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Thread: Hood stuck closed - how to manually open?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
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    Ottawa ON, Canada
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    94 M3

    Hood stuck closed - how to manually open?

    Today I went to pop my hood (on a '94 euro-spec M3) and all of a sudden the latch release gave no resistance, and the hood didn't open.

    I've read some other threads about this, but I've popped the bumpers grills can't find anything useful, I've opened up the driver side wheel well and can't find anything there. I've dismantled the latch and cable inside the car and I can pull on it but nothing happens. I'm not sure where its broke and I'm not sure how to manually get at it.

    There are rounded slot screws underneath the actual hood lock mechanisms, but they really don't want to turn.

    How in the name of lord do I get the hood open to replace whatever is broken? I really don't want to cut the hood up to get at the engine compartment, but I'm good and stuck.

    Any help would be most appreciated!!

  2. #2
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    hood

    you need to turn those sloted pins try pushing down on hood to take some of the pressure from hood springs off them
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  3. #3
    Join Date
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    Yup, or just push firmly on the hood where the pins are, and bounce it up and down with alot of force. If you hear a click, then re open from the cabin, and then just pull up on the hood from the front edge.

  4. #4
    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by restricted View Post
    you need to turn those sloted pins try pushing down on hood to take some of the pressure from hood springs off them
    +1...broke mine yesterday in a fit of rage and had to do this

  5. #5
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    Bmw 325i E36
    i need to replace my latch and the wire for the hood because it's no good. how hard is this and where can i purchase the latch and wire? thank you

  6. #6
    Join Date
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    1997 328i
    i noticed that my hood latch has much more resistance than before.
    is this a sign that the hood latch is going?

  7. #7
    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by iltoivfe View Post
    i noticed that my hood latch has much more resistance than before.
    is this a sign that the hood latch is going?
    mine has been really tough to open for about a year now. it hasn't failed yet, but the level doesn't sit perfectly in it's little cut-out in the kick panel anymore. I've tried adjusting the springs on the 2 pins and the receivers a million times too. It only made the issue worse.

    If anyone has a solution or any ideas about how to solve this, I'd love to hear it too. I'm pretty sure it's only a matter of time before something breaks and causes my car's hood to be stuck shut as well.

  8. #8
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    Sorry to bump up an old thread...but I have this same issue.

    Just bought my car two weeks ago and at the PO's house, the driver's side pin would stick. After a few attempts at some quick pulls, he got it to open. Fine.

    I got it to open last weekend at my house doing a similar thing. Fine.

    However, last night and this morning, I got a "Check Coolant Level" notification on my OBC and now I'm trying to do just that. However, my driver's side pin is stuck. My cable isn't snapped because the passanger side pops fine. It's just the driver's side.

    I got the driver's side grill out without busting it, so where can I go from here? I can feel the bottom of the hood pin if I reach my fingers in and up and it seems like it's got a screw head on it. Can I just turn this and unscrew it from my hood? I have a feeling the latch just needs some oil.

    I want to try to get this cleared up by the end of today before I leave work.

    I have a '95 M3, by the way. I think the hood is misaligned because the PO hit a "cat" so he says and ever since then, the hood's been misaligned. I'm betting this is the majority of the problem here, but I guess I'd try some oil before I go trying to align the hood.

    Thanks all.

  9. #9
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    bump....

  10. #10
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    Yep just unscrew those screws

    They are pretty big slotted screw heads. I got underneath the car and used a BFH and hand impact to loosen the screw on the side that is stuck then unscrew it completely, there will be nothing holding the hood down.

    When you put the screw back in you have to screw it in just the right amount lest your hood not close all the way (not screwed in far enough) or not open when you pop it (too deep), meaning you have to loosen the screw all over again.

    Good luck man!

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by oharajo View Post
    They are pretty big slotted screw heads. I got underneath the car and used a BFH and hand impact to loosen the screw on the side that is stuck then unscrew it completely, there will be nothing holding the hood down.

    When you put the screw back in you have to screw it in just the right amount lest your hood not close all the way (not screwed in far enough) or not open when you pop it (too deep), meaning you have to loosen the screw all over again.

    Good luck man!
    Can this be done through the kidney grill hole with a screw driver? Or are these puppies Locktite'd (or equivalent) in there?

    My car is lowered, so it's a pain in the ass to get under it.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by idriveastick View Post
    Sorry to bump up an old thread...but I have this same issue.

    Just bought my car two weeks ago and at the PO's house, the driver's side pin would stick. After a few attempts at some quick pulls, he got it to open. Fine.

    I got it to open last weekend at my house doing a similar thing. Fine.

    However, last night and this morning, I got a "Check Coolant Level" notification on my OBC and now I'm trying to do just that. However, my driver's side pin is stuck. My cable isn't snapped because the passanger side pops fine. It's just the driver's side.

    I got the driver's side grill out without busting it, so where can I go from here? I can feel the bottom of the hood pin if I reach my fingers in and up and it seems like it's got a screw head on it. Can I just turn this and unscrew it from my hood? I have a feeling the latch just needs some oil.

    I want to try to get this cleared up by the end of today before I leave work.

    I have a '95 M3, by the way. I think the hood is misaligned because the PO hit a "cat" so he says and ever since then, the hood's been misaligned. I'm betting this is the majority of the problem here, but I guess I'd try some oil before I go trying to align the hood.

    Thanks all.
    Recently I had to pull my hood off and when it closed it was misaligned, what I did was push and pull the hood (fingers under the front lip) until it finally disengaged. It takes a while and gets really frustrating but with enough jiming it will loosen, that is if alignment is the only issue. BTW realigning the hood with one person is a meotch so recommend you grab a friend to help.
    It may be a 4 but its still a BMW!!!

  13. #13
    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by idriveastick View Post
    Can this be done through the kidney grill hole with a screw driver? Or are these puppies Locktite'd (or equivalent) in there?

    My car is lowered, so it's a pain in the ass to get under it.
    For sure in theory you could do it through the kidney grill, which I did once I got them unstuck the first time. The first time mine were just pretty seized ('94 M3 that had seen some Canadian winters, shameful I know shameful ). Maybe I could have used liquid wrench + patience, but the hand impact was pretty easy.

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