# Hood safety latch

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/hood-safety-latch/56453>\
**Category:** Safety\
**Tags:** safety, toyota, camry\
**Created:** [October 16, 2010, 5:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hood-safety-latch/56453 "2010-10-16T17:54:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![harveyw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e19adc/32.png) [@harveyw](https://community.cartalk.com/u/harveyw)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 5:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hood-safety-latch/56453/1 "2010-10-16T17:54:10Z")

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My hood safety latch is binding. It won’t return to its closed position. A very good mechanic lubricated it and even heated it with a small torch, all to no avail.

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**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 6:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hood-safety-latch/56453/2 "2010-10-16T18:02:22Z")

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A very good mechanic would have fixed it.

A hood latch is a pretty basic mechanical device unassociated with other systems and components other than the relase cable and its mounting. I’m bewildered as to why he was unable to remove and repair the latch mechanism.

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**Author:** ![harveyw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e19adc/32.png) [@harveyw](https://community.cartalk.com/u/harveyw)\
**Post date:** [October 16, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/hood-safety-latch/56453/3 "2010-10-16T21:22:18Z")

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He didn’t fix it only because we didn’t have the time that day for him to do it right. But I guess I am looking for a lubricant that will work on the little shaft that the safety latch pivots on. Would plain old penetrating oil work or would there be a reason not to use it?