How can I open the hood of my 2001 Toyota Tacoma p/u truck when the hood release latch in the cab doesn’t release the main latch?
Try having someone hold the hood release up while you knock on the hood right where the hood release is, maybe while also trying to lift the hood. This may coax a stuck latch open, and has worked for me in the past. Once open, soak the latch down with a good spray lithium lube. Do not use WD-40. WD-40 will wash away any remaining grease, will work for only a week or so, and leave you in this place again once it evaporates. Also, look for obvious signs of wear and damage, like bent metal and broken springs.
BustedKnuckles: Thanks for the tip; I used a cloth to hold the release catch open in the cab and tapped on the “U” shaped bar that is attached to the hood itself; nothing seemed to happen and then I went in the cab, took out the cloth and lifted the release catch again, and viola - it worked and I got it open; didn’t have a lithium spray, but found an old tube of “door ease” lubricant; that plus a few drops of 5-30 weight work for now until I can pick up the spray.