Hi!

So went to get my oil changed and when they asked me to open the hood, the release didn't want to move, and then it moved too much -- the cable had snapped.

I bought a new hood release cable. Got the old one all unclipped from under the hood and taped a messenger line to it so I can pull the new one back. However, it seems to be getting hung up on the firewall grommet and I can't pull it further. The grommet is up behind the inside fusebox where I can barely even touch it.

Any suggestions for how to get the old grommet out when I can't even see it? I considered taking out the fusebox chassis, but that seems extreme...

Thanks in advance!

 

OK, so I just found this gentleman's video here:
At that time mark, he's just removed the exterior front fender (the metal bit) and it clearly shows the last cable clip that is just about where you might think it was from where the cable hung up. This is probably a good thing for long term stability and reliability of the car itself, but darn inconvenient for me because I was hoping I could just pull it through...

So, it looks like I will (at minimum) have to take off the inner fender well cover.

However, to do that, I need to be able to turn my wheels. So I guess I have to replace the power steering pump first.

Any confirmations or alternate suggestions? Please say! Thanks!

 

Nobody's chimed in, so this is either trivial or terra incognita. On the off chance it's the latter I'll document the process I went through to achieve a working hood release on my 2006 Honda Accord EX... BTW, in this guide, when I say "left" or "right" side, I mean as you are facing the car when standing at the front grille. So "right" means the driver's side.

