Car hood won't open

Tiny
LOSTLADY
  • MEMBER
  • 1993 BUICK LESABRE
My hood won't open. There is no resistance when I pull the latch. I had someone pull the wire because it was slack, but nothing happened. I don't know how hard to pull it, don't want to break it. So my car is stuck at the auto -parts store. I went to get a battery, and I can't get the hood up, how lucky am I?
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Monday, August 30th, 2010 AT 9:54 AM

9 Replies

Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,870 POSTS
If the cable is just stretched where the release handle goes on then I would get a pair of needle nose vise grip's and lock them on the cable behind the release handle close to the cable sheath or cable housing and pull it till the hood open's then replace the cable. If not you will have to get at the hood latch from under the front of the

There is a picture attached below, you need to push on the part circled in red to make it release
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Monday, August 30th, 2010 AT 12:00 PM
Tiny
OJOSCEOLA
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  • 1 POST
  • 1993 BUICK LESABRE
1993 Buick Lesabre 6 cyl Front Wheel Drive Automatic 200k miles

how do you open a stuck hood latch on a 1993 buick park avenue
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Thursday, November 29th, 2018 AT 7:33 PM (Merged)
Tiny
TWSETTER
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
Depends on how stuck it is. My Buick Lesabre will sometimes stick and not pop up like it should, but just pull the lever like normal, then go and gently wiggle the hood and it pops up for me then. If the cable is snapped, I can't help you with that one.
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Thursday, November 29th, 2018 AT 7:33 PM (Merged)
Tiny
POOR
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1989 BUICK LESABRE
  • 6 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 84,000 MILES
How to release if cable is not working or is broken so hood will open to fix hood latch?
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Thursday, November 29th, 2018 AT 7:33 PM (Merged)
Tiny
MHPAUTOS
  • MECHANIC
  • 31,938 POSTS
Hi there

You will have to see if you can trigger the latch from under the front of the car, Try and view one that is open so you can work out the best way to access it, use a long standard screwdriver to release the latch cable pull. See if the cable is broken at the release you may be able to use a pair of pliers to pull the cable end. Also look through the grill to see if you can get at the release that way as well

Mark (mhpautos)
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Thursday, November 29th, 2018 AT 7:33 PM (Merged)
Tiny
RIV007
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 2001 BUICK LESABRE
  • 6 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 65,000 MILES
Hi.I'm having a problem with my hood release. The main latch will not "catch" when I close the hood. The secondary (safety) latch is ok. From what I can tell from looking at it, the cable might not be connected. At the end of the cable, there seems to a little knob on the end of it, but it is not connected to anything. Does the cable have anything to do with it? Everything seems to be alighned properly.
Any help you can give me would be appreciated.

Thanks, Rich
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Thursday, November 29th, 2018 AT 7:33 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 108,014 POSTS
Hi:
Yes the cable needs to be attached. My guess is the latch assembly is already in the lock position, so it won't catch the hood. If you look closly at the mechanism, you will see where the cable goes. Re attach the cable, then go in the car and pull the release lever which will open the assembly allowing the hood to close.

Let me know if this helps, or if you have any other questions.

Joe
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Thursday, November 29th, 2018 AT 7:33 PM (Merged)
Tiny
NZAHND
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 2000 BUICK LESABRE
  • 110,000 MILES
Handle on hood release cable broke. Bought new cable w/handle. Tied wire onto end of cable, near hood latch, and started pulling from inside of car, pulled about 18"-20" out and got hung up. Can't push or pull any further, any help on this would be great or am I doing it correctly? Thanx ya'll, nick
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Thursday, November 29th, 2018 AT 7:33 PM (Merged)
Tiny
BLUELIGHTNIN6
  • MECHANIC
  • 16,542 POSTS
Greetings

Do you have the hood up? Which end did the cable break at? If it's still attached to the hood latch, lock some grips onto the broken line inside the vehicle and pop the hood. Then locate the end of the release cable inside the latch mechanism. Pry the ball-end of the hood release cable out of the latch mechanism using a small flathead screwdriver. Separate the opposite ball-end of the hood release cable from the release lever using a small flathead screwdriver. Pull the release cable through the firewall and out of the vehicle. Install one ball-end of the new release cable in the hood latch. Feed the cable through the firewall into the cabin. The easiest way is to tie the ends of the old and new cables close together and as you pull out the old cable the new cable will feed through in the same spot. Place the opposite ball-end of the release cable in the release lever mechanism. Test the release lever and cable for proper operation. Let me know if you need further assistance.
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Thursday, November 29th, 2018 AT 7:33 PM (Merged)

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