FZJ80 hood won't open... HELP! (1 Viewer)

[Iceaxe]

Hey guys-
My radiator detonated on the way home from mudding and punched the hood nicely with the shockwave of coolant... now the hood won't open. Tried everything to pry it up- anyone got any ideas on how to open it?
Thanks!!!

 

[itbrokeagain]

If you pull the handle is the cable moving the latch?

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[muddinmetal]

Mine does this sometimes even though the cable is still attached. If you pull the handle all the way back and push up or pull down on the cable a little bit it should pop open if your latch isn't damaged

 

[packetstormin]

Have someone pry up on hood while pulling lever.

 

[Italianbred73]

My cable latch got disconnected from the latch leaving me with the same problem, this is what I did:
I got a serpentine ratchet (30 bucks at Sears) it is a flat bar with a 3/8" socket receiver and bought a maxi access 10mm socket.
Next, from underneath the lc i was able to undo the bolt on the latch next to the horn and the bolt on the bracket where the oil cooler is attached to (that one was tricky, I used 1/4" ratchet with the base of the
handle attached to extensions)
The third bolt is right above the oil cooler and is hard to see, i was able to do a half turn to it but it was enough that when I pull the hood up the latch rotated clockwise lifting the hood enough to see the 3rd bolt from outside, then i reached in with a long extension and removed then i lifted the hood and cut the release cable off.
Good luck, Piero

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[Funner]

Open Sesame

Have someone push down on the hood (with good force) then, while they are pushing down, pull the hood release. Hold the hood release and then have them lift the hood.

 

[Grench]

Then there is plan C.

Plan C is not advised.

Plan C involves a hammer and a socket wrench.

Plan C also necessitates a trip to a salvage yard for a new plastic grill in addition to any parts you destroy on the hood release itself.

But it gets the hood open.

Plan C - again, don't do it if you don't HAVE to.

1. Pound/cut/tear your way through the center of the plastic grill.
2. Shed a tear.
3. Now you have direct access to the three bolts that hold the hood release in place. Disconnect them.
4. Lift the hood.
5. Disconnect the hood release from the hood.
6. Have a beer. Be sure to spill some on the ground for your grill.
7. Figure out why it didn't work - fix that.
8. Find another grill. Good luck on that.

Again - not advised.

 

[scottryana]

What I had to do was rig up a could of extensions and wedge them against the latch so it was pulled tight and then go up front and push and pull on the hood a little until it finally released enough to get it up past that first catch.

 

[Delancy]

I sporadically experience this exact issue and have tinkered with to the point if frustration, since it never functions correctly, when needed to. Only when not.

It there a thread/tips on adjusting? I know that sounds stupid, but I can't see what the problem is.

 

[half k cruiser]

What I had to do was rig up a could of extensions and wedge them against the latch so it was pulled tight and then go up front and push and pull on the hood a little until it finally released enough to get it up past that first catch.

This one is my favorite. Its called the wife was out shopping with the mother-in-law while i'm trying to fix her damn car technique. Classic

 

[Grench]

Did all 80 series have a remote hood release from the same place?

I.e. did any of the versions in other countries come with in-grill hood releases?

 

[how900]

I've just done this, no amount of banging prying lifting or pressing ....and a bit of hammering was getting the bonnet open.
Had a big pry bar and it was not moving.
My urge to smash things was great, but I got a torch and had a little look first.
Pry the bonnet up as much as it will go and wedge it open, you should be able to see the top 2 10mm bolts, use a 1/4 drive 10mm socket with a long extension to undo the top bolts on the bonnet release.
Next look through the grill and you should be able to see the lower 10mm bolt, it kinda hidden by some of the grill but look a bit from the side, the grill fins will need prying slightly to get access to get the 10mm socket on, but it is possible.
This has happened to me before a few years ago, so i am taking the mechanism off and putting posts and bonnet pins.
no grill smashing necessary.....

 

[sixsixnine]

Sorry to bump an ancient post, but I had this happen last night during some unrelated maintenance.

Had the hood up, closed it to move the car, went to open it back up and there was no tension whatsoever on the hood release lever inside the cab.

Tried yanking the lever, mashing on the hood, getting at the latch from underneath the vehicle, etc. The cable had slipped off the latch mechanism under the hood, so no amount of yanking on the cab lever or smashing the hood down would've worked.

Ended up removing the three lower screws on the front grille and prying it forward as much as possible, trying not to break the upper tabs. Was able to create an opening between the bumper and grille juuuuust wide enough to get a socket in there and remove the three latch mechanism bolts. I was fully expecting to break the grille, but surprisingly it held up fine.

If you've got no tension on the release lever, removing those bolts is your only option. Cross your fingers, have a drink, expect to break some grille tabs, but with a little patience you might get lucky and not snap anything.