Hood latch

[RVPark]

I've got a problem with my '93 dodge 250 - Can't get the hood open! The 'T' handle latch won't move. Is there any other way of releasing the latch?



HELP!



-- email address removed --

 

[farmall]

Try giving the hood a couple thumps from your fist right over the latch. These old cables are getting wore out and if have never been replaced really need to be. My neighbor has about 6 inches of his sticking out his grille, and uses a pair of pliers to pull on the cable. He had the same problem as you, the handle wouldn't move. You obviously see what happend when he made it move.



Bill

 

[CDegner]

I had a similiar problem. Try as I might, there was no way I could get the latch to open. I ended up cutting a portion of the grille out. :{ Fortunately for me, my grille was already cracked and I was planning on replacing it anyway. This is not a cheap option, though. The cable is a cinche to replace ... once you get the hood open!



Carl

 

[CPG]

RVPark



Hope you got the hood open. You can put an alternate assist to remedy the failure in the future. On the hood release arm lever, drill a small hole under the slot that the regular cable and ball inserts in. Its better to remove the latch when this is done to use a drill press. Make it slightly larger than the return springs hole. Go to a sporting goods store that sells parachute cord & purchase about a yard of same or some small nylon cord. Tie a couple of knots around one end of the cord and leave this at the top when you feed the free end from the top of lever arm. Make the hole just large enough to squeeze the cord through.

Route the cord along the same route as the cable goes. Get a small pulley from a hardware store and secure it on the same sheet metal at the end of radiator (drivers side). Run the cord through the pulley and down the side of the radiator and leave a few feet to reach and secure it with a ty/rap so it will not blow around. Leave it high enough so you can reach it in the future. Tie a few knots around this end or put a knob on end so you can grip it.

Probably will not happen again though when you put the new cable in. This is a Mickey Mouse way to do it, but it will work.



Chuck Goode

 

[RVPark]

I want to thank all you good folk who made suggestions.

I thumped it and banged it and jerked on the 'T' handle, all to no avail.

I reseached some of the older threads in TDR, but they were no help.

I'm going to take it in to my local Dodge dealer and let them do whatever it is they do to fix it - at $65 an hour + some $70 for a new cable + a rental vehicle while they fix it.

Fortunately my faithfull truck doesn't use any fluids so I am not worried about not being able to check the oil or transmission etc - even though it's got 135,000 miles.