How screwed am I?

[VBredneck]

I'm not sure if this in the right place but there's nowhere else I could really see to post something about the hood cable latch.

What would cause (better yet, how should I go about fixing) the cable that connects your 'open hood' latch inside the cab to the part under the hood? Because mine has apparently snapped. Or some other kind of thing went wrong. I wasn't even doing anything; just pulling into the carport after work and heard one of those sounds that you don't really ever wanna hear.

I checked inside the cab and the wire/cable (whatever) is still connected to that part, but I can't see underneath the hood ('cause it won't open) to see what happened or where exactly it happened. Anyone know where I should start looking or how I can get the damn thing open to start looking so I can start fixing? Can I get a better eye on things with my gap guards off and maybe some daylight?

Thanks

 

[RobbieD]

What year truck?

 

[VBredneck]

'97

 

[Mutant Pony]

Daylight will help a great deal. Also, tell us what Year/model you have. Every vehicle is different.

 

[86ford]

reach up and cut the housing and pull the cable till it opens. i personally remove the latch and put hood pins on any vehicle when some part of the latch system breaks.
i know hood pins look bad but i am cheap and ten bucks and ten minutes of work sounds a whole lot better than new cables, latchs, handles etc along with a whole lot more time!
86

 

[VBredneck]

Yeah, sorry. '97 Mazda B4000 2WD 4.0L V6

 

[dogboy]

Does the handle have any tension when you pull on it? If there is no tension (handle moves freely), then I would think it is the cable. But if there is still alot of tension (like it is moving the parts inside the latch), like normal, then I would have to assume that it is something inside of the latch under the hood. Just my thoughts.

 

[VBredneck]

Well today at the job site I got my buddy to put some pressure on the hood while I pulled the handle. It popped up. Sprayed the mechaninsm down with some WD40, opened and shut a few times throughout the day. Everything seems fine. At least until the next time whatever happened happens again.

 

[RobbieD]

Good thinking. It may have just been dry and gritty and in a bind; the shot of Wild Dog Forty may have been all you needed. Wouldn't hurt to put a little white lithium grease on it.

 

[VBredneck]

I thought about puttin some kind of oil or grease on there but the weather around here kicks up sand like a mother; I figured something like that would collect more sand than the WD.