Easy fix for sticky hood release cable

[gmanpaint]

Simple as they come right here folks.

I had a problem awhile back with the cable sticking and getting harder & harder to pull to release the hood. So.....not wanting to ever get stuck in a bad place with no way to open the hood in an emergency or what not, I came up with this.


Using the handle from a 1 gal paint can, it was installed on the release tab on the hood latch. The bend for the tab is already made to fit perfect on the tab. Simply feed the wire through the grill to the tab, loop it around the tab, push it down with a screwdriver or something similar, and pinch it closed with a pair of needle nose pliers.

I bent the other end to make a loop handle and tucked it in the grill so it didn't stick out too far, but where I can grab it easy. A simple tug on the wire, and "POP" goes the hood

This has been in use for over a year and works the same as it did the day it was installed.

 

[Turdle]

That there is one of the best ideas I have seen in a long time. Sooner or later the cable is going to go away--This could be a life saver.

 

[Runnin'OnEmpty]

Gman, thanks for sharing this.
I am attaching a paint can bail to mine tomorrow.

 

[techieman33]

mine was getting stickey and I sprayed the crap out of the latch with pb blaster and it freed right up, then followed a couple of days later with some lithium grease. takes no pressure at all to open it now.

 

[gmanpaint]

The cable gets stretched after years of pulling on it. They also can rust up inside the sheath. Replacing the cable is the only option if that happens. This eliminates that need. If you live in a high crime rate area, and have a ton of goodies under the hood, this might not be an option for you. For the rest of us who don't worry about that kind of stuff, this works just fine.

 

[techieman33]

No doubt, it's a great idea.

 

[carbuff100]

Thanks I'm trying this trick first thing tomm!

 

[CarreraGTSCS]

My hood release is stuck shut even after lubing the works. I'm going to try this but first I have to get the dang thing open. Any tricks to getting it unstuck?

Thanks

 

[gmanpaint]

My hood release is stuck shut even after lubing the works. I'm going to try this but first I have to get the dang thing open. Any tricks to getting it unstuck?

Thanks

Look at the top pic. That tab the wire is hooked onto is the release for the latch. You can try to move it to the drivers side direction with a screwdriver or a pry bar with an angled end on it. Not going to lie, it wont be easy to reach, but it is doable.

 

[CarreraGTSCS]

As soon as I saw it I knew it would work if I could get to it. Problem is the Mountaineer has a different grill. I can't see a way to get to it with the many deep grill bars without breaking something. I already dented the hood. I'm pretty fed up.

 

[gmanpaint]

Try this...

Remove the screws holding the release handle inside under the dash. With the mount in one hand, pull on the cable handle with the other hard. Sometimes this works as well. It can release a bind in the cable by moving it, or take away any slack that has happened over time by changing the length of the sheathing once it is detached. Make sense?

 

[hillrider]

Out of paint cans, so will have to use baling wire. Thanks!