Hood will not pop!

[Dahlknudsen]

Today my hood will not pop! Is there any other way to release the latch that opens the hood?

Nothing happens when pulling the cable, its not tight or anything!

Any one have a picture which shows how to do it?

Thank you very much!

Could not find any other topic concerning this isue...

[Jonny B]

This is something that has been typed about before (and happened to me at a car show a couple of years ago). If the cable is operating mostly alright, there are a couple of approaches. One is to park the car on an uneven surface or area to put a bit of flex in the chassis, that might be enough to give you a few extra mm to open the hood.

Another is to push down (gently or with a folded towel) on the top middle of the hood, where the latch is located, while someone else is pulling on the hood release. That should be enough to pop the hood.

The point at issue is the adjustment of the hood release cable. Once you do get the hood open, you will need to ensure that the adjustment on the hood cable is such that the latch is releasing. You will be able to see this when the hood is opened up.

Try the search function to get some further details on the adjustment set up.

[Dahlknudsen]

Thank you Jonny - I will try both tonight!

Maybe my search words were off, I couldnt find any simular problem before.

Jakob

[Dahlknudsen]

Well none of the ideas seem to help.

Cable seem alright, it also sounds allright. When pushing down the hood it feels like the hook looses its grib on the hood. So I quess the hook does not move when pulling the cable!

Any other ideas?
I read that someone released it by pulling like mad in the cable, but doest seem right to me.
Is it possible some how to reach it and press something that will release it?
or what about trying to press the hood towards driver side and that way make it come of hook?

[Jonny B]

You may be able to get a pair of locking pliers on the cable from the inside.

Tread carefully when working with the hood, it is aluminum and can deform fairly easily.

[SteveK]

I had the same thing happen to me a few months ago and was able to get it loose by pulling the handle while "popping" the area above the lock with my fist about 10 times.  (I could feel that the cable was working and the lock was just caught) I poped it pretty hard but was careful not to do it hard enough to bend anything. After it opened, I cleaned up the lock mechanism and then greased it pretty good.   It has been fine since.

Good luck on this one, it's a tough one!

[DavidBrough]

Interestingly, all the suggestions seem to require the cable to still be connected to the catch. I have often wondered what the process would be to realease the bonnet/hood if the cable breaks at the catch end, any ideas.

[SteveK]

David, since mine did it once, I figure it might do it again, so I took up your question and looked to see what could be done.   It looks to me the only way to fix this would be to go through the grill (may have to pull it) and remove the hood by taking out the 2 hinge bolts on each side.   I would think that you could then carefully wiggle the hood around until the lock pops.   The pin is on the drivers side (US model) so you would have to shift the hood towards the steering wheel.  I might first try removing just the passenger side hinge to see if you could push the hood over enough to release the lock.

These hoods are aluminum and only weigh about 30 pounds so they are easy to handle.  (Believe it or not, the last time I replaced my hood, my wife held it while I put the bolts back in!)   

I've only had my 230 for 7 months. I would hope there is a real expert out there who has done this before!

[Dahlknudsen]

Thanks for all the suggestion...

Well still nothing works, so I tried screwing off the grill. But behind the chorme Grill is a black-plastic grill which does not come off from the outside,
so cant reach the hood hinges.

Last thing is to go to the mecanic monday, but what can he do if none of you knows how the get it opened!

Only way in seem to be from beneath...

wish me luck that it is not going to be expensive!

[bpossel]

Jakob,

I am sorry that you have this issue.  I would try contacting the Classic Center to see what they would recommend.
This could evenually be an issue that we all face.
Good luck!
bob

[J. Huber]

That is a really tough one. I just went out and imagined different ways to attack it. From underneath, there may be enough room to get an arm and hand up to the center latch by coming up next to the oil filter canister. Car would have to be on a lift, and your arm would have to reach at least 27 inches from the canister. Just what to do once up there is another story. A second, less delicate solution would be to use a hack saw or power sawzall and cut the hood brackets at the front corners. There is room for the blade between the fender and hood. Its ugly but carefully executed, it would not take long (with sawzall) and two new brackets are less than a hundred bucks. No guarantee that would unhook the hood latch -- but you'd have some leverage to jostle it around...

