Engine Cover - '99 Cab

So when I would shut my engine cover, it would not latch without slamming the cover. My bad for thinking I could fix the situation. This is a '99 so it has the old school non-electronic latch. Works like a bike cable. I adjusted top part of the latch so that it was centered properly with the catch on the bottom. Then I adjusted the bottom by bringing it maybe an 1/8 of an inch closer to the top latch. I closed the Cover and voila, it closed and latched without needing to be slammed. Unfortunately now I cant get it unlocked again. It feels like I am not able to move the cable enough by pulling on the lever in the cabin. Any ideas? I saw the safety cable in the engine compartment to the latch but I have no idea how to access it from outside the car. (I know, I know, I should have figured this out before messing with the latch). One thought I had was to somehow get something on the end of the cable in the cabin allowing me to pull further on the cable.... Hope I don't have an engine fire.

Have someone lift on it slightly while you try to open it. Could be that there's too much weight on the latch.

unless you have moved it. The emergency cable lives under the left taillight. You can fish it out with a thin stiff wire. I have used a plastic spatula to wedge in between the taillight lens/housing and the fender to open the gap a little more.

Then when you get to the wire, re route it so it comes out under the car near the muffler like I did too mine. That way I can open the engine lid from there incase the original one by the driver seat ever breaks completely. I did the same with the front one by re routing it so it came out by the temp sensor in the air scoop at the front. I had the front of the car off cleaning the crap from between the rads and condensors when I discovered the cable by accident. I didn't even know what it was until I figured it out. They both work fine in an emergency. I mean you could leave your keys under either hood and still get to them from the re routed wire.

Thanks guys. Disaster averted. I think 5CHN is correct in saying that the weight of the lid might be a bit much for the (old, grease-less) latch spring to lift up the weight of the lid (and the small spoiler). I propped open the latch in the cabin and was able to easily open the lid. I adjusted the latch a bit and now its back in operation again - it pops open when I pull the latch, but just. Should I put some grease on the latch springs? They seem like they could use all the help they can get. I tracked down the emergency release cable and it seems to go behind the light assembly and then on to somewhere else. Not sure where. From the outside I can just spot it by looking in the crack between the bottom of the light and the body of the car. In a real pinch, maybe I could fish it out of there. Definitely going to look at re-routing it. Thanks again for all your help!

How is your engine lid hinge? The one that holds the lid open on the right as you look at the engine. If that needs replacing your engine lid will fall down and slam hard shut. That would not help the engine lid latch anyway. Its an easy DIY exchange if needed.