How to I bypass (temp) inside hood release? - 1995 Pontiac Bonneville

If the plastic hood release handle inside is broken, can you reach the steel cable, if so, use a pair of vice grips to grab the cable and pull. Sometimes it helps to have a helper standing at the end of the hood and pop the hood with palm of hand, in the area of under hood release mechanism, at the same time your pulling the cable.

If cable is broken, some makes and models, you can remove front grille and get at under hood release mechanism.

There is usually a primary hood release, inside vehicle, and a secondary release under the hood, you have to slide your hand under the hood to release, sometimes you have to press down on the hood a little to move release. Trying to shut the hood with secondary release engaged can be difficult, you don't have the distance and the weight of hood to swing down.

Suggestion: see if the blend door opens or closes completely to allow all air through the heater core. To see the blend door moving, remove the panel that says "Cut here for service" under the hood along the firewall. I have a 99 Bravada where the blend door keeps moving back and forth constantly. Changed the blend door actuator but still keeps moving. The air inside is only warm since the door keeps allowing bypassed air through.

You need to replace the hood release mechanism. You can access the hood release from under the car - you'll need access to a pit though. Good luck

See if you can take the inside hood release down from its mounting position,And hopefully the end that is defective is in this area. If so, see if you can grab the cable with a pair of vise-grips and pull the hood open.

If you are not the original owner, the previous owner may have bypassed the heater core. The heater core is like a small radiator that has hot water running through it from your motor. It is inside of your dash board, near your a/c and heater controls. That is how yur car gets hot air. The air runs through the heater core making it hot. Bypassing it is a cheap and quick fix for a leaking heater core. When they get a leak, they leak all inside the car down to the floor board. Check under the hood along the fire wall. If it is bypassed, you will see two hoses spliced together. One will be bigger that the other slightly. If this is your problem, you are more thatn likely need to replace your heater core

depending on where the cable is broken your can still release and open the hood. if it is broken inside the van in the footwell is the easiest...locate the end of the cable and with a set of visegrips pull the cable to release the hood.

So I gather that the release inside the car has release the hood's primary catch, but the T handle is not release the secondary catch to allow the hood to fully open.

If this is the case, take some lithium grease or WD-40 (lithium grease is much better and lasts much longer) and spray it onto the catch assembly.

Try pulling on the T handle some more after a few minutes of the grease soaking in and see of that releases.

If that doesn't work, then take a long flat screw driver and press it against the catch gently hit the screw driver with a hammer (you should be trying to push the catch towards the driver's side of the car)
You may need someone to be pulling on the T handle as you hit the catch with a hammer. I actually had to do this with a jetta before....

There's a hood release lever inside your Jetta by your left knee. Pull this lever to partially release the hood. Then reach your hand under the front center portion of your hood to locate the external hood release lever. pull on this lever to fully release the hood. Two (2) separate hood release levers in two different locations.

see if you can grab the broken cable end with a pair of locking pliars (vise grips) and pull

sit on hood or pound on it (center front) while assistant pulls cable release from inside..then adjust stops so it wont happen again...have you had a fender bender recently?