Hood Froze

[MWhip]

Has anyone had a problem w/ not being able to pop the hood? I went outside today to work on my headlights...went to try to pop the hood and it won't :(.....i didn't want to pull too hard on the lever inside the car....it is plastic and seems like i could break it :(. Any help would be nice....i want to avoid going to the stealers.

[M3inNC]

Has anyone had a problem w/ not being able to pop the hood? I went outside today to work on my headlights...went to try to pop the hood and it won't :(.....i didn't want to pull too hard on the lever inside the car....it is plastic and seems like i could break it :(. Any help would be nice....i want to avoid going to the stealers.
I had the same thing happen after I installed my projector headlights. I think the cable is being obstructed due to the size of the headlight housing. I tried to adjust the plunger/bolt on the underside of the hood but it didn't help. I'd be interested in a fix too. Maybe a search would reveal more info.

[MWhip]

oh man.....i think that is what happened to me too.....it happened right after i put my bosch headlights in....my hood doesn't pop at all.....anyone know what i can do to at least open the hood? I'm afraid to pull the lever with force and break something :(

[dasminkar]

Here's a possible solution(temporary). Have someone push down on the hood at the corners, where it latches, while you pull the release lever. Then hopefully, when they let up on the hood it will open. I have a problem with my hood not unlatching on the passenger side and that is what i have to do to get it open. I only have the problem when it is cold though. When the car has been driven and is warm, it pops right open! I'm just to lazy to fix it at this point.

[MWhip]

Thanks bud.....I'll try that now

[Pino]

good luck man :thumbup:

[MWhip]

yeap .....that ghetto rig...works...push down a lil and it pops up...now i gotta figure out why it is not popping up....everything looks ok...anyone have a fix for this?

[indicaM3]

thats how i've been opening my hood for 6 months now. sucks ass to have to go get help everytime i wanna look under the hood. damn e36, shitty build quality compared to my e30 i swear...

oh and it's a major PITA if your cable actually breaks like mine, you gotta pull thr left front fender wells out, front bumper off...big job.

kevin

[MWhip]

Doh :(.....i jus don't see why when i went to put in the new headlights it affected opening up the hood.....the cable is still running in the same location and everything...guess I'll be like u and have to get some help evertime :(....

BTW: Thanks Pino.....I got everything straight...u should see the HID bosch ;).....

[potomac]

nice dude...;)

[funkmasta]

You can get it open by taking off the front bumper and kidneys out. Use a big screw driver...
this COULD damage the cables though, but a good last resort.

[endonuky]

Don't know what kind of headlites you guys installed, perhaps they are even more bulky than the ZKW's I have. But with the ZKW's when you first install them, if you do not adjust the height they are up close to the hood. What is happening is perhaps your headlites or the housing is pressing upward on the hood and putting tension on it, so when you pop the cable it won't release; hence the push down pull up method via a second set of hands while releasing the cable.

See about possibly adjustiing the height of the lights, not the aim, just the height. Hope this helps.

Phil

[MWhip]

Funkmasta....that sounds more like stealing a car, LoL....but thanks, I'll do that as a last resort...

Endonuky....I installed the OE Bosch headlights on my car...

[Cosmos96]

Funkmasta....that sounds more like stealing a car, LoL....but thanks, I'll do that as a last resort...

Endonuky....I installed the OE Bosch headlights on my car...


hey i had the same broblem i really thought it was going to break but i pulled as hard as i could and it opended, what i did then was it seemed to be when i played around with all wires and putting them into diffrent postions the hood now opens as easy as can be. give that a try.

[MWhip]

Thanks for the tip bro......i could of swore I didn't move the cable out of the Factory position, but I'll try that. Just lil things on this car get to me..call me anal or whatever but my M has to be crisp, mint, and everything has to be working order :)

[potomac]

hey i had the same broblem i really thought it was going to break but i pulled as hard as i could and it opended, what i did then was it seemed to be when i played around with all wires and putting them into diffrent postions the hood now opens as easy as can be. give that a try.

What do you mean? Where can you position the wire> Elaborate please.

[Cosmos96]

What do you mean? Where can you position the wire> Elaborate please.


well the first time it was hard to open i think the cable was kinda under the head lights then i tried on top, it that was better but not perfect. so now i have them on the tab cover for my low beams and it works as easy as can be.

[MWhip]

damn gonna need pix dude.....

[Casebrius]

not to threadjack, but I have the opposite problem. When i open my hood, it won't close. Guessing the cable is gunked up. I have to pull the latch closed with needle nose to get it to latch. I did nothing that would directly affect the cable - installed new Koni struts - maybe I pushed on fender line and pinched cable???? :confused

[Cosmos96]

heres some pics from diffrent angles..

[Casebrius]

I think you need to turn your flash on

[Cosmos96]

I think you need to turn your flash on


i did but it came out real bad, it was raining that day so the overall light was bad.