I have a 1986 Fiero with a stuck hood. I tried releasing with the cable, then tried the back up EM cable next to it and even attempted pressing down under the windshield wiper while a friend tugged at the cable. Still stuck.
I don't want to damage the hood but its froze hard and not letting me even pull up enough to gamer at the latch. Any expertise in releasing this?
You could have a helper push down firmly but gently on the hood while you try the emergency cable. Personally, my 86 came with a broken primary cable and the emergency cable took the right tug at the right angle to work at all. Needless to say, that was the first part I sought to replace, and fixed it asap.
1. Do Not force it by pulling hard. You likely will wreck the cables.
2. Pull cable and someone else hit the hood, one to many times, by hand in area where latch is.
3. If hood has been hit back... locks are likely holding it and pulling latch cable won't matter. See my Cave, Hood
------------------ Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should. (Jurassic Park)
No, the good news is that the car wasn't hit. I have to replace the batteries & with money tight she'd sat for a while.
I put a magazine on the hood, near the latch, per what my shop manual says it is located, and struck there with a rubber mallet. I'll try w/ a partner tomorrow and see if that works. That did work with my pickup, enabling me to replace the cable, but so far hadn't with the Fiero.
Note that 3. could be problems w/ hood alignment too. Bent hinges or hood can be a little off making lock bolts to lock enough.
Big gap at front of hood could be sign of alignment problems. Rear corners "hitting" the windshield too. Corners should continue body lines w/ the fenders edges.
lock bolts and fold points in the hood are so in a wreck can't push thru the glass. (Watch YT crash tests.) GM does not allow much alignment error before hitting the bolts. If outside... Try open the hood at night so hood has cooled to shrink a bit.
If can see the latch... is tempting to spray whatever... but note that intake for AC/Heater is there too and can smell the fumes for days or longer.
[This message has been edited by theogre (edited 08-01-2016).]
I waited until it cooled and bounced on and battered the upper portion of the hood while the wife pulled on the hood release. No luck.
I tried beating with a rubber mallet, over a magazine, with similar no result.
I'm running out of ideas, other than breaking the lower brace bolts, through the headlight doors, and hoping I can reach the latch that way or at least rock it free?
Try spraying the latch mechanism area with PB Blaster/Triflow/WD40 etc. You should be able to get it to into the latch area. I had the same problem with my Ford escape. The latch kept binding up. Either the latch is sticking or the cable is binding. The previous suggestion of getting a curved pick tool works too. Harbor Freight has them for a few $$
It is possible to trip the latch by going in under the rear of the hood, into the latch well and tripping the exposed release tang. If someone could post up a picture of the latch, it would really help the O/P visualize how to do this.
How are you pulling the release cable? It's harder if you're just using your fingers. A small pair of pliers or vise-grips go a long way here. You may need to use your free hand to tug on the sheath of the cable in the opposite direction too.
If the main cable still pulls and retracts, I'd probably carefully drive down a good cobblestone road or typical Pennsylvania pothole-riddled road while pulling the mechanism until your dash shows "ajar" haha
Thanks for the reference to the previous thread. I had read that but have no way to manufacture the tool.
Someone suggested I get one from Harbor Freight but I couldn't find anything similar to what the thread described when I went there. I am still looking.
Oh! And not a lot of cobblestone streets around here, but thanks anyway.
Thanks for all of you trying to help. I may have to unbolt the hood from the hinges through the headlights, as also suggested, though I had resisted that till now.
I may have to unbolt the hood from the hinges through the headlights, as also suggested, though I had resisted that till now.
I'm surprised at your reluctance to try this. It's relatively easy to do (four bolts!), and once the front of the hood is detached, just moving it around a bit may help allow the hood release to finally let go!
[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 08-04-2016).]
It finally stopped raining so I could get to the hood in reasonable, if not hot and humid weather!
I backed out all four bolts on the hinges & freed the lower hood. I rocked it left to right; nothing.
I rocked it up and down; nothing.
I had my wife pulling on the release cable but its possible she couldn't maintain or exert the needed strength. I'll have my friend come over tomorrow to pull the release but she doesn't seem to be responding.
The back up cable seems free but the main still has mention and the latch won't give.
If you have the bolts out of the hinges, you can take all your extensions and a 10 mm socket and take the bolts out of the latch from the front of the hood. My latch was totally rusted and would not release. You'll need about 4 ft of extensions, a light so you can see the bolts and someone to hold, or a way to prop up the front of the hood for access. Worked for me. Good luck!!!
