Hello Guys and Gals

So it’s been 2 or 3 weeks I haven’t been able to open my dang hood!
I’ve had this happen once before, however the next day when I went back to try to determine the issue, the hood just opened as nothing had ever happened.
However a few weeks later, same issue- I can’t open the hood, the silver hood lever will not budge. I have been trying to open again everyday (morning, nights) as I’ve searched this issue before and read somebody’s account that sometimes temperature can cause the latch to act funny.
I’ve tried everything- pulling/pushing while someone is manipulating the lever, moving side-to-side, but I just cannot get the hood to unlatch. The latch is the cable type , I’ve considered trying to open with the secondary pull cable under the wheel well, but have read that this did not work for people with a similar issue .
My battery is dead, so I can’t simply drive it to a shop (I would like to avoid that anyways).
Does anybody have any other ideas or encountered this problem and have any ideas for a solution?
any advise, information, tips would be greatly appreciated.

Its been answered a hundred time before but here it is again.

what year is your car?

either way open the engine compartment
put jumpers on the correct studs, charge or start the car
unlock with the fob (this may be why the handle doesnt work as a selinoid may prevent it), but may actually be a bad cable.

if this doesnt work pull the fender liner and get to the cable

Yes, even though you have the cable version, there is an electric component. It won't open without a charged battery.

Could you elaborate? I have the early cable version and I don't see anything electrical about it.

if u lock the doors car and the battery dies, there is a seliniod built into the cable system that prevents the latch from opening the trunk, its locked. Since u can enter the car door with the key it only unlocks the door not the rest of the stuff because the bat is dead. Until u get power to the car the latch wont work.

It's mentioned in the owners manual. They say to use the jump points shown in the photo above.

Not to rub salt in the wound, if you have a problem fix it, don't ignore it and hope it goes away!

Good Lord not again!
Steps:
1) since you have interior access, put a trickle charger on the cigarette lighter socket and try to get enough juice in the battery to trip the solenoid lock on the lever
2) open the engine lid cover and get a full 12V charge on the jumper points
3) once enough 12V is on the system, pop the frunk and get a new battery
4) the emergency cable release for the frunk is all mechanical and works every time...that's what it is there for
5) be smart....find and relocate the emergency release cable to just behind the front tow hook plug. Problem solved.

Thank you everybody, I sincerely appreciate the Info.

I searched this issue and read various accounts that the mechanical pull would not work in this instance, but I’ll admit I should have tried it for myself.

Since I have a 2000 with the cable pull system, I assumed electrical had nothing to do with it, I’m happy to hear this is not the case, and should be a simple fix!


Im going to try and report back here.

Thank you everybody

Step one is not necessary on an MK-I car since the engine lid release is completely mechanical.