1997 Buick Riviera Hood Release

Can any one tell me how to open the hood when the release will not work?

Well, if the cable is broken at the latch itself, good luck. You'll need to take off the splash shield under the front end in order to gain an opening to reach up and through. If you can reach it, use a screw driver or a pry-bar to release the hood.

Not sure how to do it on a Riv (never had to), but I assume the above method is the only way.

Abaddon wrote:

Well, if the cable is broken at the latch itself, good luck. You'll need to take off the splash shield under the front end in order to gain an opening to reach up and through. If you can reach it, use a screw driver or a pry-bar to release the hood.

Not sure how to do it on a Riv (never had to), but I assume the above method is the only way.

If you lay on the ground and look up at the hood latch it will be obvious how to open it w/o using the remote cable.

It's also possible that it is simply sticking a bit. Try having someone pry up slightly on the hood while you pull the release. Mine requires this from time to time, esp in winter. It pops right up with a little pull up.

1998 Riv wrote:

It's also possible that it is simply sticking a bit. Try having someone pry up slightly on the hood while you pull the release. Mine requires this from time to time, esp in winter. It pops right up with a little pull up.

Conversely, the hood bumpers might be set too tight, so also try having someone push down on the front of the hood while you pull the handle...

albertj wrote:

If you lay on the ground and look up at the hood latch it will be obvious how to open it w/o using the remote cable.

So much for security... at least they can't steal the battery.

when i bought my car the latch was rusted, and seized . i had to take the grill out, then i was able to unbolt the latch assembly. soaked it with pb blaster cleaned it up , then reinstalled. its has work ever since then.. not to difficult of a proses....

Just as a reminder:
On the seventh day He rested.
And on the eighth day, looking down and seeing that all was not quite right with the world, God gave us WD-40.

Jamax wrote:

On the seventh day He rested.
And on the eighth day, looking down and seeing that all was not quite right with the world, God gave us WD-40.

"God forbid" he just went back to day 5 and un-invented corrosion...

I wasn’t sure so I wanted to check, nothing has to be removed to open the hood from the outside. I just tried it on one of mine and there is nothing to it. If you reach up between the bumper brace and the air deflector, follow the latch mount up, and then feel the aft side of the latch for where the cable is attached, you can push the release by hand.

Adding pictures to show the way

Reach between the bumper filler and the air deflector:



Follow the mounting bracket up:



Feel the aft side of the latch, find where the cable is attached and push it to release the hood:



HTH

99Rivman wrote:

I wasn’t sure so I wanted to check, nothing has to be removed to open the hood from the outside. I just tried it on one of mine and there is nothing to it. If you reach up between the bumper brace and the air deflector, follow the latch mount up, and then feel the aft side of the latch for where the cable is attached, you can push the release by hand.

I did not wanna say the above in so many words... but yeah. If you lay on the ground and look up at the hood latch it will be obvious how to open it w/o using the remote cable. For you weight reduction freaks: If you felt like it you could tackweld or braze a little paddle on that sucker and get rid of the interior release.

Since the cat's out of the bag, I will add that this approach (lay on the ground and look up at the hood latch) works for more cars than I care to list, and that after you open a few you don't need to look first anymore...

...be sure to use your new powers for good, and you will keep them. (Conversely, you will be lost...) And by the way it helps if you wear gloves because sometimes the factory leaves sharp edges on the mechanism.

Albertj

that's if there's no corrosion preventing it from opening, if its corded you have to take of the grill..

whit2285 wrote:

that's if there's no corrosion preventing it from opening, if its corded you have to take of the grill..

This is where a pry-bar comes in handy