# How do I open the hood when the latch cable isn't working **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** civic, honda\ **Created:** [July 21, 2012, 9:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-do-i-open-the-hood-when-the-latch-cable-isnt-working/73667 "2012-07-21T21:04:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SClayton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@SClayton](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SClayton)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2012, 9:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-do-i-open-the-hood-when-the-latch-cable-isnt-working/73667/1 "2012-07-21T21:04:15Z")
My son’s 2007 Honda Civic coupe hood won’t open. There’s no resistance when pulling the hood release. Either the cable is broken or disconnected from the latch. I poked around with screwdrivers, long drill bits and a 2 iron. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2012, 9:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-do-i-open-the-hood-when-the-latch-cable-isnt-working/73667/2 "2012-07-21T21:06:10Z")
Call a local body shop. They usually have someone who knows how to get around the problem. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2012, 11:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-do-i-open-the-hood-when-the-latch-cable-isnt-working/73667/3 "2012-07-21T23:39:50Z")
Yep. Worse case you cut a hole in the hood. Try to access from underneath or first unless you know the cable is broken, have one person pull up on the hood while another pulls the release and bang on it a little. Sometimes the cable is intact and the latch is just gummed up. ---
**Author:** ![MG-McAnick](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mg-mcanick/32/188_2.png) [@MG-McAnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MG-McAnick)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 2:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-do-i-open-the-hood-when-the-latch-cable-isnt-working/73667/4 "2012-07-22T02:17:47Z")
Don’t try to go in through the top. You’ll just mess up the hood and the header panel. SAFELY jack it up and support it with jack stands, scoot under it and look up. You should be able to see the bottom of the latch and get to it with a long screw driver or prybar. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![RemcoW](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/remcow/32/2471_2.png) [@RemcoW](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RemcoW)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 2:42am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-do-i-open-the-hood-when-the-latch-cable-isnt-working/73667/5 "2012-07-22T02:42:33Z")
It is likely broken near the lever on the inside of the cabin as that is where it usually breaks. You can’t grab a hold of whatever is left under the dashboard, I take it? On our Integra, the cable runs along a well behind the inner fender. I suspect a Civic is very similar. The inner fender is really just a piece of plastic you can remove by removing a bunch of clips. Maybe you can gain access to it, then strip back the outer shield to the cable to then yank the inner cable. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 6:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-do-i-open-the-hood-when-the-latch-cable-isnt-working/73667/6 "2012-07-22T06:01:20Z")
> **[How to Release a Broken Civic Hood](https://itstillruns.com/release-broken-civic-hood-7937762.html)** > > The hood release mechanism in a Honda Civic is located behind the vehicle's front grille. A hood release cable runs from this mechanism to the hood release lever inside the vehicle. When this cable breaks, you can't open the hood using the hood... Tester