Hood stuck closed after using wiper "Service" mode

Analogeezer

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2013 Jetta Sportwagen 6MT
So the vehicle in question is a 2013 JSW (base), I purchased this car new back in 2013.

Never had this problem before....

So we were going to get snow overnight so I put the wipers in "Service" mode (where you hit the wiper down once after shutoff and it moves the wiper to a vertical position relative to the windshield).

So there is some kind of device that prevents you from opening the hood when you engage Service mode, catches me every time I wash the car and park the wipers in that position LOL.

So I go out this morning, clean off the car and realize with it going down to 15 degrees tonight and remaining cold I should put in my intercooler blocker and grill blockers.

The intercooler one of course just attaches via velcro to some strips on the lower grill but the grill blocker has inserts that go into the grill, you have to have the hood open to install the grill blocker.

Well now I cannot get the grill open, the handle is very tight, like when the interlock is engaged so not apparently a broken cable.

I've cleaned out the wiper tray at the bottom of the windshield, worked the wipers some, parked and unparked them and the hood still refuses to open.

I'm not sure how this interlock works, is it mechanical or does VW use some sort of relay to stop you from opening the hood when the wipers are in service mode.

Never had this problem before in almost 9 years of owning the car so very weird.

I've got VCDS if this is something that can be troubleshooted or reset using that?

Analogeezer
 
Last edited:

oilhammer

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There are just too many to list....
Huh?

I understand the service mode.... and it prevents the wipers from working at all if the hood is popped open. But there is just a mechanical linkage to pop the hood. There is no electric override to prevent that from happening. You do have to open the driver door to get the hood release lever to operate, but that is it. There are no electrons at work here. Sounds like your hood is just stuck.
 

Analogeezer

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I
Huh?

I understand the service mode.... and it prevents the wipers from working at all if the hood is popped open. But there is just a mechanical linkage to pop the hood. There is no electric override to prevent that from happening. You do have to open the driver door to get the hood release lever to operate, but that is it. There are no electrons at work here. Sounds like your hood is just stuck.
If you put the wipers in service mode, it renders the hood release inoperable; this is to prevent you from opening the hood into the wiper arms.

I know this is a thing, encounter it every time I wash the car and put the wipers in service mode. I go to pop the hood to clean under the hood with a damp towel and the hood will not open.

So I put the wipers back down, then the mechanical lever works.

This time when I put the wipers back down and went to open the hood, it would not open.

Analogeezer
 

oilhammer

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There are just too many to list....
That is news to me, I've never encountered such a thing. And the 2013 NCS I have in one of my bays right now does no such thing. I do not have any A5s here to try it on though.
 

Analogeezer

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That is news to me, I've never encountered such a thing. And the 2013 NCS I have in one of my bays right now does no such thing. I do not have any A5s here to try it on though.
What is a NCS?

So if the release is just stuck and the fact I took it out of service mode just a coincidence; how does one get the release to "release"?

Analogeezer
 

oilhammer

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There are just too many to list....
I would first get a helper to operate the lever inside the car, while you listen for any mechanical movement out at the end of the hood. That will at least let you know if the cable is still trying to do something.

NCS is New Compact Sedan, the 2011+ Jetta sedan.
 

Analogeezer

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So I perused the manual and it says the wipers will not work at all if the hood is opened.

But I have used the "service mode" many times (probably 100 times) when washing the car to get the wipers off the windshield and sure enough, the hood latch release stays firm and will not unlock the hood. Put the wipers down and then the latch will work.

IIRC the Mk VI JSW is some Mk V bits mixed in with Mk VI Jetta bits so maybe the NCS models are different than the JSW in that respect?

My helper (my son) is currently snowed in at a hotel close to work so I won't be able to try this for a day or two.

But yeah the lever acts just like it does when the wipers are in service mode, does not want to budge at all.

