large face oriface.
 
Re: can\'t open hood

You can adjust the latch itself with a couple bolts. I have two hoods and have switched core supports and front fenders before so things get adjusted pretty regularly. Mine periodically still sticks but things are still settling. It only does it when I park with one side of the truck pointing downhill.

If you can get the grill off you can drill a hole from the underside and use a screwdriver to release the latch. Yes, that's experience talking. hehe.

Otherwise, having someone useful pull on the handle while you push down on the hood and wiggle side to side by wedging your fingers at the seams by the front fenders seems to work pretty well.
 
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