my hood latch has always given me trouble. the trouble was that once it was opened it wouldn't close like some members on here talk about. but this time it's the other way around. It's close and i can't get it to open. I pull the hood release on the inside and feel nothing. there's no tension.

Does anyone know how to open the hood? I've looked and there's been no discussion on this. Or a write up of how to take the cable out.
I guess it's good that it's not stuck open but I would like to change my oil soon and other maintenance so the sooner I can get it open the better.

Can you lift it by hand a bit?

One time before i extended my latch I forgot and closed my hood and couldn't get it back open.

I opened it by hand just a little and was able to fit something (possibly some pliers or something, I don't really remember) in and manually unlatch it.

Sorry, if this wasn't much help. I'm sure you have already tried this a million times..

You can also undo the latch in your cabin and pull the cable and see if its just stretched.

its totaled.

blow torch and cut a hole.

did it damage the hood? I want to try that but me and my brute force might kill the hood.


probably gonna try that.


oh god I hope not!!!


I guess that would give it some good airflow into the hood.

Just unbolt the release under the dash and pull the cable.

Well you can only physically lift it like an inch, then gotta fit something in to unhook the latch. Don't just try and rip it off, haha.

Fixed that for ya

remove the front splash guard between the lower rad support and the bottom of the front bumper. then using long pliers and someone with long skinny arms, pull the cable.

These solutions are all too complicated. Chee, you don't need the hood to open at all. Just flip it over and do everything from underneath.

hahaha! I see, I was over thinking this whole time! so simple!

now i just need to enter hulk mode and flip this thing over. thanks Daniel!

did you try this, seriously, its the only way

not yet but that does seem like the only way to get it open. once i have some down time to mess with it I will.

actually you have to get down to do it. so you need some down time to get down..

o.o hammer it to death... go hoodless until CF hood magically appears

i had this happen once.... i used a hack saw when i got the hood pried open an inch and cut the actual U that the hood latch locks onto off and used hood pins from there on out.... alot cheaper than buying a new hood and replacing the cable.... simple and efficient

LOL! well, it was actually the easiest thing to do. I didn't even have to take the plastic off the bottom. just reached my hand up from the grill and pulled the cable and POP!

well... happened to me today that the cable snapped and lucky me, it just so happens that my battery is dead

So now, I can't even drive the car until I get the hood open.... anybody got some ideas?
My first idea was to simply drive the car to toyota so they can get the hood open and replace the cable, but now the car is just sitting there and not going anywhere

Don't want to sound stupid, but is there any way of charging the battery some other way? let's say ciggarete lighter socket or something...

push start it.

Ok, I jacked it up, and reached it from below... The cable is ok, but it disconnected/unhinged from the hood latch, what is even more ****ED!

If someone got some advice at this point, it would be greatly appreciated

huh... managed to open the hood

So if anyone else got the same problem someday, access the latch from bellow, it is pretty easy (if you haven't got some intercooler there:D).
Then there is a small opening on the bottom of the latch, where you can reach the mechanism that the cable pulls, best to use some sort of "hook-like" tool, I've sketched this here:



I can't remember the last time I've been so pissed but everything turned out ok

what i ended up doing the second time since the cable got stuck and couldn't yank on it. I just stuck my hand and tools through the grill and up and started unbolting the 3 bolts that hold the latch on. took a bit of finger work but after i got the 3 bolts out I just yanked the WHOLE hood latch to the side and popped it open.