So having issues with my hood latch. Last time the hood was popped was about a month ago for an oil change. Got a message on my dash stating that Coolant is Low (I live in WI and it's been cold so it's prob due to me blasting the heat more often). I know how to check & fill the coolant so I go to pop the hood and nothing happens...there's no resistance or that little pop that you normally feel. Took it back to the oil change place, they suggested a body shop. My normal mechanic pretty much only deals with brakes, tires, engine, exhaust, etc so they can't do anything. From what I've read up on other forums, the cable that triggers the locks is probably broken or loose, hence the no resistance. I'm going to take it into a shop on Monday but wondering if anyone has any ideas and what could be the issue or what the cost/difficulty/time of getting something like this fixed is?

 

If the cable broke you would feel a definite difference in how the release lever feels. If that still feels normal you may just need another set of hands. With one person pulling the release latch another can gently bang on the hood or take a screw driver wrapped in a cloth and try to pry the hood up. A weak spring (the one that cause the hood to "pop" upward), or if the secondary latch hasn't been lubed in a while and is sticking can cause the issue you are describing. Once you get it open make sure you clean the latch well with a spray solvent, let it dry, then lube with a spray white lithium grease. WD40, while good for the moment, doesn't stick around long and you will soon have the same or worse problem. Good luck!

 

Thanks for the tip! From what you said though, it sounds like my cable might be broken. It doesn't feel the same when I pull the latch, there's no "pop". I read on some other forums that you can try to pull the cover off of the latch release and see if you can grab the cable with a pliers. May look into it more before I take it into a shop on Monday. Thanks again :-)

 

The concept of pulling the cover at the release lever is valid if the cable is broken there. Usually when a cable breaks it is right at one end or the other, where the cam on the end is attached. It will be much easier if it broke inside the car than under the hood. It is actually a dual latch system. The greater possibility is that the end up by the hood latch is where is broke. More exposed to the elements, etc., is why. A quick google search turned up Underhood Latch Opening: 2002 Volvo S60 Hood Cable Is Broken Other... this explanation of how you can remove the grille to release the hood, but it certainly sounds like it is very helpful to have someone who knows exactly how to do it. Do you have a local Indy Volvo specialty shop?

 

You're right, the cable is broken off, inside the car. I tried pulling on the cable with a pliers to see if I could release the lock but I really couldn't get much traction. There's a bolt holding the latch cover in place that maybe I can find the right tool to undo so I could get at more of the cable. Thanks for the video! I'm inexperienced enough not to try removing the grill myself but will look into removing the cover. I included a pic and will enlist the help of a friend who has the same car as us (mine is also a 2002 2.4T). Otherwise there's an international auto repair shop in town that was recommended by the previously mentioned friend. They are only open when I usually work so I've got an hour long window for them to work on it. Hopefully won't be too complex for them. I'd go to a Volvo specialist but the closest one is 30 miles away & I'd rather not drive that far with the coolant light low. Luckily I don't have anywhere to be that I can't walk to this weekend!

 

Yeah, if you can remove that trim you should be able to get a good enough grip to pull the release. Use a vice grips to lock in the grip on the cable and put a small piece of wood or something down there to pry against so you can get enough leverage on it.

 

This ****ing website is a ****ing joke charge gazillions of dollars for a ****ing Volvo and you can't even get the hood open to change the oil or check the ****ing fluid what a ****ing joke

 

That's quite a way to revive a nearly 4 year old thread. Calm down.

 

Hey guys, here is my "forum-warming" gift, as a new member to the forum (and my first post here). I've had to deal with this issue twice now in less than 3 months, on my 2007 S60 I recently purchased used - for different reasons....once for stuck latches apparently (due to rust, corrosion, lack of lubrication, wear, etc.), and once for a broken hood release cable, which snapped at the end attached to the release handle. I spent hours upon hours trying to access and flip the driver's side latch from the bottom - from all angles - from under the car looking up, from the side, from the front - taking off the front spoiler, front grille, and front side fender (wheel lining and guard plates) - with an inspection camera, coat hangers, long screwdrivers, makeshift hooks - following the procedure officially (though not clearly) outlined by Volvo for alternative means to open the front hood/bonnet, and trying several ideas inspired by research online and some of my own. In the end, I caved in and brought it to a nearby body shop (after none of the local mechanics I trusted, including Volvo specialists, wanted anything to do with it. Apparently the guy I left it with had some experience with this before, which gave me the confidence to hand over the task to him. Within no more than an hour, he had it open. The solution, or workaround - which I've repeated several times without fail, having not completely fixed the underlying issue, and then with the added setback of a the broken hood release cable, is as follows.....

You'll need 2 people for this procedure, first of all...That is a prerequisite. Any two people capable of exerting a minimal amount of force will be sufficient. The second prerequisite is to make sure you're aware of the approximate locations of the two latches that are responsible for holding the front hood/bonnet locked shut. On my S60, and I think most P2 Volvos, those two latches are at the very front of the hood/engine bay, at or just beyond the right and leftmost sides of the front grille. With these prerequisites in order, here is the simple procedure that will work reliably....

1 person must pull on the hood release cable (running from driver seat compartment thru engine bay to the initial hood latch on driver's side), whether that involves pulling the release handle with cable attached, as if you were opening the hood under normal circumstances.....if it's broken you should be able to find some bare section of wire to pull on, by looking up from underneath into the engine compartment, and can even pull it with the right type of pliers while you're upgright again next to the vehicle.

Simultaneously, the 2nd person must push down on the hood in short "bursts" with hands positioned in the approximate location above where the two latches are. The force doesn't need to be extreme or violent, but should atleast be "assertive". With only 1 or two pushes, the hood will pop open, when combined with the pulling force from the release cables.

That's it. Hope this helps some others out there, who are or will be facing the issue. Cheers!

 

what are the steps to open the hood on a 2014 S60?

are they the same as above or different?

 

Trust me I felt the same way when this happened, but it doesn't help the situation or get it fixed to lose your cool.