Hood stuck shut on '90 300SE
 

Took my car to get a oil change (at one of those 10 minute oil change places.) When I got home, I wanted to verify the oil level, but I couldn't get the hood open.

The little gizmo tab that comes through the grill was (is) not protruding like it normally does...it is flush with the grill...so I got some needlenose pliers and then grabbed and pulled, but no release. The hood seems jammed shut

What the heck do I do now? If I can't get it to release, is there any other way to remove the hood from the outside so I can see what is causing the problem?

:confused:

Jeff R,

Does the hood release mechanism have any affect on the hood? I mean, when you pull the lever under the dash, does hood pop up at all? If not, the problem is likely with this feature as pulling on the handle that pops out when the hood pops up, with the hood in the down/driving position is not going to do anything.

If the cable broke I am sure the dealer or an independent knows how to get the hood to release, and I would recommend having one of the experts take care of this. Good luck, Jim

Stuck Hood fixed
 

JimSmith's response got me to retrace my steps...

I wasn't pulling the hood release hard enough--it was much stiffer than normal to get the hood to pop....so I pulled it really hard and the hood released--found a specific gravity measurer from my oil change job jammed under the hood, apparently causing the problem.

Hmmmm....a tool that I don't have....should I keep it or return it to the oil change place that caused me this problem in the first place?....the spoils of human error...

Thanks

Keep it for the trouble you went through!
 

It was their mistake anyways and it is not that expensive either.:cool: