2000 windstar Hood will not open

[Searles Lewis]

Hey y'all,
My cel lite stopped, but I have a new problem. I cannot open the hood. Before, it looked like the little plastic runner on top of the radiator, which had a connection to the electrical wires on the battery, had the entrie assembly's connection burr/tree shaped plastic thing, shatter, so when I pulled on the hood thing, the car's battery quit out. Not, since it is not attached, it won't let me open the hood.

How do I open the hood?I have tried a crow bar, won't budge. Was thinking of tryign fro mthe bottom, but would have to jack it up.

Any ideas? I still have not been able to connect the new or replacement oil dipstick, but figured I could do it by just holding the tub with the dipstick in it, to the hole, and read it liek that. But, can't get the hood open.

Any ideas?

[mark_gober]

Searles,

I wish I could help you out, but I have no idea what you are talking about.

My windstar has a lever inside that pops the hood. Does yours not have that lever?

[Searles Lewis]

Originally Posted by mark_gober

Searles,

I wish I could help you out, but I have no idea what you are talking about.

My windstar has a lever inside that pops the hood. Does yours not have that lever?

You have to pull a lever on the interior, on the left of the steering wheel, to get the hood to pop up enough to reach that second lever internal to the hood, that you depress. MY hood popper in the cab, is attached to a wire, which is attached to the top of a plastic runner before it gets to that second latch. The platstic runner has broken, so when you pull on the wire inside of the cab, it just pulls to plastic thing into the engine, and separates it fro mthe battery (since the grounding wire is connected to it), without popping up the hood enough to get to the lever on the inside of the hood to depress it. When I pull on it sometimes, the battery cuts out, too.

So, I have tried, and want to know how to depress or get to that lever inside the hood, without being able to pop the hood up or release it enough beforehand.


I cannot reach it fro mbelow, but I have a crowabar, is it like a window, can I stick the crowbar under the edge of the hood ,which has sunk in really tight, and push it up, and then use a screwdriver to depress the latch? If I can do that, I can get the hood open, check the oil, and buy one of the tree shaped plastic things that will hodl the plastic rail/runner to the top of the radiator, and then will not have to worry anymore.

any ideas? It's raining here, a lot, don't want to take too long outside, want to know how to do it first.

[Searles Lewis]

Fixed it!

Was able to use the crowbar to open and crank it open, then poulled the latch release, then used a screw driver to pry it up, not down, I mean the lever in front. It popped open, now pops way open each time.

The car had the feed tubes disconnected i ntwo places, one had a disposable cleaning rag sitting right behind it. It's not ours, so we figure it might agai nbe my step-son, as he stole a copy of our car key when he left. More sabotage, on p[urpose, by Zachary.

After refilling the spray tank, I'll then check to see if the tubes are blocked, and then check the oil!

Thanks Mark?

[so2315]

I had a similar problem I fought with on my 2000 I've had since new. It as always a 2 person job to open the hood. One person to pull the lever inside the cab, and another to pull on the hood while they pulled the lever.
Mine never 'popped' up when I pulled the lever. If you look at the engine compartment when the hood is open, you will see two rubber stops near the head lights. these are threaded. Unscrew them a couple of turns so the press against the hood when closed. Thsi fixed my problem and I can open the hood by myself now.