Broke My Hood Cable :(

[SlickItalian]

Today has been the nicest day this year so I took the car for a spin.. decided that its been too long since I've changed the oil so I decided to give the car a nice wash and an oil change. I pull the hood latch.... The cable comes all the way out and the hood doesn't pop. I broke my cable.

How can I open my hood without scratching my paint?

Thanks
Marcus

[Tappy]

dive under your dash with a flashlight , learn some italian cursing and grab the grey coated backup hood opener cable You'll find it somewhere near the hole where the latchcable is comming trough the firewall

GL

[SlickItalian]

I know the cursing!! Thanks I'm going to go do it now!

[SlickItalian]

Aweseome I found it and I pulled it... and IT BROKE!!! so now i'm really screwed...

[ventura ace]

If your arms are long enough, you may be able to reach up from the underside, on the exhaust side, to get a 10mm wrench on the nuts that hold the latch to the studs on the firewall.

A

[manoa matt]

Yikes! that's not good. Did either cable break with enough left in the cabin to pull on? Removing the forward hood hinges is not an option because when the hood is closed the bolts are innaccessable and the hood would still be latched with the hinges removed.

Here are a couple options: Jack the car up high, or better get it on a lift so your shoulder is at the height of the crossmember. On the exhaust side there is considerably less stuff in the way. Reach your arm all the way up and try to push the latch over with a screwdriver or bent stiff wire. A lot of it will have to be "by feel".

Option 2: Get a metal rod and cut a slit about 1/2 inch down at one end. Put the rod up on the intake side and get the wire to engage the slit. Twist the rod to wrap the wire around it and then pry on the wire.

Option 3: Attach some sticks/rods/pipe to the handles of a pair of pliers , or buy something like this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bigtimes_fiat/3448443241/ And try to find and pull the release wires from the drivers/intake side.

Option 4: Get Fonzie to bang on the hood like a jutebox.

[Flyingthere]

Marcus any luck getting your hood open?

[SlickItalian]

I havent had the chance to tinker with it. I will this weekend!

[Flyingthere]

I was looking at mine today and looked for ways to get at the latch. If you can get under the drivers side you may be able to get something up to catch some part of a cable is any is still attached. If you would like I can take some pictures so you can see what you may have to do in the blind. If you do not have any cable part left you may have to try an hoot the latch and pull on it. No matter have someone around so that when you pull on something they can push the hood down and take some of the stress off the latch.

[So Cal Mark]

this is a very good time for every owner to attach a secondary cable if theirs is no longer intact

[Flyingthere]

Mark good point. I have checked my cables and they look okay and I lubed up and checked the operation of my latch. Just a thought but I wonder if it would be possible to drill a hole under the wheel well on the pass side and insert a rod or dowel in and push the latch to the open position.

[mbouse]

Mark good point. I have checked my cables and they look okay and I lubed up and checked the operation of my latch. Just a thought but I wonder if it would be possible to drill a hole under the wheel well on the pass side and insert a rod or dowel in and push the latch to the open position.

well, next week, i am drilling a hole there and sticking in a manual choke cable that will mount to the fender well. it will replace my 30 year old flimsy emergency hood release cable.

[rlux4]

I love roller-coasters. The scarier, the better.
Yes, but how does this apply to this conversation, you ask.
Well, if a person were to put in a back up system, wouldn't you miss that little tingle of fear and anticipation every time you reach to release the hood?
Ron

[manoa matt]

Why not get a lock solenoid and a push button, then you could use the existing hood cable as the emergency release. And stil have the emergency emergency release cable.

[mbouse]

IWell, if a person were to put in a back up system, wouldn't you miss that little tingle of fear and anticipation every time you reach to release the hood?
Ron

i guess we could all carry a Swiss pocket knife with a can opener