How to Unlock the Hood of Your Car

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Troubleshoot your stuck hood to access the engine bay in no time

Co-authored by Rocco Lovetere and Eric McClure

Last Updated: November 22, 2024 Fact Checked

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Popping the Hood

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Opening a Broken Latch

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Opening a Stuck Hood

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Video

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Tips

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Warnings

If you need to open the hood of your vehicle to do some basic maintenance and you’ve never done it before or the hood is stuck, you may need a little help. Worry not—we’ll walk you through the process from the most basic steps to what to do if the latch is stuck or broken. Read on to learn what you need to know to get your hood open and access the engine bay.

Opening Your Vehicle's Hood

Pull the hood release latch, which can usually be found under the driver or passenger side dash. Reach under the center of the hood and pull the latch or lever inside. On some models, you may have to press the lever upward to unlatch it. Lift the hood or prop it up with the rod along the front of the engine bay.

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Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Popping the Hood

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1
Pull the latch to unlock the hood on your bottom left. In most vehicles, the hood release latch is under the dash on the driver's side, although its exact location may differ from make and model. Look for a handle with a popped hood logo on it. Pull this all the way out and you should hear your hood unlock.^{[1]
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- If you’re checking any fluid levels, park on a flat surface. Otherwise, the fluids will pool up on one side and give you inaccurate readings.
- In some countries, the hood of the vehicle is called the bonnet!
2
Reach under the front of the hood and pull the latch. Get out of your car and walk to the front of the vehicle. Under the center of the hood, reach your hand underneath to feel for a latch or a lever. On some models, you’ll press this up to the bottom of the hood to unlatch the lock. On other models, you pull a lever away from the lock to open the hood.^{[2]
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- Refer to your vehicle’s instruction manual if you need help getting the latch undone.
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3
Lift the hood up and prop it up if it doesn’t stay open. Most modern vehicles will automatically lock the hood in the upright position if you raise it. If the hood swings freely, look for a rod sitting horizontally along the front of the engine bay. This is the prop rod. Pull it up and insert the tip into the designated opening embedded in the hood over the hinge of the prop rod.^{[3]
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- If this is your first time using a prop rod, test it by gently wiggling it to confirm it won’t slam down on you while you’re checking the oil or whatnot.
- Follow the same process every single time you’ve got to pop the hood and perform some maintenance.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Opening a Broken Latch

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If the cable between the latch and hood is sticky or damaged, it may not disengage properly. On most cars, the cable releases when you press down on the front of the hood. Do this while a friend or family member pulls the release latch inside the vehicle. If it works, the hood will shift and raise slightly. Then, open the exterior latch.^{[4]
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2
Pull on the cable if the indoor lever is damaged. Behind your indoor latch, you may see a cable sticking out. This cable runs through your engine bay and connects to the latch. If the lever is broken or damaged, the cable should still work. Tug gently on this cable to open the hood.^{[5]
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- If you feel no tension at all, the cable is no longer attached to the front latch and needs to be reconnected by a mechanic.
Your latch is located in the very center of the hood at the front. Reach in with a long, thin screwdriver, rod, or butter knife. If the gaps in the grille are small, use a wire coat hanger instead. Catch the latch with your tool and slide the latch open to release the hood.^{[6]
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4
Tug on the cable if you can see it behind your grill. Depending on your make and model, you may be able to see the cable connecting your hood latch to the release lever indoors. Look through your grill with a flashlight. If you can see the cable, grab some pliers and gently tug on it to open the latch.
- If this doesn't work, take the car to a mechanic to repair the cable.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Opening a Stuck Hood

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Engage the parking brake. Park on the street or in your garage wherever the ground is flat and even. If it turns out you can't fix the problem on the spot, you don't want to be stuck driving home with an open hood.^{[7]
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2
Test the interior release latch several times. It’s possible the latch is just sticking a bit. Find the release lever by sitting in the driver’s seat and looking at the bottom left of the vehicle’s interior. Pull the latch several times repeatedly. If you’re lucky, the latch will fully open and the hood will release.^{[8]
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- If the hood does open partially, all you need to do is press the exterior latch at the front of the hood. This latch is usually at the center or just to one side, and may depress upward or to the side.
3
Slap the hood gently to unstick it. Stand outside the driver's seat and reach in to hold the interior release in the fully pulled position. With your other hand, slap the hood with an open palm. If you're lucky, the hood just needs a jolt.^{[9]
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- Take care not to dent your hood. You may need to use force, but keep your hand in an open palm position.
- If you have a friend or family member helping you out, ask them to pull the release lever and try striking the hood where the latch is located.
4
Open an old, rusty latch with a bit of pressure. Have a friend pull the interior release and keep it in that position. Stand at the front of the vehicle and pull up on the hood slowly but steadily. If the only problem is rust or grime, you can usually force it open. If the hood won't budge at all, don't use a ton of force.^{[10]
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- Keep in mind, it’s possible you’ll break the latch if you do this. But if it needs to be repaired anyway, it may not matter.
Chilly weather or frost can freeze your latch. If it’s super cold out, let the engine idle for a while to thaw the frozen parts. After you let it run for 5-10 minutes, try pulling the release latch and opening the hood.
6
Inspect the latch after opening the hood. Once you get your hood open, check for broken latch parts or a frayed cable, which may need to be replaced. If you don't see obvious problems, just clean any gunk off of the latch with water and a rag to see if that solves the problem.^{[11]
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- If the latch is broken, take your vehicle to a mechanic for repairs.
- It may also help to lubricate the cable with a spray lubricant. Insert the straw nozzle at the cable's end, between the inner cable and outer sheath, and spray.

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Tips

An accident can shift the latch mechanism and prevent it from working properly. You may be able to manually adjust the latch position to fix this. Only do so if you're sure it's in the wrong position.

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Warnings

Do not open the hood after a head-on collision. Flammable gases may escape and cause a fire due to sparks from rubbing metal.

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Always make sure you close the hood securely before driving. If the hood is not latched properly, it may fly open on the road due to aerodynamic forces. This can obscure the driver's vision, or even detach the hood entirely at high speeds.^{[12]
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