What is Car Hood?
That’s how it is with your hood: when you close it, you expect it to stay closed, and you probably never really thought much about how it works.
But as soon as it doesn’t stay closed, that’s a big problem. Read on to find out what the problem is and, most importantly, how to fix it.
Key Insights
1. Possible causes: improper cable tension, misaligned hood latch, damaged or rusted hood latch, lack of lubrication, broken or rusted spring, or accidental damage.
2. What to do: Do ​​not drive the car. Diagnose and fix the problem yourself or call a professional mechanic.
3. Repair Cost: Typically $150 to $400 depending on the cause.
Hood Latch Parts
Before we can diagnose why your hood latch isn’t working properly, we first need to understand exactly how the latch works. It’s similar to a door latch, but not exactly the same.
Let’s take a look at all the basic components of a hood latch, because although each hood latch is slightly different, they all use the same principles and have the same types of parts, which is how they work.
Release Cable
When you want to open the hood latch, you pull a lever that is connected to the release cable. When the cable pulls the latch, it unlocks and you can open the hood.
Cable Stopper
When you pull the release cable, it’s the cable stop that actually pulls the latch assembly.
Bumper and Adjustment Screw
If everything is working properly, you don’t need to worry about the bumper or the adjustment screw on your hood latch. The bumper is the rubber piece that sits between the latch and the hood to prevent metal-to-metal contact. You can adjust the tension on the release cable with the adjustment screw. Tightening the cable takes up the slack in the line, while turning the cable the other way adds more slack, loosening the cable.
Vane
When you pull the release cable, it closes the bolt against the tension of the spring. The spring tension is always trying to close the latch. This way everything stays closed even if you don’t pull the shutter cable.
Bracket
The bracket, also called a bracket kit, holds the trigger cable in place when it’s pulled or when it’s at rest. Essentially, the holder keeps the release from sagging or catching on other items in the engine bay.
Bar
The entire assembly is the bonnet latch, but the actual latch is made up of two parts: a bonnet latch and an engine bay latch that work together to keep the bonnet closed. The latch compresses to form a metal-to-metal connection that keeps the bonnet closed while you’re driving.