Analogeezer
 

oilhammer

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There are just too many to list....
Correct, wipers will not work if hood is open.... that is normal. There is a microswitch in the hood latch that tells the CE Module the hood is open, which inhibits the wipers working.

But that is not what you are describing. You are describing the exact opposite. You are describing some sort of electric solenoid gizmo that the CE Module (or whatever) engages to inhibit the hood release (which is again, all mechanical) from working. I've never encountered this before, and I find this highly unlikely, even for the Germans. There is also no mention of anything like this in ETKA. It is just the cables (there is an inner and outer), the lever, the latch, and the junction by the left headlight (this allows the lock carrier assembly to come off the car, latch and all, without removal of the cable at either end).

I'm scratching my head on this one.
 

Analogeezer

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Just to be clear, the hood release inside the car is not loose or flopping around; it has full resistance but you cannot pull it enough to disengage the hood latch. In fact it barely moves at all but I don't want to force it and then break the cable.

My son went straight to bed after getting home (worked 14 hours straight) but I might try and get him to push down lightly on the front of the hood while I try and pull the cable release inside the car.

It seems like maybe the latch is frozen but it did this well before the temps dropped into the low 20's last night.

I am charging up my old laptop, will run VCDS scans later just to see what comes up but this of course seems like a mechanical problem not a SW issue.

The issue with the lever is the same feel as the 100+ times I have washed the car and left the wipers up though, it's an actual thing not something I am imagining.

Analogeezer
 

akjdouglass

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Wait until temps are well above freezing. Pulling on a hood release that is "maybe" frozen is not a good thing to do.
 

Analogeezer

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Wait until temps are well above freezing. Pulling on a hood release that is "maybe" frozen is not a good thing to do.
Oh agreed, I am thinking maybe the latch is just rusted/corroded and if I can get the hood open I can take a look at it and verify if that is the case. Then take appropriate action (maybe just lubrication, replacement if warranted)

Analogeezer
 

Analogeezer

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Well I went out this morning and ran VCDS, was not expecting to find anything and I did not.

I do know if you run the windshield washer fluid out it will throw a code under "Wischer" so I was looking possibly for something of that nature.

I'm due a 110k mile service and I have a torn CV boot as well so if I can't get this figured out by next week I will just have the shop sort it out; after all they have to get the hood open to change the oil ;)

Kind of worthwhile to run VCDS (I run it every time before I take it in for service to hold down any BS factors) as I am monitoring my Ash Load.

My DPF failed about 8,000 miles after the emissions fix was done which I found kinda strange, the dealer (different dealer than who did the mod, I had moved in the meantime) said the DPF was "clogged" but I had not measured the ash level before I took it in. Ran fine just would throw a CEL every 50 to 200 miles.

So the DPF was replaced around 76,000 miles and my ash load is at 30 ML, which is consistent with the 10 ML/per 10,000 miles I have read is normal.

FWIW my extended emissions warranty runs until September of 2023 or 128,000 miles and I expect to hit both of those benchmarks about the same time.

Getting stuff fixed for free has been nice but getting away from VW dealers I am looking forward to. Alas there is a really highly regarded TDI shop for me to use but it's about 50 miles away, so a tad inconvenient. Will have them do the TB at 130k though.

Analogeezer
 

Matt927

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I would not say ash load is a factor with DPF replacements after the fix. Higher EGT temperatures and long regenerations are causing failures of the DPF well before ash load works into the equation.
 

DivineChaos

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I would not say ash load is a factor with DPF replacements after the fix. Higher EGT temperatures and long regenerations are causing failures of the DPF well before ash load works into the equation.
Yeah, most of the time they crack.
 

Analogeezer

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I would not say ash load is a factor with DPF replacements after the fix. Higher EGT temperatures and long regenerations are causing failures of the DPF well before ash load works into the equation.
Well I can't speak for the EGT temps but my regens tend to be rather short and not that often.

Prior to replacement the regens were not long and not frequent either.

I was running VCDS anyway and it's easy enough to check.

