Front hood release help!

Not to make it sound like it's this simple but are you gently pushing and or pulling on the hood while reaching in and pulling on the latch at the same time. With the door open you should be able to reach both. Mine sometimes hangs up and this is how I generally open it just to be safe.

Also maybe check the passenger side to make sure it's fully latched like someone else mentioned. A gentle push down should latch it.

Once you get it open lube those latches up and make sure they are adjusted properly.

 

He has a single latch hood. IIRC the 328 came with one on the driver's and one on the passenger's side and all 308 GTB/GTS are the single latch version.

Best Regards
Martin

 

You typed that backwards or something right? My '78 has two hood latches.

Yeah I figured as much but it was worth throwing out there.

Is it down fairly tight and won't move at all or can you lift it a bit? If you can lift it a bit maybe try squirting a bit of lube on the latches then working the lid up and down. If you have someone who can give you a hand have them futz with the passenger side too while you try the latch.

Dunno at this point, just throwing some idea out there.

 

It was discussed here before, generally Euro 308s have one latch, US 308s have two latch it seems.

 

Please feel free to pm me if you feel your issue is similar to the one I faced several months ago.
It took us several hours to come up with a solution.

No problems since we fixed the first problem

 

Chaya,

A few questions.

If you pull the latch can you here any movement on either of the latches?

Do you have tools like a Philips screw driver, jack or lug nut wrench?

How mechanically inclined are you?

How deep down the rabbit hole do you want to go, or do you want to phone a friend?

 

Sorry. therefore I wrote IIRC. Have to admit, that I recalled wrong.
But I can blame my 308 GTB/GTS US-version parts book (161/78) for this
The diagram is not clear. One can see one single latch and the locking pin in the middle of the hood, just like the Euro version. But on the next page, the table, one can read 'two' per car.

Best Regards
Martin

 

Well this is really an aside but, the "serie 1" 328 (concave wheels) have one latch on the center; the "serie 2" (convex wheels) that can receive ABS have two latches, one each side, to free the center of the panel for the bigger brake fluid reservoir of the ABS.

Rgds

 

Bruno, this is interesting. I really wonder, why the Euro cars got the two latches so late, while the US cars came with them so early. Why did the US cars get the two latches at all? Has it something to do with the wobbling I experience at certain speeds?
If yes, why didn't the Euro cars get this design at the same time like the US cars?

Best Regards
Martin

 

Hello Martin,

I'm not sure I can answer this easily without researching the topic before; perhaps it has to do with regulations?
On the 328, it is really easy to see when you open the hood of a car with ABS that the large brake fluid reservoir would not have fitted on the same location than the small one of the car without ABS: it is much too big, therefore it has to go dead in the center, so you could not have a single latch system on the "serie 2" for which ABS was an option (in Europe; in the US, all MY 88 1/2 were delivered without it, all MY 89 have it)
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Excellent. Try this. Jack the drivers side up and remove the front wheel. There is an aluminum panel at the back of the wheel well. More then likely it will look like it is molded in by years of road grim. Remove the four (or five) screws and this will give you access to the back of the latch. If you are lucky it is detached here.

If is still attached you will probably have to fashion a cloths hanger to get to the latches were its probably frayed or come off. The passenger side panel will get you access to that side.

If you need pictures of whats behind the curtain I can get you some after work.

 

If my memory serves me well, and with all due précaution, etc...
The câble from the driver's opening toggle actions the driver's side latch, which in turn through another short câble, actions the passenger's side latch.
At least on my euro 328.

Rgds

 

^^ this
It sounds to me as if your release cable has broke and the emergency release cable is probably out of adjustment and not pulling both latches at the same time the same amount. I believe it is probably going to take a lot more pull effort to get this to unlatch with the emergency release cable. If it was me I would do it as you're not out anything more if it breaks also. ( always easy to play quarterback when you're standing on the sidelines awaiting the outcome Ha! ) but seriously that's what I would try. Good Luck.

 

This may or may not be the case with yours but years ago I had a cable that was stuck like yours (not a ferrari).

It turned out a portion of metal housing that the cable went though had worn away a point where the cable would "catch" on the housing.
Over the years the cable acted like a hacksaw bade biting deeper and deeper onto the housing.

I ended feeding a long small rubber hose into the cable (cable in the middle of the hose) and shoving the hose back and forth until I broke it loose where the cable was catching.

Again, I don't know if this the problem with yours or if there is room to run a hose through.

 

follow the cable housing all the way from latch to lever. I bet that is the problem - either it popped out of the cable stop or an issue like Tricycle is describing above!

 

Where is the release cable end at?

Haven't had this problem, yet. Just spit balling possible solutions. I replaced the cables on the engine cover a couple of years ago and noticed the leaver and the emergency pull only went to the drivers side and the passenger was the full run of the leaver. Which meant the passenger side only had one cable. I re-ran both cables to both releases. Haven't got to the front yet. FYI break cable from a bicycle shop makes a great replacement.

Wires are attached to what? Not sure what you mean by stuck.

 

Chaya,

I have an '81 GTSi so I guess the mechanism must be the same.
The way I see it ,one of two things might have happened. Either the latch was accidentally 'closed' before you shut the hood and you jammed it by pushing the hood forcibly down, or the problem lies in the release lever not pulling back.
I removed my wheel well cover to take these pics and also to see if there is some access to the mechanism. The only way seems to be from the dash. If you are able to remove the air con vent on the far left ( nearest the wheel) and push the duct aside you might be able to reach the latch !? ( its the duct on the right in the third pic) Might be a good idea to get one of these:
Flexible Portable LCD Video Borescope Pipe Inspection Camera | eBay

Hope this helps,
Nick.
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