How to open the hood of a car

To open the hood of the car, find the lever in the cabin and pull it. Locate the hood latch in the grille to open it fully.

You can own your vehicle for some time before you ever need to open the hood. But inevitably you will need access to this area, sometimes even if your car is brand new. For example, you need to check your car's fluids periodically and it's very important that you know how to open the hood to do this.

Modern cars are often equipped with a hood latch that is attached to a lever somewhere inside the cabin. Before opening the hood, you need to find the hood latch. If you open the hood incorrectly, the latch or hood may be damaged, which could result in additional repair costs.

Part 1 of 4: Finding the Hood Latch

How you open the hood on your car depends on whether it is an old model or a new one.

Step 1: Find a sunroof in your car.. Newer car models have a latch to open the hood somewhere inside the cabin.

Finding the latch can be a little tricky if you don't know where to look. The latch can be found in one of the following locations on your vehicle:

• Under the dashboard at the driver's door
  
  
• At the bottom of the dashboard under the steering column
  
  

• On the floor on the driver's side

• Functions: The latch usually shows a car with the hood open.

Step 2 Locate the latch on the outside of the car.. Older models open to release a latch under the hood.

You will need to find a lever at the front of the car near the grille or front bumper. You can look through the grate to find the lever, or feel around the edges of the latch.

• A warning: Make sure the engine is cold before touching the grille.

• Functions: If you can't find the lever, check your owner's manual to find out where it is, or ask a mechanic to show you where it is and how to open it.

Part 2 of 4: Opening the Hood

Step 1: Stand by the hood. Once you have released the latch, you will need to be outside the car to open the hood.

Step 2. Press on the outer latch.. You will only be able to raise the hood a few inches until you move the outer lever under the hood to fully unlock it.

Step 3: open the hood. To hold the hood in place, use the metal support bar located inside the engine compartment near the front of the vehicle. Some models do not require a rod and the hood stays in place on its own.

Part 3 of 4: Opening a Stuck Hood

Sometimes the hood won't open even though you've opened the inside latch. Follow the steps below to loosen the hood and open it.

Step 1: Apply Extra Pressure to the Hood. Press down on the hood with open palms. You may need to slap it, but don't use excessive force, such as with your fists, or you risk wrinkling your hood.

Step 2: Get Help. If you have the help of a friend, ask another person to get into the car, release the inner lever and hold it open while lifting the hood.

This method often works if the latch is rusted or has dirt or grime on it.

Step 3: Warm up the engine. Cold weather often prevents the hood from opening as frozen condensation holds it in place. Start the engine to thaw frozen parts. Once your car has warmed up, try opening the hood again.

After opening the hood, clean the lock. It is also recommended that you contact a mechanic to inspect the latch and either lube it or replace it if necessary.

• A warningA: Avoid using the lubricant yourself, because the wrong type can contaminate the oxygen sensor, which will affect your engine performance.

Part 4 of 4: Opening the hood with a faulty latch

Sometimes a latch may not work because it has been stretched or damaged.

Step 1: Try pushing on the hood. Pressing the hood while someone else is releasing the inside lever can cause the latch to latch even if it is not working properly. If this step fixes the problem, the hood will pop up a bit so you can open it normally.

Step 2: Try pulling on the cable. If the pressure application does not work or you do not have anyone to help you, find the cable attached to the inner lever and pull on it. Be gentle and don't pull too hard.

If this opens the hood, it probably means the cable needs to be replaced.

Step 3. Try to pull the cable well through the fender.. You may need to route the latch cable through the hole in the fender on the driver's side. Remove the wing clamps and reach inside the wing to grab the cable and pull it.

This method will work if the cable is attached to an external latch. If you don't feel any tension on the cable at all, it means that the cable is not attached to the front latch.

Step 4: Try using a hood removal tool.. If all else fails, you can use a small hook to get under the hood and grab a cable or latch to unlock it.

• A warning: Make sure the engine is cool so you don't burn your hands when you reach into it.

If you're having trouble finding your car's hood latch or lever, or if it's difficult or impossible to open, get help from a professional to open it for you. You can also call a certified mechanic, for example from AvtoTachki, to lubricate the hood hinge and replace the hood supports if necessary.