Hood keeps popping open

[KDMatt]

This is getting obnoxious... and it's getting worse.

It used to be that every once and a while, whenever I would hit a hard bump or (gasp) a pothole (we have a TON every spring in MN), it would jar the car so hard that it would cause the hood to pop open... but now the triggers are becoming a bit less obvious...

On Monday I was driving to the boneyard, got off the freeway, and when I slowed down to get on the exit, it popped open.

Today I was accelerating onto the the freeway, and it popped open.

... and of course it still pops open every now and then as I hit a hard pothole.

'Seems like it's happening at least once a day.

Also, the hood is really hard to open too, in fact it looks like the bracket might be bent? ... are there any adjustments I can make that might help keep that sucker closed?

It's fun to have people turn heads as you drive by... but not because your hood is cracked open!

Thanks in advance!

[srbigbutt]

Mine pops open too also, but if i'm standing on the passenger side when I close it, it will stay closed. Kinda weird. If I close it standing on the driver side it pops open every time. Must be something that you can adjust, but I just always close it from the passenger side for now.

[=Enigma=]

Sounds like you have a worn out latch mechanism. Do you keep it lubed up? If not that that may have contributed to it's demise. Perhaps that or how often you pop open the hood and gawk at your engine bay.

[KDMatt]

Sounds like you have a worn out latch mechanism. Do you keep it lubed up? If not that that may have contributed to it's demise. Perhaps that or how often you pop open the hood and gawk at your engine bay.

Hrm, ok, so what's the right way to lube that thing?

[Lazeum]

You could also try to adjust it. There are 2 bolts on the hood for pin location + the pin height can be adjusted by untightening the nut that hold it.

To lube that pin, I sprayed WD40 on pin mechanism on the hood and on the mechanism on the firewall. I would also spray some into the cable hose for safety measure. It is probably not fun to brake the cable with the hood still close...

[gnosez]

The pin needs to be adjusted to the correct height. This is a trial and error project but once you get it right it should stay closed.

I would strongly suggest that you NOT turn the screw in (shorten it) too much as it could make it very hard to open. Make your adjustments in small increments. It's more likely your pin needs to be longer.

Also check your hood alignment, especially the position of your hood hinges.

It pops at highway speeds due to built up air pressure.

[five&dime]

Aren't you at least glad the hood pops in reverse? Or else you may need a new latch, hood and windshield

[gnosez]

If anyone doubts that air builds up in the engine bay, remove your hood latch and drive down the road. Around 40mph the hood will lift and unless you slow down will pop up so that it blocks your vision of the on-coming traffic.

[sblake01]

Why would anyone doubt that? Especially enough to test the theory?

[Curtis240Z]

maybe gnosez is talking from personal experience.....

[bigoak]

Makes for some sick Z racing too...

[Walter Moore]

Back to the question... My hood does that sometimes if I don't get it fully latched. It was worse when I first started driving the car however. Lengthening the hood latch post made the problem much less frequent. I suspect that another 1/4 turn might fix it all together.