1. Get replacement hood release cable. I ordered mine from Carquest. Was actually cheaper than Amazon...
2. For tools, you'll want a Sharpie, a Philips and flathead screwdrivers, pliers, one of those body clip removal tools (preferably metal, because some of those things are right buggers), 10mm driver, hand mirror, flashlight, sturdy wire or twine, tape, WD-40, suitable grease or lubricant for hood latch (I used Tri-Flow Silicone). You may discover you need to purchase some extra plastic body clips, but you won't know which until you've busted a few.
3. Turn your steering wheel all the way to the stop as if you're making a sharp left turn. The idea is that back of the driver's side tire is as far in to the fender well as it can go.
4. Get the hood open. In my case, after the cable broke, a mechanic kindly looped a piece of baling wire around the cable that dangled out the front grille so I could pull on it with a pair of pliers to trip the latch release. After that, the shop offered to do the cable replacement for $500, which is why I did it myself... My hood had gas-lifts. If yours doesn't, make sure it's propped correctly so it won't fall on you.
5. Remove the "radiator shield" plastic cover from the very front of the engine bay. This is the one that the hood latch and rubber stops stick up through. A bunch of plastic body clips. However, you should be able to re-use most of them if you're careful.
6. If you can, detach the front grille from the bumper. It's held on by some u-clips and a screw on either side. In my case, the screw on the right side was broken, so I was able to pull it from the clips and out of the way. You may need to consider removing the bumper if yours is in better shape. There are guides for this.
7. There is a black plastic box shield over the hood latch. You can unclip it from the radiator supports and pull it away.
8. This should reveal the hood latch in all it's (probably rusted) glory.
9. Use your Sharpie to mark the outline of the top corners of the hood latch. This is so you can position it back where you got it from. The alignment is apparently fairly critical and the latch mounting points offer a lot of freedom for adjustment, which means that it won't just slip back into place -- you have to mark it so you can reposition correctly.
10. Drape a shop towel under the latch and spread it as wide as you can. If you happen to drop one of the latch bolts, it will catch it and you can complete this repair without actually taking the bumper off.
11. The hood latch has three 10mm bolts holding it on. Two at the top, and one (with grounding wire attached) at the bottom left. Pull the two top ones out completely, you can try just undoing the bottom one without taking it out completely so you don't have to mess with getting it re-inserted later.
12. The hood release cable enters the latch from the bottom right side. It has a little welded ball on the end that hooks onto the mechanism. The bare cable goes in a collar on the protective sheath on the right side. Push the collar out towards the back of the car to release it, then unhook the ball from its clip.
13. The cable is held to the right side of the hood bulkhead by clever little plastic clips. There are three or four of these in plain view around the corner of the battery holder and under the hood rim back to a hole on the right hand side just under the corner of the driver's window (near the right hood gas lift). Use a screwdriver, bare hands or teeth to pry these away and out. I found it somewhat effective to slip a body tool under one side of the clip, pry, then switch sides. Repeat until extracted. If you break some of the clips, no biggie -- the replacement cable should have come with new ones. But if you can extract them intact, do so -- then, when you drop the new clip into the depths of the engine compartment, you can still secure the cable.
14. Now, it's time for extra fun clips! This is where you'll be happy you had gloves. There are at least two clips that are securing the cable to the underside of the radiator support bracket. You will need to reach under the bracket to get to these. On one, you can't reach at all, you'll just have to try to get a screwdriver in and pry it out. Sometimes, pulling on both sides of the cable around the clip can help.
15. While you have the latch out, you can spray it with WD-40 to loosen it up a bit. If you have a wire brush, you might even knock off some of the rust.
16. OK, so the cable is now free and dangling around the engine compartment (keep the metal bits well away from your battery terminals please). You need to get down to where it passes through the firewall to your hood release handle. To do this, you'll need to take off the inner fender cover. You should get some knee pads. Unless you have a lift. But if you have a lift, you probably already know what to do and you're laughing at me.
17. There are several screws and an infinity of annoying body clips holding the inner fender cover on. First undo the four screws at the rear of the fender. That will drop the plastic mudguard. Put the screws with it so you don't forget what they're for and use them on the body or something.
18. There may be a screw or clip at the front of the inner fender protector that needs to be released. There is a 10mm bolt up there, but you actually don't need to take that out. Don't bother spraying it with WD-40 or ratcheting at it or anything. It won't appreciate it and you might make it mad.
19. Now you've got the screws out, feel around the inner perimeter of the cover for those nasty, nasty body clips. These clips are awful. Some I could get off with the body tool, others I had to pry with a screwdriver and one, I would up cutting off. Keep a the best preserved sample of these clips to show the nice lady at the auto parts shop when you buy the replacements. Contrary to what Pastor Phelps told me in high school, not all car companies use the same clips... Oh, wait, I think he was actually talking about masturbation, but either way, it's true, they don't use the same clips so you need to get the ones for your car.
20. While you're taking out those demon body clips, wiggle the edges of the inner fender cover and see if you can pull them free. This will help you identify the remaining attachment points. By the way, if you have the patience and bloody mindedness to work from the back (where the mudflap was) to front, you can only remove enough of the clips to get the back free -- you just need to be able to get to the cable where it comes down from the hood rim to the firewall.
21. Now, using a flashlight, you should be able to see into the pristine empty space of the fender and identify where hood release cable comes around a corner and is clipped to the body. pry that clip out.
22. Now you should be able to pull the cable through hole in the hood rim and down. Time to deal with inside.
23. Open your drivers door, put the seat all the way back and remove the floor mat. Don't worry, you can put it back later.
24. Your hood release lever is embedded in the driver's side kickplate, just under the fusebox. I'm assuming that the lever itself is intact. If it's not, you'll have to figure out how to put the new lever in on your ownsome, but it probably won't be too hard. The hard part is getting this verdammt kickplate off. Did you take the floor mat out? OK, that was the easy bit. Now you need to pry at the bottom door rim liner where it joins at the base of the kickplate. Get your body tool under that bad boy and pry. Eventually, you will hear a disconcerting "snap" and you should be able to pull the front of that door rim liner up a bit.
25. Move the foam insulation over a bit and get your fingers under the kickplate. Pull that away from the body, towards the clutch pedal (What? No clutch? Sissy! Just pull towards brake instead then).
