Hey all,

Another hood stuck thread. I did search!

My hood is very stuck, half of it appears to be in the first stage of popping up and the other half is not. Pulling the interior cable does compress the spring and pulling the release tab accomplishes nothing. Tried combos of having someone pull/push the tab while lifting the hood, pull/push the hood while pulling interior cable and exterior tab, ect. No luck so far.

Saw some business about a screw driver method where you apply pressure to a specific area but no luck.

Should I bust out the pliers to grab the interior cable and just hope it doesn't snap? I also read something about using a coat hanger but didn't quite follow.

Any help would be great, cheers.

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Greg
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85' 300TD
03' Honda S2000

I've done that successfully before (pulled on the cable). I unbolted the bracet and took the lever out; carefully grabbed the cable straight-on with vice grips and pulled hard. Once you get the hood open you can tighten up the cable. Access os by unscrewing the plate that has the paint codes, etc near the latch. Then you can unhook the cable from under the latch and clean, lubricate, adjust, etc.

It may help to have someone push down on the front of the hood to relieve pressure on the latch.

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85SD 240K & stopped counting painted, putting bac together. 84SD 180,000. sold to a neighbor and member here but I forget his handle. The 84 is much improved from when I had it. 85TD beginning to repair to DD status. Lots of stuff to do.

since the 123 does not have but a single latch, if the hood has partially released, it's free.

now you have to put varying amounts of pressure on the hood from different angles, to get the tongue to stick out to pull the release latch.

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Played with it a bit more; no luck. Tried pressing in various places while having someone pull the interior cable. Nothing happens. Cables moves and I can see the spring through the grill compress but doesn't ever seem to unlatch.

After various pushes and pulls, the side that was up or released has since gone back down. Hood appears latched as normal and in the correct position.

Tried having the hood pressed down and also lifted whiling pulling the cable - basically every combination. But it won't ever pop up.

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Greg
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85' 300TD
03' Honda S2000

So I'm working under the impression the cable is stretched and not providing enough umph! to "pop" the hood. That's my best guess.

If I have someone pull the cable as much as is possible and then I insert a screw driver into the hood, should I be able to push on the spring mechanism enough to get it to pop?

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Greg
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85' 300TD
03' Honda S2000

You say you can see the latch which is half the battle. Use a long fairly heavy screwdriver or a light weight pry bar and see if you can get it to release.

If you have a W123 nearby, ask to take a peek at how it releases with the hood up.

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If its dented at some point around the seam you. Could try a steel putty knife and a mallet. And tap your way around (I was able to do it with no pry marks this way) but see first if you can fit a slim piece of rebar/ round bar under or through the grill (or from under the engine compartment )and pop it from underneath .... It works on Chevys and doesn't fudge up your paint or body

If you say pulling the cable compresses the spring, then it should release the hood free from its locking mechanism.

But if you say pulling the hood release pull/tongue does nothing, then it probably means it's still locked or latched to the locking mechanism.

The locking mechanism has a spring at the front, pushing up on the hood. Since you say you can see the hood partially lift halfway up, are you able to push down and see if the spring is working?

Another idea is when you pull on the release handle inside the car, once you see the hood lift slightly, you may want to push it back forward. It may not be releasing completely if the handle is pulled only.

If you can see the spring through the grille then you're missing the cover. If this is the case, can you spray some penetrating oil into the spring tube (if spring is not pushing hood up when cable is pulled) using an extension tube attached to the nozzle?

The locking tab on the mechanism is on the driver side. Perhaps this is why it's lifting up on one side, and not on the other?




Here's a success story where the hood was stuck shut. Cable was too loose. If it's the case with yours, see if you can adjust the cable threaded mechanism when all else doesn't work, maybe that could tighten the cable some and allow you to pull it free.

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http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7271/7...144c3fc1dc.jpg

With my balky hood W123, I would pull on the cable with pliers while my dad bounced the hood up and down until it released.

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Thanks for the replies everyone, but so far nothing has worked.

I've employed the help of two others, one to push the hood down, one to pull the interior cable attached to vice grips and myself on screw driver duty to try and push the spring mechanism farther. But basically nothing ever happens.

Spring is compressing, but only a little. Just seems like it's not enough. After it's initial compression from the interior cable, I am unable to move it any more with a screw driver.

When I get under the car, I can't see any way to get access to the locking mechanism nor can I see any feasible way to adjust the tension on the cable with the grill still in place. Ssssscrewed.

I think I am just going to have to take it to a shop.

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Greg
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85' 300TD
03' Honda S2000

I'm confused. You are pulling the lever in the car and it's popping but then you can't get it the rest of the way? My hoods have always had various issues. Currently, my lever inside the car is broken so I pull with channel locks or vice grips until I feel it pop. It's subtle and I have to pull so hard I always think I'm going to break it.

Then, the hood is in that halfway position where it moves up and down a half inch or so. At that point I pull the release at the hood (which broke off long ago and now is just a piece of bare copper wire coming through the grill). I pull the release while pulling up on the hood fairly hard at the same time. Sometimes takes a try or two....

No, the hood never pops. So far no amount of pushing or pulling on anything yields a popped hood.

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Greg
__________________________
85' 300TD
03' Honda S2000

I close my eyes and hold my breath every time I pull the hood release. That seems to work ever since I had the same problem described here when I had to tighten the cable after having to pull it with vice grips from u dear the dash.

On my '80 300CD the hood usually does not pop up even when the cable disengages the latch but nevertheless I can then lift the hood (gently, from under the grill) just an inch or so - enough that the plastic tab then sticks out. Sometimes it takes more than one try and it can be helpful to have someone inside the car keeping tension on the cable so it won't retract.