Hood is hard to close since Depo install

[STEVE36]

My hood closes, but it takes a lot of effort - or it needs to be dropped from fairly high up.

Since I installed my Depo headlights a while back, my hood was harder to close. Then I took them out to splice the angel eye wire into the corner wire and now it's even harder to close.

I've heard of this somewhere before but couldn't really find anything worthwhile when I searched. You'd think it would be just a half ass headlight alignment job but when I had my car in for service at an independent BMW shop they aligned the headlights and I still have this problem. Any fixes?

The hood is very slightly, but noticeably upon closer inspection, unaligned with the side of the car on one side...Also in the front, the smallest amount of water can get underneath (although it just falls on plastic) from a car wash.

It's not a huge problem but it's an annoyance and I'd like to get it out of the way.

[Beamin']

Pics?

[STEVE36]

It's dark, I'll see what I can do tomorrow.

[Beamin']

You need HID's for the garage... My garage is brighter then daylight after the light warms up... For some reason after a late night install with the light on and garage door open, the neighbors accross the street bought alot of shades. Hmmmmm......

[jamin325i]

know what you mean about hood not wanting to close-still better than it not wanting to open.

when cable or hold down locks lose lubricant the release cable will not retract back to its pre-pull position which prevents the hood locks from engaging the 2 holddown latches-surrounded by springs-when hood is set down.
when locks are working properly you can look into the 2 lock holes and see 1/2 a ring in each, these are the locks in proper position, waiting to grasp each latch. if not seen then they are stuck and hood won't lock.

reach into driivers side corner where fender meets the front crossmember and grab the release cable sheath and pull in each direction to free up the stuck cable inside to allow locks to position themselfs-you can see it in the holes . this allows hood to lock.
now hope that there is enough lubricant to allow hood to be opened next time-but that is another story.
the fix is a new cable assembly. or what i plan to do soon, disconnect and lubricate the cable inside the sheath.
oh yeah, the hold down latches are adjustible for length and thus proper front hood elevation.

[STEVE36]

That was pretty hard to read. I don't think it has anything to do with my cable because it seems to be hitting something. I especially think that it has something to do with my headlights or related pieces.

It is also much hard to pull the lever to get the hood open, but it does open as well.

[STEVE36]

Pics?

These show the uneven side and the normal side. The picture makes it look more drastic than how it looks at a glance, due to the upclose view and angle of the shot.

[LuxoM3]

FWIW - i know this thread is almost 2 years old but... your hood is hitting the top part of the newly installed EURO headlight tab. Most likely the ones closest to the fender.... you might even notice the foam underhood material has an indentation from the headlight tab.

The fix is easy...adjust either or both of the bottom (2) headlight screws lower.

Ask me how I found this out...

[SergeK]

How did you find this out?

[NewToTheForum]

FWIW - i know this thread is almost 2 years old but... your hood is hitting the top part of the newly installed EURO headlight tab. Most likely the ones closest to the fender.... you might even notice the foam underhood material has an indentation from the headlight tab.

The fix is easy...adjust either or both of the bottom (2) headlight screws lower.

Ask me how I found this out...

it's barely a year old=), and yes the lower I put my hood, the harder it is to pop it open.

[LuxoM3]

SergeK:

Ha ha ha, when I installed my Depo Euros I noticed one side of my hood was off (higher than the other). I saw this thread while doing some research and it dawned on me...

I looked at one of the bracket tabs of the depo lights and lo and behold it was pretty high...so high in fact that the foam under stuff of the hood had a nice bracket indentation in it.

A simple loosening of the headlight screws and an adjustment to the bracket spacer bolt thingy-s and the hood now sits nice and flush like it was.

FWIW, there are 6 threads worth of space from the bottom arrow of my hood pins to the lock nut. Thus makes the hood sit flush with the fenders.