Thread: 96 grand prix hood cable broke - how to open hood

Can you remove any interior pieces to expose any of the cable thats still inside the car??

you'll have to get to the latch with a screwdriver and pull the lever that the cable would have. if the grill dont come off from the outside you'll have to get to it from under the car.

Glad you got 'er open. Use caution when lubricating hood latches. Lube pivot points but none of the contact surfaces, you don't want those sliding around with every bump. Thats just my opinion from experience, where the guy leaves on Friday saying how well he got the latch working and comes back on Monday with bent hood and roof and busted windshield.

Hood latch tension can be fine tuned with the hood height adjustment bumpers located on the upper core support. A properly adjusted hood latch has the hood flush with the fenders while at the same time requiring some effort to open and close securely. Just a tip that might apply to your car or others that search this subject. Its real easy and not uncommon for a buddy to walk up and twist one of those height adjusters while you have the hood open and aren't looking, and half a turn can make the difference.

Der- I remembered to forget the pointer I originally intended to post before getting carried away. I can never forget to remember...

Before taking drastic measures in the case of a hood that won't open, summon your trusted assistant and try pressing down on the hood gently while holding tension on the cable or handle. First thing to try. Cable hood releases suck.

Also- in many cases where the latch is attached to a vertical brace, the problem or the cause of it can be found at the bottom of the vertical support where it attaches to the lower core support. Many unibody FWD cars are weak there and will have bolt / nut problems resulting in a shaky hood latch that can bind. On some cars, the whole latch support can be unbolted from the core support, or loosened to deal with a stuck or broken cable.