Honda Car Forum

Hi,

The plastic lever (which you pull to open the hood) on my 1997 Honda Civic is broken. The cable is fine though. I have to pull the broken lever with a plier or tongs to get the hood open. The dealer is aksing 2 hrs of labor to replace it. The part is under $20. Can anybody please let me know whether it is possible to do it by self? If so how to get it done?
Thanks,
Sat

Just did it this weekend on my 93 Civic.

Jack up car (use stands!) and remove LF wheel.

Remove front bumper and LF inner fender liner. Unhook the cable from the
outside latch, then unbolt the the inside pull. The rest is pretty simple.
It took me about 30 minutes, but my front bumper was already off from a
wreck.

A dealership mechanic should be able to get it done in about 1-1.2 hours.


"sat" <satadalb@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:d72c00feebb1787f255cec7f9fff4315@localhost.ta lkaboutautos.com...
> Hi,
>
> The plastic lever (which you pull to open the hood) on my 1997 Honda Civic
is broken. The cable is fine though. I have to pull the broken lever with a
plier or tongs to get the hood open. The dealer is aksing 2 hrs of labor to
replace it. The part is under $20. Can anybody please let me know whether it
is possible to do it by self? If so how to get it done?
> Thanks,
> Sat
>

I think Honda should replace the hood release for cost-mine broke (96 civic)
after a few years, too.

Mista,

My hood release cable became "overstretched" years ago. The result is the hood
release lever doesn't extend it far enough to pop the hood. The hood release
lever itself is not broken. I open the hood using pliers to grasp the end of the
cable and pulling. It's not difficult, but it's also not convenient.

Can I get in there following your directions and replace the hood release cable
in its entirety?

I've had the front hood release mechanism apart (for cleaning) but at the time
wasn't sure I could easily thread a new hood release cable into place for the
whole length.

I guess the alternative is to figure out how to move the metal stopper on the
end of the cable so the distance is correct.

"Mista Bone" <mistab0ne@nospam.net> wrote
> Just did it this weekend on my 93 Civic.
>
> Jack up car (use stands!) and remove LF wheel.
>
> Remove front bumper and LF inner fender liner. Unhook the cable from the
> outside latch, then unbolt the the inside pull. The rest is pretty simple.
> It took me about 30 minutes, but my front bumper was already off from a
> wreck.
>
> A dealership mechanic should be able to get it done in about 1-1.2 hours.
>
>
> "sat" <satadalb@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:d72c00feebb1787f255cec7f9fff4315@localhost.ta lkaboutautos.com...
> > Hi,
> >
> > The plastic lever (which you pull to open the hood) on my 1997 Honda Civic
> is broken. The cable is fine though. I have to pull the broken lever with a
> plier or tongs to get the hood open. The dealer is aksing 2 hrs of labor to
> replace it. The part is under $20. Can anybody please let me know whether it
> is possible to do it by self? If so how to get it done?
> > Thanks,
> > Sat
> >
>
>

You replace the whole assembly.

The new part from Honda includes the pull lever, cable, and firewall
grommet.
it was about $23 from www.slhonda.com

"Caroline" <caroline10027remove@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:nA7Zb.398$aT1.174@newsread1.news.pas.earthlin k.net...
> Mista,
>
> My hood release cable became "overstretched" years ago. The result is the
hood
> release lever doesn't extend it far enough to pop the hood. The hood
release
> lever itself is not broken. I open the hood using pliers to grasp the end
of the
> cable and pulling. It's not difficult, but it's also not convenient.
>
> Can I get in there following your directions and replace the hood release
cable
> in its entirety?
>
> I've had the front hood release mechanism apart (for cleaning) but at the
time
> wasn't sure I could easily thread a new hood release cable into place for
the
> whole length.
>
> I guess the alternative is to figure out how to move the metal stopper on
the
> end of the cable so the distance is correct.
>
> "Mista Bone" <mistab0ne@nospam.net> wrote
> > Just did it this weekend on my 93 Civic.
> >
> > Jack up car (use stands!) and remove LF wheel.
> >
> > Remove front bumper and LF inner fender liner. Unhook the cable from the
> > outside latch, then unbolt the the inside pull. The rest is pretty
simple.
> > It took me about 30 minutes, but my front bumper was already off from a
> > wreck.
> >
> > A dealership mechanic should be able to get it done in about 1-1.2
hours.
> >
> >
> > "sat" <satadalb@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> > news:d72c00feebb1787f255cec7f9fff4315@localhost.ta lkaboutautos.com...
> > > Hi,
> > >
> > > The plastic lever (which you pull to open the hood) on my 1997 Honda
Civic
> > is broken. The cable is fine though. I have to pull the broken lever
with a
> > plier or tongs to get the hood open. The dealer is aksing 2 hrs of labor
to
> > replace it. The part is under $20. Can anybody please let me know
whether it
> > is possible to do it by self? If so how to get it done?
> > > Thanks,
> > > Sat
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

Thanks. After reading your description of getting at the cable, I went out and
inspected the system more closely. I figured there must be a way to artificially
shorten the cable. After a couple of hours of pondering and experimenting, I
simply put a half hitch in the front, hood latch cable end. I bought my Civic LX
new in 1991. After I think ten years of not working, I now have a functioning
hood release lever.

I noticed that the entire front latch assembly may be moved as much as around
1/2 inch in direction or the other. I presume this is to allow more precise
hood-release-cable tensioning as needed.

