Hood Latch Malfunction

[scottm]

The hoodlatch on my wife's truck let go on the highway this week while I was in Dallas. The safety latch held, and she eventually got it to latch normally. I pulled it out, the cable seems to be the culprit. I coaxed some silicone down the cable, cleaned and lubed the latch with spray moly grease, all seems well. Anyone else had this? She's got 130k on it, original hood latch AFAIK.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

I experienced the same problem on my 60 and lubricating the latch cured it...might work/help on your 80.

 

[Rich]

If the cable is suspect I would shell out the bucks for a new one. Hood opening up on highway would not be fun.

Cable breaking with hood latched shut would not be much fun either.

 

[landtank]

had to rerplace my cable a year and a half ago. Because of the routing TAPE the new cable onto the old and as you pull the old one out you lead in the new one.

 

[Junk]

ScottM - Had that problem last year. Sprung open (saved by the safety latch) about 4 times on the way home from a wheeling trip. Lubed the latch and all was fine. If the hood has ever been off (like mine's been off a few times), then make sure it is correctly aligned.

 

[IdahoDoug]

Scott,

I'm glad to hear you got off better than our little brother. I got a kick out of hearing what it was like driving at freeway speeds when his Audi hood opened and left him with just a slit to see as he headed for the shoulder. Hah!

DougM

 

[scottm]

Yeah, I guess she tested the safety latch and it passed. She was going over an overpass, in traffic, kids in the back, not good for hood flying up. Wonder why Gary's safety latch didn't work? My Audi has two primary latches, wasn't pretty when the release cable snapped, trying to fish both latches open.