98 Integra hood won't lock down. Cable or latch?

meckeard

New Member
Hi everyone,

I recently purchase a 98 Integra 2 door coupe 4 cyclinder and the hood doesn't close all the way. The hood release handle moves freely and feels disconnected although I'm unsure of that.

When I open the hood and look at the latch, the part that's supposed to have tension and close over the part on the hood appears to left instead of the right. Almost as if the release cable should pull on it enough to keep it to the right and only just enough to keep the hood closed.

With this said does it sound like the issue is the hood release cable? My guess is yes since the release lever moves freely but I wasnt sure if the cable kept force on the latch too.

TIA,
Mark
 

94RS

No fucks given.
Basically. The cable runs from the release inside the car to the latch under the hood, if it's stretched out there will be some slack in-between point a (release) and point b (latch).

If the release moves about freely and the latch is loose, then I'd first check to see if the cable is hooked up, or possibly snapped. In the case of it both still being attached and not snapped, then it's extremely stretched out and you'll have to buy a new one.

I'd check around to compare prices, but this is what came up on a quick Google search.
http://www.partsgeek.com/mparts/hood_release_cable/acura.html
 


94RS

No fucks given.
Forgot to mention that the tension on the latch under the hood is due to a spring that catches when the hood closes. It's also what makes the latch rebound to the aide after you open the hood. Don't know if you were also asking about this too, but figured I'd add it.

This is what I mean when you're looking at the front of the car. Look down the hole where the latch is to find the spring.
 

meckeard

New Member
Hmm, that looks just like mine. See the image below.

Not sure if that means it's not release cable although there is no tension in it. The release handle inside the car moves freely as if it's not attached.

Maybe it'll help if I explain a better. The hood comes down and catches on the top-most latch. This is the latch that you have to reach in and slide to get the hood open. However, it doesn't catch on anything else like a typical hood should. I can push it down and nothing happens. Normally there's a second latch that would catch the hood and lock it all the down. This latch is what the release handle would open when pulled.

As it stands now, the hood stays down but there's a small gap b/c it's not entirely closed.

HTH,
Mark

 


94RS

No fucks given.
If it catches on the latch like it should but doesn't fully lock, then its definitely the cable. My car does the same thing, the cable is stretched and gets twisted/bunched up under the release inside.


Not saying this will work for your situation, but to fully get my hood to lock, I have to straighten out the cable, force the release lever in and then try to shut the hood completely. I gave up on it a while back though since my car just sits :lol:
 

cpeehler7

Banned
If you have the same problem I do, push the hood release latch back in all the way. Then go into the hood latch, with your finger push down the cable on the right of the mechanism. My car has a little green sleeve over it. That fixes it every time for me, might not be the same issue though, but it's worth a try. Just by pushing it down, it resets the mechanism and lets it latch properly again.
 

Dc5user

New Member
meckeard said:
Hmm, that looks just like mine. See the image below.

Not sure if that means it's not release cable although there is no tension in it. The release handle inside the car moves freely as if it's not attached.

Maybe it'll help if I explain a better. The hood comes down and catches on the top-most latch. This is the latch that you have to reach in and slide to get the hood open. However, it doesn't catch on anything else like a typical hood should. I can push it down and nothing happens. Normally there's a second latch that would catch the hood and lock it all the down. This latch is what the release handle would open when pulled.

As it stands now, the hood stays down but there's a small gap b/c it's not entirely closed.

HTH,
Mark

Click to expand...

I've got the same problem. My integra wouldn't lock all the way down, I switched out hood latches but still the same problem. When I switched the cables it locked in place, so check the cable


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Skidmarks

Cascade Honda Crew
Same issue here too. The green sleeve Cpeelher7 is talking about is broke on mine, so the spring that 94rs is talking about pulls the whole cable (outside rubber and all) so the metal cable inside doesn't reset. If you find where the cable leads to in the latch under the hood, try pushing the little lever that it's connected to there, in (toward the passenger side of the car) that will move the locking mechanism into place that locks down the hood.

Hope this helps, and welcome to CI :mrgreen:
 

meckeard

New Member
Ok, I just got around to pulling the cable. I got it free from inside the car, pulled the inner fender well off and pulled off all the plug like things that hold it tight against the body. Now I need to detach it from the release latch. How do I do that? It seems to go undeneath and inside of the entire latch mechanism from what I can see.

I see two bolts at the top of the latch that appears to hold it in place. Would it be easier to just unbolt the entire latch, pull it out far enough and get that end of the cable off?

Mark
 

Dc5user

New Member
meckeard said:
Ok, I just got around to pulling the cable. I got it free from inside the car, pulled the inner fender well off and pulled off all the plug like things that hold it tight against the body. Now I need to detach it from the release latch. How do I do that? It seems to go undeneath and inside of the entire latch mechanism from what I can see.

I see two bolts at the top of the latch that appears to hold it in place. Would it be easier to just unbolt the entire latch, pull it out far enough and get that end of the cable off?

Mark
Click to expand...

Unbolt the latch it's easier
 

meckeard

New Member
Dc5user,

What do you mean just the latch? The only removable part I see if the whole latch mechanism. There are two bolts that appear to hold it on the car. My thought was to take those books out and pull it up and out and get to the end of the release cake that way.

Mark
 

Dc5user

New Member
meckeard said:
Dc5user,

What do you mean just the latch? The only removable part I see if the whole latch mechanism. There are two bolts that appear to hold it on the car. My thought was to take those books out and pull it up and out and get to the end of the release cake that way.

Mark
Click to expand...

Yeah that's what I meant. Do it, it's easier I've done it 3 times to replace my hood latch
 
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