Hood release

[IVIUSTANG]

Hi again guys,

My 1998 T5 has had trouble releasing the drivers side hood release since I have owned the car. When I pull the hood release lever in the car if I don't put upward pressure on the hood simultaneously then it will not release, also if I hold the lever in the cabin and have someone open the hood at the same time that also works. I lubricated the release mechanism on the driver side and that helped slightly but it is still hit and miss; especially in the cold and when the hood is loaded down with snow and ice.

Any quick fix? It frustrates me!

Thanks,

- Jesse

[FlyingVolvo]

I'll be interested in this too! My car recently started having a similar issues where I'll pull the lever and hear it pop, but it is then very sensitive to movement. If the lever goes back too far or the car or the car gets tapped, the hood will lock back. I have to pull the lever, and let it back really slowly, then run to the front of the car and pull straight-up.

[IVIUSTANG]

Sadly my car makes very little pop, and my hood makes VERY little movement. I am not missing the two rubber pieces on the front of the good either that hit on the plastic above the rad, a simple fix for me would be to somehow exert more upward force on the hood from underneath, but no doubt someone knows better Yes I have also done the release very slowly/run without jiggling car method on occasion.

- Jesse

[instarx]

Three things:
1. you may be able to adjust the cable at the handle by removing the kick panel and turning the adjusting nut (it takes an open-end wrench)
2. move the driver side latch DOWN about a millimeter (takes a socket wrench)

Those are the official ways, but...

3. the thing that fixed this exact same problem for me when the two above did not - the rubber pad on the bottom of the hood gets hard and compressed over time and doesn't provide any upward force when the latch is released. I fixed my problem by gluing a 2 millimeter thick piece of rubber onto the pad to make it a little thicker. I got the rubber by cutting up a rubber washer I had laying around. The pads, one for the driver side and one for the passenger side, are about one inch square and are easy to see when the hood is open. I didn't do anything to the passenger side.

[C@lvin]

+1 on the cable adjustment. That fixed both of mine.

[2bad]

I have exactly the same problem - talk about annoying! Changing to that two-latch system was a big mistake - some engineer must have had too much time on his hands. Thanks for the suggestions, folks!

[bobice]

Three things:
1. you may be able to adjust the cable at the handle by removing the kick panel and turning the adjusting nut (it takes an open-end wrench)
2. move the driver side latch DOWN about a millimeter (takes a socket wrench)

Those are the official ways, but...

3. the thing that fixed this exact same problem for me when the two above did not - the rubber pad on the bottom of the hood gets hard and compressed over time and doesn't provide any upward force when the latch is released. I fixed my problem by gluing a 2 millimeter thick piece of rubber onto the pad to make it a little thicker. I got the rubber by cutting up a rubber washer I had laying around. The pads, one for the driver side and one for the passenger side, are about one inch square and are easy to see when the hood is open. I didn't do anything to the passenger side.

These are good way to fix. The same problem happened to my car, I'll try these. But before reading this message, my way is to use a plier to hold the release level when opening the hood. Only need to remember to take the plier away when the work is done.

[IVIUSTANG]

I moved the driver side latch down and it works perfect thanks, although it did throw off my hood alignment with my quarter panel ever so slightly.

Thanks,

- Jesse

[Thoth]

Thanks instarx,

#3 worked perfectly for me, didn't even try #2. Tried #1 first to take up the slack, but didn't resolve the problem.

Much appreciated.