Argh! Stupid hood latch...

[clouddancer79]

Alright... So I've been trying for the past couple of days to get this problem solved, and yes I have searched and tried tips already posted before... so here we go again:

Some time ago, I tried to pop open my hood, but the lever just gave me a "snap" and then it was dead... I could feel the cable pulling but it wasnt releasing the hood latch. After a couple of days of after-work investigations, I found that the end of the cable popped out of the slot where it pulls the latch.

I have seen people say that I need to basically unscrew the latch or use a long screwdriver to try to pry the latch open... but here's the thing, if you look on your E36, at least on my 92, the lower latch is just a box that is bolted from the top. There is no way to get it off without opening the hood... in fact, you almost can't do anything on the car without opening the hood.

Soooo... I really really need some help on this... how am I supposed to get my hood open?

I have even tried blindly inserting the cable back where it was, but it's not grabbing anything so that's not working, and I hardly have any room to work because, once again, you gotta open the hood to be able to take anything off/move anything.

So, any ideas?

[Bimrpwr]

try taking your kidney grilles out and going that route. You might be able to get it unlatched from there.

[emanuelme]

Have to look at mine to see what you are talking about... But I'm not sure I understand why you cant use a flathead to just push the latch back and lift the hood...

[clouddancer79]

I've taken off the bumper, the kidneys, and the left headlight... believe me, I'm able to actually see and I'm in reach of the lower latch, but it's a metal box that the upper latch hooks into, and it's bolted from the top... if I had a good camera I'd show you.

And there's no accessible latch to push on, because once again its all covered by a metal box.

[clouddancer79]

This whole latch thing is so damn retarded... frankly it's pissing me off. I can understand making something a little more difficult to open to prevent someone from breaking into your hood and stealing something out of your engine bay, but seriously... this damn thing is harder to get open than a freaking safe. I'm about ready to take it into a independent BMW shop and have them get it open for me, which I really don't want to do... but I don't know what else to do other than take a torch to the hood and cut it open (I'm actually half serious about that). I don't understand how people can tell me to just unscrew the latch or pry the latch... I'm telling you guys... look in the Bentley manual on page 410-5. You can see the "box" I'm referring to... the hood locks, as it's called. I can see the hood CATCH, but not the latch/lock itself, all I see is the lower hood locks. To be honest with you, this is really stupid, the way they set this up. They should've had SOME kind of way to open the hood if the cable failed.

[emanuelme]

Ok... so i havent gotten to look at my car today because of the weather. But, when looking at the manual I would imagine that although the latch goes into the box as you are suggesting, there is some (maybe very little, but some room on the right and left of the hook from the Hood Latch (Upper left)... Perhaps you can take some wire, or maybe a fishing hook and bend it around the latch with some string and then pull it open? I'm planning on starting on my car early in the morn so i will let you know if I figure something out...

[clouddancer79]

I will try something when I get the time but from what I remember, it's mounted pretty flush. There IS a slot in the front but I'm not sure if that will do anything just yet because I wasnt able to find anything to stick in there. So let me know what you find.

[Mary99]

I will try something when I get the time but from what I remember, it's mounted pretty flush. There IS a slot in the front but I'm not sure if that will do anything just yet because I wasnt able to find anything to stick in there. So let me know what you find.

I use to own a 99 M3 and after parking it for a month at the park & go at the airport, (out of town) my hood latch cable decided to seize. :dunno:

Anyhoo, I called a tow truck driver who openned up the bonnet using a slim jim. I remember what he did very well as I stood and watched him to make sure there wasn't going to be some mysterious hood scratches afterward. He stuck his reluctant slim jim just in between the hood and the grill and pulled it out after it caught something. After watching him do it about 10 tries I heard the hood went clunk and popped up.

Perhaps you can fashion your own slim jim using a metal ruler or something.

Good Luck

[clouddancer79]

Nevermind guys... I'm just gonna put the stupid thing back together and sell the damn thing. I'm getting harassed by stupid f-cking cops for having it parked on the street, and I can't really afford to get it fixed up right now anyway... So I guess I'm just gonna have to call it quits on this one and maybe someday I'll pick up another Bimmer. Thanks anyway...

[emanuelme]

http://bimmer.roadfly.com/bmw/forums/z3/8744597-1.html