You really got me thinking about this one for ya. With all that has been posted, I'm starting to think that your hood release cable has simply popped its' grommet loose from the firewall. This would make it seem like you're pulling the latch successfully, but rather than sliding the cable inside the sheath, you're just wiggling the whole cable as it just dangles there. The plastic sheath really needs to be held in place so that the steel cable within actually slides. I have replaced the cable before, so it makes sense to me, knowing how it is routed. The best I can think of, is that you should try again under the dash, somehow very firmly holding the plastic sheath while you operate the release handle (or the emergency backup cable). If you must, even try pushing the sheath towards the firewall as the cable is pulled in the other direction. You might be surprised at the effort required for this to work, but after 30 years (most car owners never oil the latch) and multitude of stiff usage, the cable itself might have stretched just enough to warrant this extra effort. To justify the possibility, just watch the black sheath as you pull the lever. It really shouldn't move at all. Beyond this, I would be trying the earlier link idea with a coat hanger out of desperation.
Well, tried the picks but couldn't get it right. I'll try again tomorrow.
I can't even see anything using a mirror. That hood is real tight.
Tried rocking again, since the hood botls are off the hinges, but can't lift it high enough to get a rachet at the latch. Its too tight in there.
Tried WD40 again to sit overnight but its so tight I can't be sure I'm making progress.
I can say that when I pull the release level I can hear something clicking under the hood; just no release of the mechanism.
Thanks for everyone trying to help so far. I'm thinking about calling around to boys shops tomorrow to see if anyone has a clue, as without being able to see under there I can't even use the bent screwdriver effectively that skitime suggested.
You really got me thinking about this one for ya. With all that has been posted, I'm starting to think that your hood release cable has simply popped its' grommet loose from the firewall. This would make it seem like you're pulling the latch successfully, but rather than sliding the cable inside the sheath, you're just wiggling the whole cable as it just dangles there. The plastic sheath really needs to be held in place so that the steel cable within actually slides. I have replaced the cable before, so it makes sense to me, knowing how it is routed. The best I can think of, is that you should try again under the dash, somehow very firmly holding the plastic sheath while you operate the release handle (or the emergency backup cable). If you must, even try pushing the sheath towards the firewall as the cable is pulled in the other direction. You might be surprised at the effort required for this to work, but after 30 years (most car owners never oil the latch) and multitude of stiff usage, the cable itself might have stretched just enough to warrant this extra effort. To justify the possibility, just watch the black sheath as you pull the lever. It really shouldn't move at all. Beyond this, I would be trying the earlier link idea with a coat hanger out of desperation.
The grommet has nothing to do with the cable sheath movement. The cable is secured to the release handle housing and the latch mechanism. The two grommets on the cable are for preventing water and air intrusion only.
Well, made skitime's tool out of a Harbor Freight, long shafted flathead that I burnt to his specifications at 2 90 degree angles. Taped it up at 4/12 like directed and slid it under that tight hood.
Buckus!
I tried to post images of the tool and my effort to insert it in the right place, by the wiper arm base, but this site demanded the images be on a website and I only had them on my desktop. Couldn't share them.
The tool directions were good and the idea sound but I just don't know how to feel my way to the latch.
I'm calling around tomorrow to body shops to see if anyone has a Fiero I can practice on, that has a working latch, just to get the feel to make headway on mine.
I tried to post images of the tool and my effort to insert it in the right place, by the wiper arm base, but this site demanded the images be on a website and I only had them on my desktop. Couldn't share them.
PIP was written by Cliff Pennock to be used to post images here. Maximun width - 1024 pixels. Max file size - 300 kb.
years ago I bought a Fiero with a damaged hood. I made the tool in the posts above and it worked, so with some trial and error you will get it to work. Its no different than a trunk latch, you just have to trip the latch. I was suprised how easy it was after finding the "sweet spot".
Well, I tried several tie with no luck, even bending the tool out of shape!
I went by that fellow's house and inspected the latch on another Fiero, with a plan to practice on it and that left me stumped.
I saw no way to trigger the latch, given the secondary hinge below. Even the other Fiero owner was stumped.
Is there some part of the process that I am missing? Is the tool a hoax?
I have made it, tried, and am falling back on using a reciprocating saw with a flexible blade to cut the latch, as the technician with the two Fieros suggested. I am really stumped how else to possibly get the front hood open and even with a practice, open latch, saw no way to trigger it.
Well, I tried several times tonight with no luck, even bending the tool out of shape!
I went by that fellow's house and inspected the latch on another Fiero, with a plan to practice on it with being able to see the mechanism as I practiced and that left me stumped. The catch wouldn't back off, even with the hood opened and easy to access.
I saw no way to trigger the latch or the secondary hinge below. I tried on his '87 and his '84. Even the other Fiero owner was stumped and he is a certified mechanic.
Is there some part of the process that I am missing? Is there a way or angle of activation I just don't see?
Is the tool a hoax?
I have made it, tried, and am falling back on using a reciprocating saw with a flexible blade to cut the latch, if I have to, as the technician with the two Fieros suggested. I am really stumped how else to possibly get the front hood open and even with a practice, open latch, saw no way to trigger it.
It's relatively easy to do (four bolts!), and once the front of the hood is detached, just moving it around a bit may help allow the hood release to finally let go!
