# Hood cable?

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/hood-cable/53911>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** f250, ford\
**Created:** [August 21, 2010, 3:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hood-cable/53911 "2010-08-21T15:17:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![bogie5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/94ad74/32.png) [@bogie5](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bogie5)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2010, 3:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hood-cable/53911/1 "2010-08-21T15:17:19Z")

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The hood won’t latch on my 97 F250. I think it’s the cable. There is no tension when I pull on it. Help!!

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**Author:** ![jayhawkroy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/jayhawkroy/32/33_2.png) [@jayhawkroy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jayhawkroy)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2010, 3:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hood-cable/53911/2 "2010-08-21T15:31:38Z")

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I assume you can open the hood right now? If so, start at the hood latch at the front of the vehicle. Clean and lube it, see what parts are/are not moving or are broken. Go from there and work back to the cable. There is a fairly good chance that the cable is not the problem, but something in the latch mechanism itself. Rule that out first.

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**Author:** ![bogie5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/94ad74/32.png) [@bogie5](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bogie5)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2010, 7:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hood-cable/53911/3 "2010-08-21T19:21:06Z")

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Yes that was the first thing I did I cleaned the latch area. Had my son hold the hood lstch open when I put the hood down and no change. The latch itself moves with no problem. I can move it with a screw driver.

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**Author:** ![jayhawkroy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/jayhawkroy/32/33_2.png) [@jayhawkroy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jayhawkroy)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2010, 10:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hood-cable/53911/4 "2010-08-21T22:24:24Z")

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Does the wire inside the hood latch cable move if you try to push it back or pull it? It may be bound up, or the part of the hood latch that is supposed to pull back on the cable and bring it back into position for the next un-latch is suspect.

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**Author:** ![bogie5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/94ad74/32.png) [@bogie5](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bogie5)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2010, 11:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hood-cable/53911/5 "2010-08-21T23:33:17Z")

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I tried to pull the cable from inside the truck. Maybe it is bound up between the cab and the latch. Thanks.