My only concern is that the half hitch may put undue stress on the cable and
some time cause a cable break. Getting into the hood release mechanism looks
like a fairly unpleasant chore at that point. I imagine I'd go in from the
bottom... Point being, buying a whole new cable is on my list for the next year
or so.

Thanks for your suggestions.


"Mista Bone" <mistab0ne@nospam.net> wrote
> You replace the whole assembly.
>
> The new part from Honda includes the pull lever, cable, and firewall
> grommet.
> it was about $23 from www.slhonda.com
>
> "Caroline" <caroline10027remove@earthlink.net> wrote
> > Mista,
> >
> > My hood release cable became "overstretched" years ago. The result is the
> hood
> > release lever doesn't extend it far enough to pop the hood. The hood
> release
> > lever itself is not broken. I open the hood using pliers to grasp the end
> of the
> > cable and pulling. It's not difficult, but it's also not convenient.
> >
> > Can I get in there following your directions and replace the hood release
> cable
> > in its entirety?
> >
> > I've had the front hood release mechanism apart (for cleaning) but at the
> time
> > wasn't sure I could easily thread a new hood release cable into place for
> the
> > whole length.
> >
> > I guess the alternative is to figure out how to move the metal stopper on
> the
> > end of the cable so the distance is correct.
> >
> > "Mista Bone" <mistab0ne@nospam.net> wrote
> > > Just did it this weekend on my 93 Civic.
> > >
> > > Jack up car (use stands!) and remove LF wheel.
> > >
> > > Remove front bumper and LF inner fender liner. Unhook the cable from the
> > > outside latch, then unbolt the the inside pull. The rest is pretty
> simple.
> > > It took me about 30 minutes, but my front bumper was already off from a
> > > wreck.
> > >
> > > A dealership mechanic should be able to get it done in about 1-1.2
> hours.
> > >
> > >
> > > "sat" <satadalb@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> > > news:d72c00feebb1787f255cec7f9fff4315@localhost.ta lkaboutautos.com...
> > > > Hi,
> > > >
> > > > The plastic lever (which you pull to open the hood) on my 1997 Honda
> Civic
> > > is broken. The cable is fine though. I have to pull the broken lever
> with a
> > > plier or tongs to get the hood open. The dealer is aksing 2 hrs of labor
> to
> > > replace it. The part is under $20. Can anybody please let me know
> whether it
> > > is possible to do it by self? If so how to get it done?
> > > > Thanks,
> > > > Sat
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

"Caroline" <caroline10027remove@earthlink.net> spake unto the masses in
news:B3qZb.1574$aT1.51@newsread1.news.pas.earthlin k.net:


> I noticed that the entire front latch assembly may be moved as much as
> around 1/2 inch in direction or the other. I presume this is to allow
> more precise hood-release-cable tensioning as needed.


It's to allow for hood/latch alignment. The loop on the hood isn't always
perfectly straight.


>
> My only concern is that the half hitch may put undue stress on the
> cable and some time cause a cable break. Getting into the hood release
> mechanism looks like a fairly unpleasant chore at that point.


The worst part will be the bumper and the inner fender liner. The bumper
will come off in fifteen minutes. It's a good idea to buy new signal light
gaskets, as the old ones will leak like crazy if you try to reinstall them.
Also you need to clean all the old gasket off the lenses.

The inner fender liner's fixing screws fill up with muck. They take a
Phillips screwdriver, but you need to carefully clean out the crosses with
a dentist's pick or scriber so the screwdriver will engage properly.
Sometimes the screws simply spin around in the inserts instead of
unscrewing, and you need to carefully pry slightly upwards between the
screw and the insert so the threads can catch.

Once you have those two off, the rest is a piece of cake.

--
TeGGeR®

"Tegger®" <teggeratistopdotcom@changetheobvious.invalid> wrote
> "Caroline" <caroline10027remove@earthlink.net> spake
> > I noticed that the entire front latch assembly may be moved as much as
> > around 1/2 inch in direction or the other. I presume this is to allow
> > more precise hood-release-cable tensioning as needed.
>
>
> It's to allow for hood/latch alignment. The loop on the hood isn't always
> perfectly straight.

Oh hell... the above makes eminent sense. :-)

Strike all my nonsense above.

> > My only concern is that the half hitch may put undue stress on the
> > cable and some time cause a cable break. Getting into the hood release
> > mechanism looks like a fairly unpleasant chore at that point.
>
>
> The worst part will be the bumper and the inner fender liner. The bumper
> will come off in fifteen minutes. It's a good idea to buy new signal light
> gaskets, as the old ones will leak like crazy if you try to reinstall them.
> Also you need to clean all the old gasket off the lenses.
>
> The inner fender liner's fixing screws fill up with muck. They take a
> Phillips screwdriver, but you need to carefully clean out the crosses with
> a dentist's pick or scriber so the screwdriver will engage properly.
> Sometimes the screws simply spin around in the inserts instead of
> unscrewing, and you need to carefully pry slightly upwards between the
> screw and the insert so the threads can catch.
>
> Once you have those two off, the rest is a piece of cake.

Excellent. I'll leave the hood release cable half-hitch in place then and keep
coveralls and a coupla screwdrivers in the trunk, 'case the thing breaks. :-)

I saw the cold weather inquries on the subject of car etc. cables breaking.

For the database: The other week within twenty minutes I managed to snap a
friend's parking brake release cable (happily, an easy part to find and replace)
and then was in the garage when the garage door cable snapped (needed a pro to
fix, but it had happened before, so I exempted myself as the cause). Surely the
sub-freezing temperatures where I was contributed to this coincidence of steel
cables breaking.