Symptoms of Bad or Failing Hood Lift Support Shock Absorbers

If the hood suddenly or gradually closes on its own, or if it doesn't feel as stable, you may need to replace its dampers.

Hood lifters are an under-hood component found on many road-going cars and trucks. As their name suggests, hood lifters are small, usually gas-charged, cylinders that are used to support the hood when it is opened. When the hood is open, the lift leg extends and the pressure inside the cylinder supports the weight of the hood. The lift leg is strong enough to support the weight of the hood without retracting under the weight of the hood. Only with the optional hood lever can the lift support be folded down.

When the lift support fails or starts to have problems, it can lead to problems maintaining the hood. Usually, a faulty lift support causes several symptoms that can alert the driver to a potential problem.

1. The hood slowly closes by itself

One of the first symptoms of a problem with the lift legs is a hood that slowly begins to close on its own when opened. The lift legs work using pressurized gas sealed inside a metal cylinder to support the weight of the hood. However, over time, the seals can wear out and begin to slowly leak over time. Once enough pressure has drained from the cylinder, it will no longer be able to properly support the weight of the hood, causing it to slowly lower until it eventually closes.

2. The hood suddenly closes by itself

Another sign of bad lift jacks is the sudden spontaneous closing of the hood. A failing lift jack may have worn seals that can seemingly support the hood but suddenly fail causing the hood to slam shut. This will make working under the hood unsafe as the hood can fall off at any time while someone is working under the hood.

3. The hood doesn't stay on at all

Another, more obvious sign of lift jack failure is a hood that won't stay on at all. If all the pressure is leaking out of the lift support, it will not be able to support the weight of the hood at all, and the hood will close as soon as it is opened. This will make it impossible to work under the hood of a vehicle without a support to support the hood.

Most hood lift mounts will last a few years and usually don't need to be replaced until the vehicle reaches high mileage. If you suspect that your vehicle may have a problem with the hood lifter mounts, have a professional technician, such as from AvtoTachki, have the vehicle inspected to determine if the mounts should be replaced.