Has been a sorta issue for over a year, but now it's at the point where action needs to be taken. I can't open the hood anymore unless I have someone outside to help shake it open when I pull the hood open button thing. I need some grease to get in there and fix it up. Any suggestion on what grease I should use? And how exactly I should get in there?

 

white lithium should be sufficient for the fix. does it feel like the release cable has stretched at all? or does it just seem like the latch is binding?

 

White lithium it is, I went to NAPA and one of the guys there suggested the same thing I don't think the cable stretched or anything, it's just not catching, or binding when I try to open it. Gonna go try it here real quick.

 

I had the same issue. I read as much as I could last nite and there was a common theme. It was a latch that needed to be lubed, a spring that has lost its springiness, or cable that was stretched or broken.

My cable was not broken, so I tried the other items. I cleaned and lubed my latch with degreaser and wd40. I made sure that it all moved freely and used white lithium grease to lube it. I noticed I still had to hit the hood to open it. So to test the spring, I added about 1/2" of wood and taped it where the spring hits the body. BINGO! Now it pops every time. I have to find a new spring, but for now the wood and tape look like sh**, but works very well.

 

Your problem sound like a latch issue. It probably just needs to be cleaned. Spray it down good with brake clean while working the latch to make sure you get it good and clean. After that, spray it with white lithium grease and it will probably work like new.

 

Everyone always barks up the wrong tree with this. I dont understand.

Look at the top of the hood. Do you see the big L shaped bar that's bolted to the hood in two places? loosen either of those bolts a tad, and tap the thing to one side or the other, close and see if it's easier to open. If it's worse, open it and tap it the other direction. Will fix it 100 percent of the time assuming your hood pop cable is functioning. That bar is binding on one side of the latch and it wont release. You move the bar to the side that makes it easier. I GUARANTEE you this will fix it.

 

I'll try moving the bar tomorrow and post the results. The wood and tape are working for now, but I hope you are right.

 

You may be able to fix your problem this way but the VAST majority of people with this problem only need to clean and relube the latch. Since you have already cleaned your latch it may just be out of alignment. Also, in most cases it makes more sense to adjust the latch than it does the bar on the hood so I would try that first.

 

ThePain; Sorry I didn't mean to steal your thread. I was just showing what worked for me.

InfernalVortex & Thirdgen Ranch; I have now been officially scared out of doing anything else rite now. I will play with it and post results when I know what I'm gunna do. The extra pressure on the spring is working so well........

 

Well boys and girls, this is what worked for me. I cleaned and lubed the latch. I did check the alignment. My alignment look fine, so I concentrated on the spring. I tested a theory about the hood spring with wood and duct tape.

I stretched the spring and my hood works like new. I know because I am the original owner.

I hope this helps.............