w126 hood latch dr side not latching
 

FIRST, yes I searched but none of the threads answer my question/problem so here it goes...

on my 87 SDL the drivers side hood no longer latches. the mechanism moves freely (when pushed w/ screwdriver or finger as it still has spring tension) but i cant get it to lock in the close position it just springs back up (when compaired to the functioning passenger side) i WD40'd it still no luck. is there anything aside from replacing it that will fix the problem? i dont see the latches in fastlane or allparts catalog, anyone know a PN or source?

thanks,
Ron

So, on my 300SD, the spring on the hood release lever in the cabin is weak- I pull the lever to pop the hood, then I need to push the lever back. If I don't do this, the latches don't catch because they're being held in the 'release' position by the lever. Have you tried pushing the lever back on yours? Not sure if this is your problem though, since it's only one latch you're having issues with...

Did it work before and all of a sudden it failed? If it did then it is probably not an adjustment issue unless you moved the U-shaped hook on the hood.

Try this.

1) Pop the hood
2) Use a screw driver to push both latch down. They should both lock.
3) Release the latches by pulling the lever inside the car, both should unlock.
4) If both of them work then it could be an adjustment problem. The U is not pushing down enough.
5) If the driver side latch does not lock then it is time for a new latch. It is not difficult to replace but you need to thread the release cable back in. It happened to my project car. I got one from a JY.

Good luck.

I had the same problem. WD-40, applied while the latch was still installed, did not fix it.

Remove the 3 philips head screws that hold the latch in place.

Get the latch out to where you can see it. I do not think that I had to disconnect the release cable to do this. But, I could be wrong.

You will find the catch that is hanging up and not catching when the latch is pushed down. Lubricate and move that part until it moves freely and does what it is suppose to do.

If your problem was the same as my problem, that will fix it. It took me about 10 minutes.

ill try what was suggested, thank you

Hood drivers side doesn't latch
 

I had the same problem as well. If U unscrew the part on the hood that is supposed to catch when the hood closes and shim it a little so that it goes in farther it will catch. Mine worked perfect on the first try>>>:))