Problem of the week: I have an issue with the hood latch release cable.

So far, I've bought a new cable and installed it, filled it with 3 x 1 oil. It slides as easily as any cable would.

I've cleaned the already clean latches on both sides, and they operate smoothly as they should.

When I "close" the two latches to test the operation of the cable, an easy pull of the cable handle inside opens both simultaneously.

If I do the same with the hood lowered without latching the two latches, pulling the cable pull inside releases them smoothly as well.

Perfect, right? Wrong.

If I completely close the hood, it takes a superman to unlatch the hood. The pull handle pulls smoothly until it reaches the point of "unlatching" and stops. Unless I pull the living daylights out of it, it won't open.

I've tried slightly bending the connecting rod between the two latches so both do not open at the same moment, and nada. Still the same.

The cable is supposed to be mounted in two guides; one near the center of the hood, and one on the bottom(back) of the hood roughly located about the master cylinder.

I've tried it with the cable in both guides, one only, then the other, then neither.

Zilch.

Has anyone here every swapped the latches out for a different type or style?

It's really aggravating, because the darn thing should be a simple pull and pop open. Or is that not the case?

 

Check for alignment on the Hood and body, also for bent rods or broken clips that lead to the latches.

 

^x2 hood alignment and or bent rods from being forced so much^

 

Look to see where the striker on the hood has been hitting the latch mechanism. You may have to tap it forward or back to strike properly.

I had to adjust mine a bit and then put some lithium grease on it. Works much better now.

It used to feel like the cable would snap whenever I pulled it.

 

Mine does the same ****, Ill fix it at somepoint. But the trick to not need superman is to have someone smack the hood above the latches as you pull the release. Mine is probably from my hood spacers.

 

Try the little twist **** under the hood, hood might be sitting up too high and needs to be closed more. Happened to mine a few weeks ago

 

I just changed my left striker and the bellcrank the other day. The striker was bent (somehow) and the bellcrank was all corroded and gunked up from years of slopping oil on the mechanism.

I had a ruff time finding rivets for the bellcrank but found them at Fastenal. Also, very lucky that my neighbor had a BMF rivet pulller to pull those giant rivets.

Had a heck of a time pulling the release handle because of the bellcrank and was scared it would break so I sent the big bux (Mopar parts) and replaced them.

The laches were okay and just needed cleaning and lube.

 

Cool! Lots of great suggestions. I'm gonna keep playing around with it and see what I come up with.

It seems to release the easiest when the cable is not held in the plastic mounts.

I haven't really looked at the position of the hood latches when they drop into the bottom ring, so I'm gonna start looking at that. It may be getting pinched when it sets down.

Just out of curiosity, do any of you guys have hoods that release with a bare minimum of effort? Or is the hard to pull hood release common?

 

Mine seems pretty easy. Like i said, i had to adjust that so it wouldn't sit so high, now it's way better

 

Mine is almost effortless now since I bent back the striker a bit.

Now I just need to get the door handle buttons on the rear doors to do the same.

 

Almost all of mine You just Hardly pull and they release but I also lube them during every oil change so nothing acts up.

 

Mine wont open at all. How do i get it open if pull cable doesnt work?

 

What do you mean "if pull cable doesnt work"? Does the handle pull out all the way and it won't open? Does the handle stay put and you can't pull it back? Does it pull part way? Lots of if's and questions. Lots of possibilities.

 

CCKen - this just happened to me as well. I pulled the handle out about 2 or 3 inches until it stopped and the hood would not unlatch. The handle stays put after I pull it out. I need to push it back to its proper resting place.

I was actually following your directions from another thread on looking for an evap leak. I was following the hoses from the evap canister to the engine compartment when I found out I could not open the hood.

 

I always wondered how you open the hood after the cable fails or breaks. I know how it is done at the junk yard. But no way!!!! on my XJ.