1989 Fleetwood Hood Won't Open-RESOLVED

[Cadillac Fleetwood]

The hood on my C-body 1989 Fleetwood will not open. I suspect the cable, since when I pull on the handle, the cable is pulled the full extent of the travel of the handle, and nothing happens.

Removing the front grille, I hoped to access the hood latch and trip it.  I only obtained access to the secondary catch.  I have a replacement cable assembly but can't install it unless I get the hood open. It seems inconceivable that GM would have designed a car where this condition could not be remedied.  Section 2C-2 of the FSM deals with the hood latch and radiator tie bar, but provides no guidance on this. Any ideas how to get the hood open?

Charles Fares

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

I could say to look for a car thief, as they would have expertise in opening these, or a Tow Truck Driver, but the factory made it harder for thieves to get into the engine bar from the outside.

But, I have found that if you can see from underneath, there should be a way of manipulating the primary catch with a ling screw driver or hook.

Bruce.

[V63]

Yes, (C body = RWD?) if the handle still retracts after pulling it is not broken.

(one person method) fully pull the hood release handle, simultaneously pull the seat belt male portion on door sill, (you are positioned just outside the car)!

There is a square hole in the chrome plate of male seatbelt, place it over the extended release handle to hold it extended...push the belt into the retractor to hold the hood release full open. THEN  proceed to front of car and lightly bump your fist (like Fonzie) along  the hood line around the latch . Mindful not to dent it!

When you find the sweet spot ...The hood will just pop up!

I’ve always had success with that! 😀

[Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621]

C body Fleetwood is FWD in 1989. RWD is D body.

[V63]

Still might work .... so long as the release handle is fixed extended 🙏

[TJ Hopland]

Holding the handle in the release position is a good idea and these cars the hood isn't dropping into a recess so you can get a grip on the front and pull up. 

I have my 90 in the garage at the moment,  I will go take a peek and see if I see any ways to get to the latch from the outside.   I'm pretty sure there is no gap or removable cover between the bumper and radiator.  Going from memory its pretty tight up there so any access would have to be through the grill which would kinda be a security flaw.

[TJ Hopland]

Not sure if 89 and 90 are the same or not.  I just had a look at my 90 and it is open between the bumper and core support.   I think there was a plastic cover down there but its something that can be easily removed.    Problem is I don't think removing it would do any good.    The latch is actually just in front of the radiator but above the AC condenser.   On mine the condenser is missing and even with that advantage it still looks like it would be difficult to access. 

I didn't have a light with me this time but when I go back out later I will look with the light through the grill and see if I could imagine any sort of improvised tool you could use to poke at it but in the dark it didn't look likely plus with my condenser missing that could really change things not to mention an 89 could be different. 

[Cadillac Fleetwood]

TJ,
Thanks for your input.  The 1989 and 1990 are the same.  I phoned the local Cadillac dealer - the dealership from whom my family has purchased Cadillacs since 1955 - and they could offer no advice, stating that they don't work on cars this old.  My boss referred me to his Chevrolet dealership, who could provide no guidance other than that they could get the hood open for $300.00, and they would need the car half the day.

-Charles Fares

[TJ Hopland]

I would be inside around the lever trying to verify that the cable is broken.   If it is I would think you would be able to pull the inner wire out from inside.   If its not broke then like was suggested have someone hold or find a way to prop the lever in the release position and then go push bang pull on the front of the hood. 

If the cable is broke then I don't have any idea.   Maybe if you didn't have the condenser in the way you could reach up from underneath and get to the mechanism but I don't see any way to do it with the condenser there.    I will try and post a couple pics later,  maybe someone will have some ideas.

[Jamurray]

I've only heard of one other case, but it was a problem with an older Corvette. It has to be more common, however. I haven't taken my own advice, but avoid the same problem, maybe install an emergency release mechanism that most people would never think to look for in front of the AC condenser where it can be found under the front bumper or fascia. The idea won't help you but it has merit in preventing a future issue.

I will let you know if I ever get around to actually following my own advice.