(just speculating not recommending necessarily). Good luck.

[waqas]

The screens behind the grille are held in place by 5 hex screws. See if you can unscrew them by going from below the car. You'll probably need a small 1/4" ratchet. Careful with the screens, they are soft metal and easily damaged.

If you do end up trying to release the hood by removing/cutting/etc the hinges, be wary of the hood spring: it will very energetically react once released. The hinges are setup such that only one needs to be removed and the hood can be slid laterally out from the other.

Good luck!

[George Des]

I have not had this problem on my 230SL but recall many years ago i had the problem on my TR-6. I had to get it up on a lift and use a long thin steel rod to activate the lock mechnism from below. Don't know if this will work on our cars but it might be worth a try before you start dismantling any thing else.

George Des

[seattle_Jerry]

So if it is just stuck, maybe vibrating the area will loosen what ever got bound up? Just thinking out of the box. 

[waltklatt]

Ohh!!  All these visions of a saw, hammers and pounding hands. 
Ouch!
I would try to have someone lean slightly onto the edge of the hood at the rear (atop the latch area), not less than one inch away from the edge, and lean down while you pull on the release lever.  And tell the person leaning on the hood to lean and then release and lean and release-you know load and unload the weight on the latch area, while you pull the lever.
Perhaps that will undo the catch. 
If that fails, then you could try to snake your hand up behind the battery on the drivers side of the car and undo the two 10mm bolts holding the hood to the hinge plates. 
I had to do that one myself. 
A new latch and cable fixed any further problems.
Walter
1967 220SL-diesel

[Dahlknudsen]

Thank you for all the good advice!

I printet your responses and gave it to the Mechanic. He went with the proposal of taking off the grill
and unscrew the bolts holding the hood in front, then take off the hood.I  tried that, but i needed a lift to get the black plactic grill off!

Problem was that the cable had fallen off the litle hook holding it.
He used 4,5 hours to do this!!!! Toltal cost incl. 0,5liter oil = 550 USD.

So another good advice, allways make sure your cable is tight and in place before closing the hood!!!

[majothelo]

Hoo what a nightmare! I dont have the problem (yet ) that you just solwed but of some reason I read the line and will now run down to the garage and have a big service on the latch... and on the latch for the convertible-box.
Gott att det ordnade sig!
By the way Dahlknudsen, is there any Pagoda-meeting around your place in the near future?
Regards Thomas, Sweden

[J. Huber]

Hey Thomas, you may want to see when another of these will take place. Some awesome looking cars.

http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=10139.0

And Jakob, glad you didn't have to whip out the sawzall. I'd hate to be the guy who recommended that!

[majothelo]

Hi James! Yes I looked at the pic. They are very nice. It´s not far from where Im live. But this year the meeting will be pretty far up in Norway. I love my car to much to drive that far...with rain and soo..Maybe . My wife think that Im crazy when I have a nice car in the garage but dont drive when it came some drops of water from the sky. But what does women know...hehehe
/Thomas

[Naj ✝︎]

Hi James! Yes I looked at the pic. They are very nice. It´s not far from where Im live. But this year the meeting will be pretty far up in Norway. I love my car to much to drive that far...with rain and soo..Maybe . My wife think that Im crazy when I have a nice car in the garage but dont drive when it came some drops of water from the sky. But what does women know...hehehe
/Thomas

These Pagodas are well capable of making such trips.

Here's mine at the Arctic Circle in Norway.
Trip started from London...

[Ulf]

I took mine for a trip to Sweden of around 600 kilometers without any problems...

Ulf

[Peter van Es]

I drove 550 km on Saturday, and then 120 on Tuesday. I've done rallies with mine, of over 3000 kms in 5 days. Now that my car is well sorted mechanically, I have no qualms whatsoever in checking oil, jumping in and driving 500 kms.

And those that know me can confirm, I drive it pretty strongly, averaging 4250-4750 RPM's for hours on end. At a traffic light if I'm up front I will move it into 2nd gear and accelerate, shifting gear at red-line to show those new fangled cars that a well maintained 40 year old car can give a bit of welly.

Peter