I cannot open the hood on my 95 Olds 98 LSS the cable appears to be broken and I cannot seem to access the latch under the hood

remove the front grill on car!
the latch is there. attack it directly

or find the cable. somehere and yank hard from side?
or cut the cable , then strip it back , unwound
and grab center wire, and pull with vise grips. bam opens. (luck)
if center wire is broken under hood then only grill off is the way.
its just a cable. no magic here.
access only is the question.

Help:Navigator hood won't open - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

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Jan 30, 2012 - I have a 1998 Lincoln Navigator with a battery that needs to be jumped and I cannot .... I've accessed many broken hood latch cables that way. Rear liftgate and glass latch cables -1998 Expedition
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has the latch broen off or is it that it just wont stay shut ?if not broken parts try some wd 40 spray as may be sticking

try taking the wheel liner out on the side of the stuck latch and access the latch directly you can open it by hand if u follow the cable to lever. if you cannot access from wheel ull have to go from under the bumper as a last resort ull have to unbolt the latch while connected which can be tricky

push down on the hood while someone pulls the cable
if not cut the cable and pull to open sounds like the cable is broken anyway

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.

try having someone pull the release and someone else give a quick bounce to the leading edge of the hood. If it opens, use plenty of solvent on the latch mechanism and work it till it's free.

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.

Usually the handle breaks off the cable, you should be able to use some vise grips to grab a hold of the cable and pull it to open the hood. To repair it the cable assembly will have to be replaced. If not you will have to gain access to the latch which is located in the front center of the hood and using a screw driver or something similar push the lever to release the latch.

if it is broken at the handle you should be able to grasp the cable with pliers to pull it otherwise you will have to go out front of truck and the best way i found requires long arms, but you would have to use a flashlight and slide under front bumper and look upward to find cable/latch assembly. You may be able to do it through the grill but if cant see it through the grill under neath.if you in front of truck pull latch to right and it will release.