My hood release has always required a lot of brute strength to operate, and unfortunately my most recent go resulted in the handle breaking off. It's still attached to the cable, but no amount of strength seems to make it budge. A friend suggested pulling the cable while someone else put pressure on the hood, but I haven't gotten anywhere with that either. I'm thinking the cable must be rusted or jammed somehow.

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1985 190D 2.2L 717.411 5-speed
1983 300D Euro OM617.950

I have a car like that. I've got a pair of vice grips locked onto the cable ball and I pull with a good portion of my strength to pop it.
would yours happen to be an SD?

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

Mine is a 300D/W123

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1985 190D 2.2L 717.411 5-speed
1983 300D Euro OM617.950

it shouldn't matter, but what year?

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

1978

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1985 190D 2.2L 717.411 5-speed
1983 300D Euro OM617.950

x2 on the vicegrips. I've noticed some are easier to pull than others, might want to adjust the tension on the cable once you get it open.

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TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth

mine started to get tough. Wonder if there needs to be some lube on the cable or mechanism at the hood latch?

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Current Diesels:
1981 240D (73K)
1982 300CD (169k)
1985 190D (169k)
1991 350SD (113k)
1991 350SD (206k)
1991 300D (228k)
1993 300SD (291k)
1993 300D 2.5T (338k)
1996 Dodge Ram CTD (442k)
1996 Dodge Ram CTD (265k)

Past Diesels:
1983 300D (228K)
1985 300D (233K)

Spray some PB Plaster into the cable opening at the hood latch end. That end usually gets rusty in there.

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Closing the store
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My hood release broke a few years ago and after a lot of frustrating tries, I found the method that worked best was to use two hands, one pulling the cable DOWN and the other pulling it toward you. A sort of S shape seemed to make the cable pop easily every time, where straight pulling led to little movement.

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1980 300SD 220,xxx
somewhere, nc

One of my mechanic friends tried to get it open yesterday but couldn't, and he says I'm going to have to tear apart the grill to get it open!

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1985 190D 2.2L 717.411 5-speed
1983 300D Euro OM617.950

You should be able to push the hood release piece that holds the hood down, with a long screwdriver, or pull with the mechanism that the cable is attached to, with a bent or looped clothes hanger. There is another "Can't open the hood" thread running currently. Check out that thread. You will need to spray some WD-40 on the locking mechanism to loosen it up. Or PB Blaster first, as was suggested. Breaking out the grill would be a last resort and I think not necessary.

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85 300D 75K Anthracite Grey 0-60 in 13 seconds **For Sale**
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