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Hi, I was wondering if anyone had some advice for a frozen hood release cable/mechanism. I had to replace some brake fluid today as a result of a leaking caliper, and since I live in Connecticut and it is currently colder than… well you know, it’s cold. So the hood release lever had a lot of resistance at first, then the hood popped, and after adding the fluid the hood will not latch. The same thing happened last month during the extremely cold weather when I had to jump my car. Last time I just waited for the weather to break and it fixed itself when it warmed up. So, I guess there are two latches and the first one is holding enough to get around town, but I would like to get the hood to close all the way as soon as possible, and it doesn’t look like it will be warm here for a while. Yes, I know I shouldn’t drive around with the hood unlatched. A garage or other warm indoor space is not an option either. So, any advice or ideas would be appreciated.
Also, my automatic windows get frozen shut until the car warms up, and that’s just annoying as a smoker. Is that just something that happens and there’s not much to do about it? Or should I put a tiny bit of silicone lube on the edges of the window?
Thanks in advance for your advice, and it’s good to be part of the community, I love the ETCG videos.
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Spray the hood latches with wd-40 that should help
displace the water/moisture. As for the windows. Spray
the wd-40 on a rag and wipe inside the window seals.
This may help.[quote=”college man” post=86227]As for the windows. Spray
the wd-40 on a rag and wipe inside the window seals.
This may help.[/quote]Silicone is better for this and also for door seals.
Also it could be the latch is out of adjustment. Normally hood latches are mounted with slotted holes and yours could have moved if you slammed the hood too hard trying to get it to catch.
+1 on penetrating oil for the hood latch and silicone for the window seals. The window seals you may just have to live with, but the silicone can be helpful and might work.
My hood latch doesn’t return back either. I have to reach down and use my index finger alongside the latch to push the latch closed.
Remove the hood latch cable from the latch and place a rag under the opposite end. Hold the cable up higher and spray a ton of penetrating oil down it while moving it in and out by hand. You should feel it free up. You can leave it like that, or spray a good silicone lube in it after.
Once a year I have to do just that with my hood release cable. Lots of rain works its way down the cable. For whatever reason a hood release cable is expensive for my car so I just clean it and lube it. If it ever froze I’m able to reach through the grill and open the latch. Good theft deterrant!
Well, I’ve got another one. The button on my shifter (automatic)is frozen now. Well, maybe the button or maybe whatever the button engages. Since the button won’t go in, I can’t shift, and I’m late for work, etc. I’m hoping you all will say I can spray WD40 in there and it won’t damage anything, because I can’t afford much else at the moment. If it helps, I’ve included a picture of the item in question.
WD-40 is not very good a lubricating things. It was originally designed to help remove moisture from distributor caps. Hence the WD= Water displacement.
Silicone spray would be a better option but you need to make sure there isn’t something else going on that’s causing it to bind.
As for the hood latch, what type of vehicle do you have? I know Honda’s have this issue a lot. Sometimes it’s the cable, other times it’s the latch itself. I make the determination by removing the latch assembly and disconnecting the cable. If the cable moves free, then I do what I can to clean and lubricate the latch. This is not a permanent fix. I usually have to go back at a later date and repeat the process unfortunately. If the cable doesn’t move free, I replace the cable.
Good luck and continue to keep us updated.
98 Malibu 4 cyl. On the cold days, the handle is hard to pull, and if you do it gets stuck out. It seems like the cable is getting stuck. I sprayed the crap out of the latch with wd40 because I didn’t have any PB. Didn’t help, for the record. I have to get to the cable on a warmer day, I suppose. I’ll get some silicone spray and it looks like I’ll be spraying every part of the car if this tread is any indication. I’ll report back tomorrow, and thanks for the advice.
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