Unable to open hood latch

[03wgn5spd]

Just like that I cannot open the hood latch.

I have been struggling for about an hour now.

Looks like the sliver part at the bottom jumped out of the fork so it tops out before the top can get moving. I removed the 2 t30 screws holding the latch to no avail.

Any ideas? Sawzall?

Thanks.

 

[afterthisnap]

 

[tgray]

not sure what the silver part is. a picture would help. If you do destroy something with a sawzall it is best to destroy the holding latch part and not the hood. Then it can be replaced way easier. I probably have a couple around. I had a cable break and was able to put my hand up in front of the engine and grab on the the cable with a hook and pulled on the cable real hard.

 

[Tdijarhead]

If your talking about the silver cable end inside the car in the footwell, use a pair of Vice grips over the end and pull it straight back. The hood will release like normal. If you have a small pair of Vice grips you can leave them attached to the cable end until you get a chance to fix it.

 

[03wgn5spd]

I used a 3/8 socket extension to press up as hard as I could, now I can't close the hood anymore.

http://imgur.com/a/JtDq7Vw

 

[Tdijarhead]

You distorted the latch or pushed it out of line, you’ll need to fix the distortion or line the latch back up, or find a used latch at the junkyard.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

A properly working hood latch is a pretty important safety feature. If you distorted this one I'd buy a new one, not trust that one you get out of a wrecked car is OK. Don't want that hood popping open on the highway. That could be catastrophic.

 

[Tdijarhead]

2003 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF 1.9L L4 DIESEL Turbocharged Hood Latch | RockAuto

RockAuto ships auto parts and body parts from over 300 manufacturers to customers' doors worldwide, all at warehouse prices. Easy to use parts catalog.

www.rockauto.com

IBW, I looked on idparts but didn't find a hood latch, maybe under a different name?

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

I don't think we sell it. It's not a common failure item, and usually if someone needs one it's after an accident and a body shop or insurance is purchasing it.

The one on Rock Auto looks a little suspect to me. OE goes by the 1J0 823 509 E number and is about $100.

 

[turbodieseldyke]

If you distorted this one I'd buy a new one, not trust that one you get out of a wrecked car is OK.

Tons of cars in the junkyards have zero collision damage. You can also test it out in the junk car before pulling it. I think hood latches are designed to fail towards "not opening", not "flying open".

 

[ItAintRodKnock]

Tons of cars in the junkyards have zero collision damage. You can also test it out in the junk car before pulling it. I think hood latches are designed to fail towards "not opening", not "flying open".

Oddly enough, I had this happen.

Known faulty hoodlatch still acted normal but clearly had bent parts and pieces to it. Well, 55mph one morning and WAM! she opened.
There is a convenient gap where your windshield wipers rest; plenty of sight out of that area.... lol
I replaced the hood(junkyard), new windshield and bought a brand new OEM latch from the dealer. Totaled that car a year or so later.

 

[reince]

A properly working hood latch is a pretty important safety feature. If you distorted this one I'd buy a new one, not trust that one you get out of a wrecked car is OK. Don't want that hood popping open on the highway. That could be catastrophic.

Definitely, a better route to get a new one.

 

[03wgn5spd]

Went Chinesium. 17 bucks. It is what it is.

 

[afterthisnap]

 

[03wgn5spd]

That has happened to me before on other vehicles.

 

[J_dude]

That has happened to me before on other vehicles.

Haha yup, my ‘81 rabbit did that to me on the first test drive after I got it going, the hood had been fastened down with wood screws when I bought it and I’d forgotten reinstall them before I took it for a spin. Luckily I was just on an old dirt road, with no oncoming traffic like that ^^ LOL

 

[quartersaw]

Just like that I cannot open the hood latch.

I have been struggling for about an hour now.

Looks like the sliver part at the bottom jumped out of the fork so it tops out before the top can get moving. I removed the 2 t30 screws holding the latch to no avail.

Any ideas? Sawzall?

Thanks.

This happened to me, and my hood latch was ruined, when I slammed the hood on it, (unknown to me, in that moment) in the closed position. I bought one on E Bay for less than $20, and haven't had a problem, since...

 

[mod]

When I popped the hood release lever in the footwell yesterday on my 2003 (ALH? Mk4?) Jetta the hood jumped up like it always does but when I went out front and pulled the tab the hood remained trapped in the latch mechanism. I was very unhappy as this behavior indicates that the problem was not the cable but the latch mechanism itself, and everything I've read makes it sound like a gigantic P.I.T.A. to get it fixed so I am pleased to report [SOLUTION!] that this morning I visited Keith and crew at KMH Motors and he revealed that the secret (at least in my case) was simply to lube the mechanism since it was jammed with rust and dirt. Once lubed, the mechanism (poor design?) operated normally, so maybe try this approach before anything more complicated. Keith rocks!

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

I spray some penetrating oil on the latch at each oil change. Seems to help.

 

[irvingj]

Me, too -- a few drops of oil every so often. My hood release still works well.

 

[Zak99b5]

Mine recently bound up where pulling the release at the grill did not allow me to open the hood.

Got it open with some tools and sprayed it all down with fluid film. Worked it into the pivots, and now it moves freely.

 

[Rrusse11]

"sprayed it all down with fluid film"

I bought a gallon years ago, stuff is really usefull!

 

[tgray]

Fluid film is better than oil or grease I found. I put it everywhere and it not only lubes hinges and latches good but it prevent rust.

 

[ZippyNH]

If your talking about the silver cable end inside the car in the footwell, use a pair of Vice grips over the end and pull it straight back. The hood will release like normal. If you have a small pair of Vice grips you can leave them attached to the cable end until you get a chance to fix it.

Had a couple Hondas that as they got very old, had to do the same trick!

 

[quartersaw]

Went Chinesium. 17 bucks. It is what it is.

I did the same. It's been fine, for the last three years. I keep grease on it.