Okay,

I just bought an 1983 300 SD. The hood release lever is broken off. I have tried yanking on the cord (which is still there) to get the hood to pop. No luck. I need to put a new battery in this thing and get it moved from the spot it is in by this weekend. Where is the actual latch? Just on the other side of the firewall? If I jacked it up, could I reach it from underneath? I feel like a total moron not even being able to pop the hood. Your help is much appreciated.

There are TWO latches at the front of the hood positioned approximately either side of where the grille meets the horizontal portion of the hood. If you follow the raised centre portion of the hood to the front lip, the latches are just below that area.

You may be able to access them from below, but not easily. It takes quite a pull to release these latches even with the hood release lever in place, so maybe try yanking on the cable a bit harder first, before you start on the latches themselves.

Good luck

__________________
1991 M-B 560SEL Arctic White/Grey 99,000 Miles
1987 M-B 300SDL Ivory/Palomino 229,000 Miles (sold but never forgotten)
2006 Volvo XC70 Blue/Beige
1999 Porsche Boxster Arena Red/Savanna Beige
1986 Porsche 928S Goldweiss/Brown

I am pretty sure this has been covered in the archives...if you need it quick that might be the place to look....
You mean the release lever inside the car is broken ?

after popping the one in the car, the one thats on the hood thats suppose to pull towards you as you lift the hood doesnt pull as you lift on mine..so I drilled a small hole in it and looped a zip-tie so its easy to grab..problem solved..doesnt look the prettiest but oh well

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1992 300TE 4matic - Just obtained 12/22/06
1983 300D - SOLD
1997 Dodge 2500 - CTD 400+HP, 1100ft/lbs torque

You may need a helper to pull up on the hood while you are yanking on what is left of the release cable inside the cabin.

I have read many times of hood latch cables breaking and the difficulty of then getting the hood open. While changing a head light on my 450scl I decided to see if I could install a 'manual' hood release. It took all of half a hour and a foot long piece of brass brazing rod.

To install the release:
1. Remove the hood latch mechanism by removing the 4 Philips head screws.
2. Remove the clip that holds the hood release cable to the hood latch.
3. Bend a loop, about 1/2-5/8" dia., in both ends of a thin piece of wire.
4. Bend one loop at 90 deg. to the wire.
5. Slip the 90 deg. loop into the clevis on the latch end of the cable.
6. Refit the hood latch to the cable.
7. Run the wire down the driver's side behind the grill and in front of the radiator so that when the grill is closed you can put a screwdriver through the loop and pull towards the outside of the car.
8. Try out your new hood release.
9. Go wash your hands and revel in your success.

The good thing about this release is that it will guanantee that your hood release cable will never break.

I have had to grab what is left of the wire with vise grips. I also think I used a screwdriver as a sort of fulcrum to make it easier to pull what was left.
When you get it open, however you defeat the locking mechanism until you get one, be sure and secure the hood somehow, as you do NOT want it folded over your windshield.

Good luck
JL

__________________
Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

I guess that works only if you can get the hood up and install it. But what if the handle or cable is broken? Is there any way to get in back open?

__________________
Michael LaFleur

'05 E320 CDI - 86,000 miles
'86 300SDL - 360,000 miles
'85 300SD - 150,000 miles (sold)
'89 190D - 120,000 miles (sold)
'85 300SD - 317,000 miles (sold)
'98 ML320 - 270,000 miles (sold)
'75 300D - 170,000 miles (sold)
'83 Harley Davidson FLTC (Broken again) :-(
'61 Plymouth Valiant - 60k mikes
2004 Papillon (Oliver)
2005 Tzitzu (Griffon)
2009 Welsh Corgi (Buba)

Well, the SD has different latches than a D as Dervman pointed out, and I got your PM Citizen Dan, first try having somebody push down (not pull up, at least on an SD) at the front of the hood while you pull on the cable inside to take the spring tension off the release, if that doesn't work I'll send you the pics of how to pop the latches....

You don't know grief until your hood cable breaks off like mine did!

Matt helped me out and got it back open!

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I'm not a doctor, but I'll have a look.

'85 300SD 245k
'87 300SDL 251k
'90 300SEL 326k

Six others from BMW, GM, and Ford.

Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must raise themselves to liberty.[/IMG]