[TJ Hopland]

Here are the pics.   Hopefully will help and will be the last good that car did since it got hauled off to the junkyard a couple days ago.   What the latch bolts to is a sort of T shaped tubular sort of structure.   The bottom of the T part darn near touches the condenser so no access from the front if the condenser is there.   

The bolts for the latch face the rear of the car and the assembly is on the rear side of that structure.  The cable goes between radiator and condenser then around the radiator near the battery and heads along the shock tower to the dash.  Maye you could remove the grill and hack the condenser out to get access?  I can't really think of any other way if the cable is for sure no longer connected.

[TJ Hopland]

The black part with the stickers is the radiator.   Under the gray structural part is the condenser.   In front of the condenser on the right is a trans cooler then on the left is a short snake of line that acts as the power steering cooler but I think if you were going to sacrifice the condenser you could work around those.   

Did the AC work?  If not due to loss of pressure that would be good if you were going to hack into the condenser.

[chrisntam]

So how is the cable routed?

Interior kick panel to firewall to on top of (?) fenderwell to radiator brace area?

Is it possible to take out the fenderwell, or at least loosen it so the cable is exposed?

Just thinking out loud here.

Is the cable good from the pull handle to the firewall?

That's gotta be frustrating.

[chrisntam]

Can you snake a camera up near the latch to see how the cable is interacting with the latch mech?

[TJ Hopland]

Unibody car with struts so nothing is coming apart fender wise. 

You can see in my photo where the cable and moving part of the mechanism is which is facing the rear of the car behind the main body of the latch assembly which is I would stay at least 12" back from the grille. 

I would say no chance of getting any sort of bore scope at it from under the brace because of the condenser.  Maybe if you had just the right type of camera and knew how to use it you could maybe sneak it in under the hood but its a decent distance and not a straight shot.

[76eldo]

Charles

Try to get someone to press down on the hood as you pull the cable repeatedly.
Sometimes the latch gets stuck. If the cable was broken it would feel very different.

[harvey b]

Yo could take it to one of the quickie lube places for an oil change,dont tell them whats wrong and let the guys there try it. its possible the latch is sticky from lack of use,they do get hard to open from time to time.Its going to be a 2 man job. Good Luck  Harveyb

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Go back and look at what I wrote in reply no. 1.

These guys will have it open in a blink of the eye.

Bruce.

[Cadillac Fleetwood]

Thanks, everyone, for your comments and insights, and especially TJ for the photos.  I spent part of the past weekend trying to access he primary latch through the grille area, and from each of the sides, through the cornering lamp openings.  It seems that the plastic part that holds the cable sheath to the radiator support has broken, and that the cable end with the ball on it has come out of the latch.  So there is a cable that is doing nothing.

I talked with the body shop manager of a Chevrolet dealer, who told me they will get the hood open, and install my NOS GM hood release cable assembly for $150, and I am going to do that.  He mentioned that the car needed to be on a lift, which lends credence to Tassie's suggestion.  The AAA tow truck drivers these days are "doofuses" and most don't know their a**es from a hole in the ground.  In fact, the AAA dispatcher told me that if a driver went on a call for a car that won't start (i.e. to jump start it or replace the battery) and the hood won't open, they are to advise the owner the car must be towed to a repair facility and aren't required to do anything other than pulling the release handle.

My AC still has R12 and works perfectly, so I am not willing to compromise the AC system to access the latch.

-Charles Fares

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

.........  The AAA tow truck drivers these days are "doofuses" and most don't know their a**es from a hole in the ground.  In fact, the AAA dispatcher told me that if a driver went on a call for a car that won't start (i.e. to jump start it or replace the battery) and the hood won't open, they are to advise the owner the car must be towed to a repair facility and aren't required to do anything other than pulling the release handle. -Charles Fares

G'day Charles,

Sounds like your AAA people aren't as well-trained as the Royal Auto Club people down here, but then, out fleet of vehicles are averaging about 25 years old, so they have plenty of opportunity to "play" with older vehicles.

Bruce.

PS.   Looks like GM did a good job at preventing thieves and unauthorised people from opening the hoods.