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My car hood latch cable has become detached so how do I get my hood open?
The latch to my car hood has become detached and I need to get under the hood to replace the car battery. How do I open the hood if the latch has become detached from the cable?
Re: my car hood latch cable has become detached so how do...
Go under the dash and cut the outer sheath back over the inner steel cable, pull that inner cable with a pair of vise grip type pliers to release the hood latch.
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In most instances, you will be starting under the hood with the connection to the hood latch itself. Because these were not made to be easily serviced, you may need to take apart quite a few grille parts or front "radiator support" parts to access the end of the cable. Once you get the end of the cable separated from the latch, you will observe where the cable is routed around the left fender and inner fender panel. Now, go to the inside and find out how to detach the handle from the dashboard area. You may need special tools here.
Pull the handle/cable put from inside the car, after it is completely detached. God bless your efforts.
u need 2 ppl one to pull latch one to pop it on at hood once opened both should pull up on broken side til both side pullable then having something to hold it wouldbe good
Have a helper push down on the hood close to where the latch is. You, under the front bumper, look up at dead center of hood. If you can see and reach the latch where the cable attached, either grab it with pliers and pull latch in same direction as the cable would and tell your helper to stop pushing down and the hood should pop up. A long screwdriver to pry the latch might work if you can't grab it with pliers.
The cables and latch become dirty and corroded,and the spring wrapped cabbles can even rust on the inside.
The cable itself may have broke.
if you are able you can lay down under the front reach up through the grill and you just have to feel your way take a short screw driver and feel where the cable connects to the latch,use the screwdriver for a lever and pry the latch open.
once it is open have someone pull the release and watch for movement,if it does clean the latch ,spray cable lube into the cable while moving.
then adjust the latch a little,not to much at a time or the hood will be loose.
Of course if there is no movement in the cable it means its broke and will have to be replaced
This same thing happened to my Blazer. If you reach your hand up behind the front bumper and use a hammer you can hit the release latch and it will open.
i think it could be one of three things; the cable is detached from the handle, the cable is broken inside the sheathing, the cable sheathing is not anchored at the hood latch.
in the case of the cable being detached from the handle, look under the dash and inspect. if the cable is visible, use a pair of pliers to yank it. in the other cases you will have to gain access to the latch from under the car or through the grill. then it's a matter of releasig the latch with a screwdriver or similar tool which could prove to be difficult.
Saturn Vue hood release can be opened (if the cable is not broken) by disconnecting the cable from the back of the release lever, grabbing the ball on the end of the cable with some large pliers ("channel locks") and pulling hard. A metal "wire keeper" bracket clamped to the cable end under the hood to serve as a spacer and the release lever works. The purpose of this bulletin is to provide a procedure for opening the hood on the Saturn VUE and ION vehicles should the hood latch release cable mechanism become inoperative. VUE Hood Opening ProcedureModify the Saturn radio antenna by bending the antenna mast 1 in. (2.54 cm) above the antenna base to a 25 degree angle Open hood of similar vehicle to locate hood latch release cable to hood latch attachment point. Using modified antenna, note approximate location that antenna will have to enter in between fascia and hood to access the hood latch cable attachment point. This should be toward the left edge of the Saturn emblem. Also note position of the modified antenna base. It should be angled downward. Note: Use protective tape on the hood and fascia where the antenna will be inserted to protect the surfaces from scratches On vehicle with inoperative latch, insert antenna between hood and fascia and depress the hood latch cable until the hood is opened.
first,
try smacking the hood at one of the front corners while someone else
pulls the release handle. or even after you've pulled on it. if that
works, once open, adjust and lubricate the hood latch assembly. if it
still won't open, and
it's the cable and not the latch you'll have to replace it anyway, so
instead of removing the grill, cut the cable behind the pull lever
under the dash where you can reach it. then skin the outer cable
insulation away from the actual steel cable exposing an inch or two of
it. then holding the insulation and plastic housing with pliers, grab
the steel cable itself with pliers and pull it to open the hood. then
replace the cable. the further you can reach up under the panel the
better your chances of getting past the broken part of the cable and
avoid removing the grill. you might also be able to gain access from up
under the car if you're lucky.
Will start simple:
If the handle is broken inside car, find cable end pull with pliers, the handle is replaceable by itself from dealer or junkyard.
If you are pulling handle and hood will not pop up, have a helper pull up on front of hood and lightly bump down on hood near the latch with their hand or fist(careful not to dent) while you pull on handle and it should popup, now lube it before you close it, the hood may then need to be opened and closed several times to work lube into latch(this sticking is common when latch system is not lubricated regularly).
If the before mentioned does not work...the cable could be detached at latch which is usually caused by: lack of lubrication and/or trying to open hood in winter after going through carwash.
Now things get trickier and you're best finding a shop that can raise the car up so that they can jimmy it from below.
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