Hood Release

[El Presidente]

Its jammed shut. Any suggestions on how to open it? Pics:

http://www.bmw-forums.com/forum/inde...howtopic=24279

[El Presidente]

No one?

[///M3 FX]

Im thinking!

[///M3 FX]

have you tried getting a screwdriver up there and unlatching it manually?

Its not gunna be good if you broke the latch inside the clip =x

[llzoom_zoomll]

well, i bought my e36 damaged from the front, so i kinda know what ur goin through. I had repaired a front end collision on another e36 so i knew how the hood latch worked. The one thing i can think of is to stick a flat screw driver between the hood and the catch (yes catch...the round thing the pins go into) and pry it open. you will most likely have to change the two catches on the front, their mechanism most likely have gone bad. i changed mine from a parts car i had, but, i was told they are within $50 bucks for both at the dealer. oh, and i forgot to mention, if you get someone else to help you, have them push down the hood, while you pull the handle, and give it a nice healthy tug upwards to get it open. sorry for makin this long, hope it helps...
lemme kno wut happens, and if u get time, what are ur plans...

[94 325is]

from the look of it you may have to pull the grill back out some for the latch to release

[///M3 FX]

Does the hood release cable feel like it is releasing the latch?
have you tried to open the hood with a helper or just yourself? With two people, one of you pulls the hood release cable and holds it open while the other tries to open the hood. If there seems to be some movement but doesn't open....continue holding the cable release while the other person takes like a shop towel/grease rag, whatever name you know it by....run it thru the hood handle...this gives you extra "pull" and start pulling hard or jerking....if the hood release is partly jammed, that jerking movement will sometimes break the latch free. try that, mgiht just need a lil help since the lady turned your front end into scrap metal.

Edit I just realized i said the same thinghe said above lol.

Ill go out and take a look after it stops raining to see if theres a way to get the release.

[llzoom_zoomll]

also a quick tip, the actual lockin part on the catch is on the driver side...so if you pull the hood towards the passenger side, and up, it might help a bit more. these BMW latches are made not to be broken into, so its gets tough

[El Presidente]

im debating leaving it alone or opening it so I can inspect my projectors and radiator neck. I'm going to a body shop tomorrow, maybe they can get it. When I pull on the hood release, it feels like a lot of strain on the cable. No pop

[///M3 FX]

Originally posted by El Presidente@Oct 19 2004, 01:09 AM
im debating leaving it alone or opening it so I can inspect my projectors and radiator neck. I'm going to a body shop tomorrow, maybe they can get it. When I pull on the hood release, it feels like a lot of strain on the cable. No pop

[snapback]213934[/snapback]

Not good might have bent it. Are you lookinf at a new hood anyway ?

[phenom]

Originally posted by ///M3 FX+Oct 19 2004, 01:14 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(///M3 FX @ Oct 19 2004, 01:14 AM)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteBegin-El Presidente@Oct 19 2004, 01:09 AM
im debating leaving it alone or opening it so I can inspect my projectors and radiator neck. I'm going to a body shop tomorrow, maybe they can get it. When I pull on the hood release, it feels like a lot of strain on the cable. No pop

[snapback]213934[/snapback]

Not good might have bent it. Are you lookinf at a new hood anyway ?

[snapback]213937[/snapback]

[/b][/quote]

I had the same problem. Try what ///M3 suggested; get a helper. One person releases on the handle the other person pulls up on the hood. Thank good that worked for me.

[llzoom_zoomll]

if your worried about the strain on the cable, i really dont think its that weak! I put alot of strain on mine to open it, and one time, it clicked and gave me a chance to pull it open, but needed to pull it hard! im sure you can get it, and the most that seems to have happened, from the picture, is your radiator support might have bent, which can sometimes be bent back. if you need to replace it, its no more then 35 bucks from a parts store.

[El Presidente]

waiting to go to body shop tomorrow. all I have committed to so far is a new lens for the projector.

[kamikazinyc]

Look on the bright side, now you can use a 96+ grill plate instead of what you got the thin one.

[kamikazinyc]

Look at this I think this is the same as yours not the new type.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...sspagename=WDVW