26. If the kickplate is still not cooperating, you can take the fusebox door off, which will give you a minor feeling of accomplishment. Don't lose it.
27. Now that you have the kickplate out of the way, you can see the hood lever mechanism and the scary upper bits of the fusebox. Ignore the fusebox (it probably won't kill you) and free the hood release cable collar from the back of the hood release lever bracket.
28. The inboard end of the release cable has a kind of cylinder thing welded to it that fits into the back of the lever. Use your flashlight and your third grade spatial geometry to rotate it so you can release it. It's not quite as bad as those stupid wire puzzles Uncle Ed insists on giving everyone at Christmas. We're on the home stretch now!
29. At this point, the only thing holding the cable in is the boot in the firewall. Use your cellphone camera (I don't think an SLR will fit) to take a picture of it. This will be handy later. Lest you think that this little rubber boot is something trivial, I remind you that this thing needs to have a tight seal so that rainwater (or seawater, you do you) doesn't get onto your spiffy wingtips. Keep that in mind. In my case, I didn't really understand what was going on with the boot, so I wound up pulling on it until I broke it up a bit, then I realized that I could just pry it out while pulling the cable. (BTW, do this from the outside, under the fender. Don't try to do anything else from the driver's side footwell after you've released the cable completely from the lever mechanism. That way lies sadness and a pile of assorted interior body panels.)
30. Whoa! Now you've got the old cable out. That's awesome! Set it aside to go to the taxidermist.
31. Now, I could be a complete ******* here and just say to follow the steps in reverse order. That would be fun (and a lot less typing), but it turns out I am a nice guy, so I'll take you through the reassembly, because there's a few things you should be aware of. Go ahead and take the new cable out of its bag. Admire it. If you want to pose with it in the bathroom mirror, that's fine, get it out of your system.
32. The new cable may come with the cable clips already on it. Pull them all off except for the one nearest the rubber boot. Put the new clips where nobody will step on or eat them, you will need them later.
33. Feed the short side of the cable through the hole in the firewall. The stalk of the rubber boot should be facing out of the car, towards you.
34. The fat part of the boot has a rim indentation molded into it. It may seem like it could never go into that tiny hole, but that's what... Actually, never mind. push one edge of the boot into the hole and squish it around the edges with your fingers until it goes in and sits flush with the body. Compare it with the picture you took earlier. It should look very similar. Again, really stupid important that it seats correctly. If you don't seat it correctly and you get your feet wet, the Committee will disavow all knowledge of you and your actions.
35. Go back inside the car, pull the cable down from where it tried to wander up behind the steering wheel and wind the cylinder end into the lever and seat the sheath collar in the clip at the back. Make sure the cable lies behind the fusebox.
36. DO NOT reinstall the kickplate yet. Just don't. Trust me.
37. Run your wire or twine down the hole at the rim of the hood into the fender cavity, pull it down to where you can get at it and tape the ball end of the new hood release cable to the end of the wire/twine/fish then use it to pull the cable back up and through hole in the hood rim.
38. Take up all the slack into the hood compartment, then get back into the fender and find the hole to install that one cable clip I had you leave on. Push that into place and we're done here.
39. Now, untape the wire/twine/weimaraner from the release cable and start installing the new clips, working from the back of the engine compartment forward.
40. When you get to the first clip that has to go into the radiator support bracket, take a steadying deep breath and remember that your mother did actually love you.
41. I wound up using a pair of medical forceps to finally get the first backwards clip into the radiator bracket. You could possibly move the radiator around if you feel adventurous, but I don't know how to do that and this job had already taken three days anyway so I left it at that.
42. Throw away any extra cable clips.
43. Run the cable back under the bracket and through the depression to get it into the latch. Clip the ball end into the mechanism and seat the sheath collar into it's part.
44. Spray some actual lubricant onto the latch mechanism now that it's just lying there, exposed.
45. Get your assistant or random passerby to exercise the hood release lever from inside the car. You should see it pull the bottom part of the mechanism around. If you see this, very good. If you don't, there's still time to turn to drink.
46. Now flip the latch up (don't remove the shop towel) and reinstall the 10mm bolts that held it to the bracket. If you were able to leave in the third bolt with the grounding strap, pat yourself on the back. I'm totally jealous of you. Install bolts and tighten them until you can move the latch back to your Sharpie markings without it falling. You may discover that latch doesn't quite match those markings any more, because it's finally had a chance to relax instead having to crouch in readiness like a ninja on the radiator bracket for years on end. Just try to get it centred between the marks and at the same level.
47. Moment of truth time! Hopefully you were able to move the grille out of the way some so you can get to the mechanism if needed. Lower the hood gently down and into the primary latch jaws. This should be accomplished with a smooth clunk. You may see that the hood is standing proud of the fenders a bit. Don't panic -- that just means that you have the hood in the position it should be in after the interior release handle is pulled. You can use the lever under the hood to release it and put it up again.
48. If the hood action against the primary latch is anything but smooth, check your alignment. If you get the latch placement screwed up, your hood could get actually stuck, and then you'll have to take it to a real shop, and the mechanic and all his useless friends who are just sitting around will have a good laugh at your expense (and charge you $300).
49. Now you're ready for the real test. Lower the hood gently, about six or eight inches off the latch, then drop it, just as you would normally. It should close completely, flush with both fenders. If you try to release it with the under the hood lever, it won't do anything because it's locked. If your car is equipped with an alarm, you should be able to arm it because fully closing the hood should trip the switch in the latch.
50. Moment of truth, part deux! Go to the driver's seat, reach down and pull gently on the hood release lever. You should hear a reassuring "clunk" and the hood will pop up so you can release it with the under the hood leverl. Just like old times, before the evil came and darkness descended upon our house.
51. Now you can reattach all the plastic bits with body clips and screws as needed. Note you might have to pry up the door rim again because if you closed your door during this procedure, it might have reseated. Note that the driver's side kick plate has a blue bracket up top and a green post at the bottom to be plugged in. Remember to put on the fuse box door.

So, that's the procedure. As near as I can remember it. This probably covers more that a few things that "everybody should know", but I didn't, so maybe you don't either.

If there's any interest, maybe I'll provide some pictures as well.

P.S. "Chilton's Complete Manual of Curse Words" was also very helpful in the composition of this guide.