1998 Hood Release

Is there anyway to open a hood that the hood release won't work from inside? Without taking it to the dealer? I called the original chevy dealer I bought it from, and a local buick dealer, and they're both saying 2-3 hours labor, and $20 for the release cable. I haven't had much luck searching google and usenet, so any help would be appreciated. In the last 3 weeks I've replaced two alternators for friends and done a 3 brake jobs, and now I can't do my own damn car. :)

**EDIT**
I got it opened. Just banging on the hood and playing through the grill with a pry-bar got it opened, and then I just scraped all the old grease off and put new grease on the latch (I used some brake grease I had 'cuz it said 'high-temp', then moved everything so it would get down between the moving pieces and it's all good.)

If you ever run into that problem again, you can get under the front bumper and find the cable that goes to the hood latch. Take a pair of pliers, and twist the cable about 6 inches from the latch. It should pull enough to make it open.

If you ever run into that problem again, you can get under the front bumper and find the cable that goes to the hood latch. Take a pair of pliers, and twist the cable about 6 inches from the latch. It should pull enough to make it open.

Thanks. I can't believe in the buick dealer was saying it could take 3 or more hours to get it open. It seems like if you had it up on the lift, even if the latch broke you could reach up from underneath and get it open.

The dealer was quoting you T&M (time and materials) for replacing the entire cable from end to end. However, if your cable hasn't broke yet, you can remove it, soak it with some penetrating lube and reinstall it. Dealers tend not to repair, rather then replace, it helps cut down on the repeat complaint.

The dealer was quoting you T&M (time and materials) for replacing the entire cable from end to end. However, if your cable hasn't broke yet, you can remove it, soak it with some penetrating lube and reinstall it. Dealers tend to replace not to repair, it helps cut down on the repeat complaint.

They said if I could bring it in open, it was $75 to replace the cable. They said if it wasn't open, that I was looking at $200 low-end, to $350 high-end. I would say that's a big difference, especially since they could have just reached up in and unlatched it, and still chargedme $125 more than if I had got it opened myself.

I can't speak to what the dealers charge... Just be glad you can do stuff for yourself. :)