How to open hood when the release latch is not working?
Asked by Isaiah Sep 14, 2022 at 05:49 PM about the Oldsmobile Cutlass
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
The hood of my 1977 cutlass supreme will not open when I pull the release
latch in the car. It has been sitting for a while and I guess rust is part of the
reason for this problem. How can I get the hood open? I considered taking out
the grill to try and manually open the hood.
3 Answers
You can also hit the top center of the hood with the heel of your hand. Or have a helper pull the release, normally, not excessively hard, so you don't break the cable, while you push down on the top center of the hood at the same time. Once you get it open, lubricate the latch with white lithium grease. Hope that helps! Jim
If you use the first method from JS0816, remember to pull the release on the inside of the car first. Then smartly hit down on the front center of the hood above where the latch is located.
beatupchevy answered about a year ago
Remember to push in on the hood when you close it , they like to kink at the hinge , but yeah have someone pull the release and bang on the hood .
