QuestionQUESTION: my 89 jeep cherokee's hood is stuck. the cable release pulls out but does not disengage the latch. i believe it is rusted and it may be the latch nearst the battery on the passenger side (r). i opened it about 6 mos ago and the cable release pulled hard but did release those latches. the battery is dead and has been over 1 year since it ran. my mechanical skills are limited, i do have access to some tools. can i get some oil/lube up there to work on the corrosion i suspect? trying to avoid towing/shop.
thank you.
ANSWER: The cable probably just broke. What you need to do is get under the car, reach up past the radiator to the latch, and release it by hand. The ideal thing would be to find someone with a similar Jeep, and get them to let you look under the hood at the latch. Once you've got an idea what's going on under there, releasing the latch should be pretty easy. Then you can either repair it properly or rig a wire or rope to pull from outside the truck to release it again in the future. This isn't a big deal, but you need to be able to visualize the latch to get at it and release it. Good luck.
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QUESTION: Thanks for your quick response. I need to clarify my question. i believe the problem is with the latch at the right corner of the hood (maybe both). i have already tried the remedy you spoke of and find the corners are not letting go. i have a 98 jeep cherokee also, and see these latches are two prong, with a catch, located on Right/Left corners under the hood. they latch down on a U shape steel rod that is screwed down to the metal plate. the cable runs from the hood release up to what would be the (left side) when the driver is seated, through the 1st catch, and then to the center latch (finger operated), then on to the second corner latch on the (right) pasenger side of the hood. when the hood is shut, these latches (one on either corner, nearest the front of the hood) will not release the hood enough to allow me to access to the center latch for the final release. i am quessing i will still need to get under the jeep, and try to hook the catch on the latch if it is possible, unless you have anther suggestion. Thanks for your patience...
Answer OK, I see the problem, but I don't have a good solution. If it's releasing at all, you should be able to pop it up far enough to get at that center safety latch. Have you tried poking around under there with a slim-jim (door lock tool)? I blame the French. When Renault owned American Motors and Jeep they designed the Cherokee. Rumor has it that their Formula 1 guy worked on the chassis design, which may be why it has a terrific chassis and great off-road handling. But the guys who did the details, like the cooling system and the hood latches and the charging system, must have been released inmates from the automotive foreign legion. Look at the other crazy cars they tried to sell before Chrysler bought them out and canceled most of them; none of them worth a damn except for the R5 Turbo.
