Help: Cannot open my 996 front hood

So I closed the front hood on my 2002 996 the other day and it cannot be open anymore. I tried to pull the release button located next to the driver seat and was able to hear the sound that sounds like a cable releasing but the hood just won't pop. I was told it could be a bad front hood latch? Does anyone else have had the same issue and how can I replace the latch or resolve this issue? Good thing I just replaced a dead battery not too long ago. Thanks in advance!!

Try the pull cable in the passenger side wheel well -- it's under the inner liner.

its power operated? check the battery, check the fuses... if low there is a way to "jump" the switch using a known good batter source.

The power operates fine and the battery was just replaced few weeks ago. I will try to pull the cable this weekend see if it works. Thanks!!

try having someone pushung the switch while you apply gentle but firm lifting pressure to the hood, same thing happened to my rear trunk and i managed to get it open this way

Thanks buzztt! I've been searching around the net for resolutions and will try this first see if there any luck. This happen to me two weeks ago and all of sudden the front hood opens after a car wash on Monday but then it got stuck again. Let's said if I be able to get the front hood open, does mean I definitely need to replace the hood latch or there other ways to resolve this issue? Thank you everyone!

You may just need to adjust the hood latch. There is a good DIY on Renntech about adjusting the hood latch. Adjusting Hood Latch Mechanism

Okay, so this is funny! I got home early from work this evening thought to try all the methods u guys suggested but no luck so I thought to pull the car to the driveway as this was how the hood open the other day (maybe is the parking angle?) and guess what? The hood opens when I pull the button! How weird?? Now, any suggestion how to inspect if the latch is good or bad? Thanks guys!

Well, you didn't pull the cable.... But sounds like the latch needs adjustment as someone else indicated. Try to close the latch with the hood open and then hit the open switch. Maybe it needs some lube or maybe it needs to be adjusted.

I'd try lube and check to see if any of the cushioned pillars that the hood rests on are loose and adjusting themselves to make a tighter hood. My hoods very tight and still operates but at least checking for abnormal conditions is in order.

Sorry Darren for not making it clear. I thought to give it a shot on other way first before trying the metal cable way and luckily got the hood opened. I have then removed the latch last night and lubricated. Earlier this afternoon, I have reinstalled the latch and had my friend help to pull the electric hood switch make sure the cable pulls and the lock moves. After I close the hood and it doesn't open again?? Would it be able to solve the issue if I just replace a new latch or could something else be wrong? I checked the latch last night and it seems to work just fine even the springs. Thank you guys for all the help and valuable advice!

I would just leave it parked in the magic location....

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Hi Darren, Could you please advice how to close the latch with the hood open? I lubricated the latch mechanism but now the hood doesn't open anymore when i press the release switch in any location of position the car park. I did not find the metal cable located behind the passenger headlight but found and able to pull metal cable underneath the front bumper. Thanks!

Do you mean to test the latch with the hood open? You should be able to push a screw driver down sideways into it -- look at how the hood hits it. I'm trying to remember what the latch looked like when I removed it -- I think there is an actuator in the trunk compartment and then a cable that runs up to the latch assembly. I'd check whether there is any movement when you push the switch -- see if the actuator is working properly.

[Image-only post; no author-written text. Original image references:] http://www.mingis.com/misc/latch.jpg

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I did not push a screw driver down sideways into it over the weekend, just simply check and make sure there is a movement when press the release switch inside the car. But once the hood is closed it cannot be open although I keep hearing the clicking sound when press the release switch. I was wondering if it could be a loose release cable? However, I will try the screw driver thing see how it works. I am also wondering would it solve the problem if i just replace a new hood latch? Thank you for the instruction and diagram.

It seems what you actually did was reset the safety latch. The screwdriver trick is what activates the actual hood latch locking mech. Just like when you press down harder and hear the latch engage.

OK, so I did the adjustment and now my front hood closes without GI Joe Kung Fu power. My new problem is that it appears the seam is a little high on the front hood, almost that it hasn't closed all the way when it has engaged. It's as if I have gone from 1/16 too low to 1/16 too high, and it still just barely engages with slight force. Now I need to make an adjustment to 1/64. Errrrrrrrrrrrrr. I hope there is nice weather tomorrow. The wind gusts today kept knocking the hood down on my head and I couldn't take it anymore.

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Riddle me this: if you had it 1/16 too low, and now it is 1/16 too high, how much do you have to adjust it?

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Huh???? Based upon the earlier part of your post, you moved it 1/8" (2/16"). So lower it 1/16"

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My math has been corrected. As I said though, it just latches with a slight bit of effort. That's why I guessed a 1/64 adjustment. A beautiful day today, and I'm off work in about an hour.

Okay, so I got up this morning to try the screw driver trick and notice something as below attached photos. Photo 1. When I push the latch down, seem like it is closed. Photo 2. When let go the screw driver or press the release switch, it seems like the latch did not come all the way? Photo 3. How the latch look after push a bit manually Is this something normal or means the cable is loose?

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I think I misunderstood the method of the screwdriver trick previously and had a chance to retry it again earlier this evening. I press it down to have the latch engage and notice that the cable had a movement but didn't seem to pull far enough to be able for release. Is there any way I can adjust the release cable? Thanks!!