hood latch cable stretched...how to open now?

[dlo]

hood latch cable stretched...ahhh issue solved...thanks gang

Okay, jus like it says...my hood latch cable has streched over the years and now is loose enough so it will not pop the hood open. I have a 96 XLT 4 door and wanted to know how to work around this to get under the hood and fix the issue.

Thanks

Darrell

 

[bentley]

I had the same problem. I unscrewed the latch under the dash. Then i took a pair of pliers and pulled on the cable while i had someone bang on top of the hood over the latch. After a few good tugs it finally released. Just make sure you have a new one to replace it with. It took me about 15-20 minutes to replace it with a new one from the dealership.
Good luck

 

[rizzjc]

I found that if I pulled the handle out, and wrapped my hand around the cable and twisted it outward (down and toward the driver seat) it would pop the hood. Gotta get some muscle on it, but it pops fairly easily. Carefull think it is just stretch. Mine was "stretched" because the cable was frayed, and was about to snap. I replaced the cable before I couldn't get the hood to open at all.

 

[dlo]

I had the same problem. I unscrewed the latch under the dash. Then i took a pair of pliers and pulled on the cable while i had someone bang on top of the hood over the latch. After a few good tugs it finally released. Just make sure you have a new one to replace it with. It took me about 15-20 minutes to replace it with a new one from the dealership.
Good luck

Thanks Bentley, how pricey was the latch?

And if money is an issue....is the old vice grips on the cord trick viable for a short time in this case?

 

[Rick]

And if money is an issue....is the old vice grips on the cord trick viable for a short time in this case?

As rizz said, his cable was about to snap. You can chance using a vise grip for awhile, but you may end up with a busted cable and even more of a problem...

 

[bentley]

Thanks Bentley, how pricey was the latch?

And if money is an issue....is the old vice grips on the cord trick viable for a short time in this case?

It's not very expensive. The whole assembly latch with cable was $40 with tax. I would not reuse the cable after you pull on it with vice grips, pliers or whatever. It probably will get frayed from pulling on it and you will have a bigger problem on your hands if it snaps.

If you need something temporary-
I used a 3-4 foot piece of wire that i attached to the latch and let hang on the side of the hood. Then i would just manually pull the wire and it would open. I had to do this for a short time cause the dealers in my area didn't have one in stock.

 

[dlo]

If you need something temporary-
I used a 3-4 foot piece of wire that i attached to the latch and let hang on the side of the hood. Then i would just manually pull the wire and it would open.

I think this is my Sunday morning project now. Thanks gang.

 

[dlo]

Ahhhh....I am here to report that the temp wire attached to the "popping" mechinizm has now been installed and if in need, my wife and I can get under the hood with a little tug.
Thanks for the idea gang.

 

[shaker1]

Sometimes it helps if someone pushes down on the hood to relieve the amount of effort needed to pull the latch. And if it requires too much effort, perhaps the hood stops need to be adjusted or the latch lubricated.

 

[paul123]

on my 2000 xlt as a temporary fix I was able to bend the mount that holds the cable at the hood latch enough that it pops every time. New cable on the way as sooner or later a stretched cable turns into a broken cable.