How can I open the hood of my car when the cable does not work without breaking the front grille?

Can you remove the front grille and reach the release mechanism?

Look at the handle first. Did the handle break or the end of the cable. Usually handles break. Replace it. Until then, use a pair of pliers to pull the cable. Is the cable broke. Usually there is enough sticking out to grab with pliers. Replace the cable. If broken on the latch end. Take it to a garage that has done them.

I'm going to tell you how( thinking the handle inside the car broke). This handle is made of plastic(replacement handle is a dealer item, pay to much for it), and the cable behind it usually breaks at the plastic connector. you need a pair of vise grips. attach the vice grips to the cable, and pull. It will release the hood. Now if the cable itself broke going to the hood, you will have to remove the grill( is held in place by screws). Remove the grill, and you will be able to pull the release pin on the hood latch, releasing the hood. hope this helps, and please rate, helpful or not

The first thing You need to do is go to a Salvage yard where you can remove this part yourself. What you want to find is how the car is put together. Observe how the Grille comes apart. Maybe take a digital picture. Remove the hood release from the Salvage car and keep the extra attaching nuts and bolts in case you drop some when reassembling your car.

Second, disconnect the hood release handle from the interior of the car. Then pull on the cable and if it is broken pull out the broken piece. It is possible that it broke close to the interior. Then you would be able to cut the cable in a place which still has the metal piece in it. You could then grab the remaining cable and pull on it to free the hood. You may have to work from beneath the car to access the broken part.

But if you went to the Salvage yard you will know how to remove a grille without breaking your own grille. Now you have two solutions-grab the broken part without removing the grille, or removing the grille and then work on the cable.

I hope this helps you.

I know this is an old post but for anyone that has a problem opening their hood, the solution isn't as complicated as the one above. If you're willing to lie on the ground, crawl under the front end of your impala and look up between the radiator and the grill. You have very easy access to the hood latch from below. You should see where the cable attaches to the latch mechanism. This mechanism needs to move toward the driver's side of the car to release the first hood latch. If it doesn't move freely, it probably needs some lubricant. I had to lube mine and give it a good what before it finally released. Once that releases, you can open it normally. Be sure to work the lubricant thoroughly into the latch mechanisms. If the cable needs to be replace, you now have easier access to both ends of the cable assembly.

It actually is going to depend upon where the break in the cable is. I'm basing this on the model year but you might check to see if any of the cable is still extended & broken where it connects to the lever that you use to open it. If you can see the broken strands/cable you can easily clamp onto that with vice-grips, or similar pliers & pull on the exposed cable to open it.

IF you cannot see the cable, you are limited as the whole intent of the cable system was to prevent anyone from opening the hood without the release cable. You can attempt to determine where it broke based upon the cable you pull out of it (the part still connected to the release handle), cut the cable past that point without cutting the inner, "pull" cable, then pull on the exposed cable once out. Get your replacement cable at the dealer or local salvage yard.

Check under the hood latch opening area to see if the small cable could be snagged & pulled but that's a slim chance.

Finally, Body shops are the best at getting to things like this since they usually have to dissasemble those parts for repairs, they would be well suited to remove other parts to gain access. good luck

If the cable broke right at the internal handle you can sometimes grab the end of it with a vise grip. If it broke in the middle you may have to remove the grill, and then remove the locking mechanism on the bottom side of the radiator support. Sometimes you can trip the release from there with a screwdriver. But I would advise taking the grill out to get to it.

If you can access the cable take a pair of vise grips and simply pull it like you would the hood release handle

A hood release works with a cable that pulls the latch open. if you have a long flat head screw-driver you can try to spring the latch itself through the front grill.

On each side of the latch there is an 8mm screw that can be removed through the front, between the hood and grill They are aprox 6" apart.

The latch itself has two locator pins that slide into the front suppoprt behind the grill.

After removing the two screws, gently pry the whole latch away from the support. The hood can be raised, taking the latch with it.

Access to the release lever is behind the latch. It is now exposed.
pull the tiny release lever toward the drivers side and latch will come loose. Good luck!