If you read my post the dealer who replaced it said it was clogged, but then again it's a VW Dealer service department so maybe they were wrong or just BS'ing me.

IF it was clogged I watch the ash load just to make sure the new one is not loading up and so far it's right on spec. (adding 10 ML per 10,000 miles)

Analogeezer
 

TurboABA

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Your latch is frozen.
You need to regularly lube it.
You can spray it (somewhat) with the hook closed if you try really hard.... try using a heat gun to blow some warm air onto it with the hopes that it's just some icying that's making it stick.... there's not a whole lot of "access" room so you'll need to get creative or shrink yourself down a lot.
 

oilhammer

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There are just too many to list....
DPFs need replacements from cracking, not clogging. This is old news (like, a decade plus). Sooty tailpipes = cracked DPF. It manifests itself typically by flagging an EGR flow DTC, because the filter tube for the low pressure EGR is clogged up with soot. I'm doing [another] one of those today! :D
 

Fogcat

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Ditto on the latch "sticking". It just needs periodic lube. Road salt just seems to like to get in there...at least here abouts it does. Use a little penetrating oil like PB Blaster or something like it. It will free up.
 

Matt927

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Original DPF with fix applied at 44k and lasted till about 55k, then one at 75k, last one at 99k before Kerma. After Kerma no issues.

Highway driven car, all maintenance performed to the letter, and always let regens complete.
 

Analogeezer

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DPFs need replacements from cracking, not clogging. This is old news (like, a decade plus). Sooty tailpipes = cracked DPF. It manifests itself typically by flagging an EGR flow DTC, because the filter tube for the low pressure EGR is clogged up with soot. I'm doing [another] one of those today! :D
Again I am just repeating the line the dealer told me, trust me I don't take anything a VW dealer says at their word LOL.

I need to go back and look at the code it was throwing but I drove it probably two tanks of fuel after the CEL started popping (I was moving from one house to another at the time so I was using the car a lot); it didn't have soot on the tailpipe. Looked normal, drove normal.

The replacing the DPF was listed on the service order so if they did that just to make money off VW that was a risky thing to do I suppose.

Analogeezer
 

Analogeezer

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Thanks for all the replies on the stuck latch, seems like all those times the dealers did their "900 point checks" they should have done that (lubed the latch) LOL.

I have a very thin, long handled screwdriver is there a way to pop the latch externally using this so I can get the hood open and then lube it?

Temps have gone back up (into the 40's range) so I don't think it's actually frozen from water/snow.

Analogeezer

p.s. If someone could post a picture of the latch with their hood open that would be really helpful, I vaguely remember it and how it was arranged but one of those things I just looked at in passing
 

ticaf

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Analogeezer

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@Analogeezer here ya go pops.
Thanks!

That was very helpful, I was not sure where the actual latch was located. I messed around with some long screwdrivers yesterday but did not get very far. I guess it's the A/C condensor up top so you gotta be careful not to pierce that.

Spraying into the latch at the top of the V in the logo, that was very helpful information.

Analogeezer
 

DivineChaos

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Thanks!

That was very helpful, I was not sure where the actual latch was located. I messed around with some long screwdrivers yesterday but did not get very far. I guess it's the A/C condensor up top so you gotta be careful not to pierce that.

Spraying into the latch at the top of the V in the logo, that was very helpful information.

Analogeezer
Glad I could help. And you can get that logo out if you are careful to gain access to the latch
 

Analogeezer

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Glad I could help. And you can get that logo out if you are careful to gain access to the latch
So I have tried spraying some WD-40 into the latch area, using one of those cans of it that has a long, flexible tube on it.

Still not budging although at one point the release handle seemed to gain a bit more travel.

So if you have the secret decoder ring process to get the logo out I might try that.

The tip of the flexible tube is just a tad larger than the holes in the logo so I cannot get the spray in there directly on the latch.

Thanks!

Analogeezer
 
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