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Broken hood release cable


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Well, same thing happened to me a couple days ago actually.  I think about the only thing you can do is go underneath the car and remove anything in your way to hit the hood release (not the flat piece of metal, but the actual spring release), once you do that, then you need to decide how you want to rig up your own hood release.  For mine, my friend and I used super strong fishing line, tied it up to the release mechanism so that when ou pulled on it, it'd open up and then ran the wire underneath the car right under the driver side light.  If you choose to do this, then, after you tie the wire up, use some rubber tubing or something to protect the line and then bring it underneath the car...I can try and send pics to you if you want so that you can get an idea.

 

Jason

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Since anyone who's owned one for very long has gone through this, I've got it down to a 'T.' All you need is a stiff metal rod (1/4" is good) about 18" long. Remove the plastic air guide under the intercooler. Run the rod up to underneath the latch assembly, from the bottom RH corner of the radiator, just ahead of the radiator. The latch can then be moved to the driver's side by applying pressure to the moveable latch. It will help to have someone press on the hood, to overcome the friction applied to the latch pin by the upward pressure from the rubber bumpers. When you get the latch to move, have your partner release the downward pressure on the hood, and wa-la! It's open. To replace the cable is very easy if you haven't removed the old one before getting the new one. Use some wire to tie the latch end of the new calble to the release lever end of the old. Pull the old cable through from the latch end until the wired spliced appears. Disconnect the splice and connect the new cab;e to the latch, and you're no longer a rookie! I can do it in under an hour.
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AWWWW... you cheated and went the easy route. When it happened to me, I did it the FUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNNNN way. What you need is a 10mm wrench, and I believe a philips head screwdriver. Then, you start disassembling it from the outside, working your way ever deeper to the hood latch. Yes, not the easiest thing, but definitely fun if you are wanting to know how to get into the bay of someone else's StarQuest without setting off the alarm. ;D  Took me about an hour. And to top that off, the reason I was trying to open the hood in the first place was a coolant leak.
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yup.got into my parts car the same way.a skinny wrench and a screwdriver.took the plastic grill and header panel loose and stuck my hand back there and pulled the broken cable.
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Hah!!!!  I JUST had that happen to me a couple of days ago.  I just got the dang hood open last night.  Took me a few hours up under the car to figure out I couldn't get past the darn pusher fan to see what the heck I was doing.  For me, I didn't have the tools and guys if your StarQuest hasn't been molested, there are about 5 clips besides the two screws that hold the grill in place and you have to get to the clips AFTER getting into the hood.  After all that...... I figured out how to jimmy it open with a coat hanger.  Mine appears to have lost the ball off the cable at the hood end.  A lesson learned indeed.  Email or call me if you need any pointers.  Now, I have to do it again so I can replace my cable.

 

DrkRaven

drkraven1@yahoo.com

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You don't have the bare minimum tools to work on a S/Q??? If you don't already know, the bare essentials you need and are relatively cheap are:

 

10mm open/box end wrench

ratchet

10mm deep socket

possibly a 6" extention

phillips and standard screwdriver

and the all important tool VISE GRIPS  ;D

 

This is about all you need to do minor work to your car (like getting your hood opened after the cable breaks). And those tools are all you need to do work on your car except when you go to change your spark plugs, then a spark plug socket would come in handy.

 

And yes, you CAN remove pretty much the entire front end without being able to pop the hood, been there, done that. :)

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YEP RAVEN,I FORGOT ABOUT THOSE GRILL CLIPS!MINE WERE ALREADY MISSING FOR SOME REASON.IT WAS MY PARTS CAR ANY WAY THO :)MAYBE ITS JUST A GOOD IDEA TO REPLACE THESE THINGS EVERY SO OFTEN!HEY MODERATORS.MAYBE WE CAN AD THIS TO FAQ?
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  • 1 year later...
  • 9 months later...

So how do you replace the cable  if you have accidently pull out the old cable and you cant tie the new one to iut so you can pull it through. i have run a piece of the old cable so the i can use a vise to pop the hood from the air dam. that is very inconvienent but i was thinking what if i just extend that piece with some kind of handle but i already have a new hood cable. please help if you can.

 

thanks, mike

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  • 1 month later...
I need help to? I pulled out the broken inside wire, can I just get the same size wire and try to feed it back through and mock everything back up. What's the best fix for this?

 

Nick,

Are you saying you pulled the inner cable out of the housing?  If so, get a new cable, the whole thing.  Tape the end of the new one to the old one and pull it through.  You won't be able to stick a new inner cable in the old housing.

Jimmy

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I think he meant he pulled it out from the inside of the car where the latch  to pop the hood is, thats the same one I pulled out by accident.  If so he just has that one piece that was cut so he could run it down towards the airdam so he can pull the hood with a vise grip.
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I just got done fixing mine. I just went to the bicycle shop and bought a cable for the brakes. Slid it tourgh the tubing thing and hooked it up. Works like a champ, and only cost 1.60! ;D

 

Sounds like a good alternative.  How did you connect both ends?

Jimmy

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  • 3 months later...
I just did the same thing, use a Tandum Bike brake cable.  I used a cable set screw on the handel on the inside.  Its a meatal sleve with a hole in it, and then a screw that screws into the meatal sleve to hold the cable.  works really well,  and much cheaper and easyer than running a whole new cable.  
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