Hi, This old Pontiac 6000LE runs perfect but now I cant open the hood, as the cable broke. Is there a way to open it from the front? I have been going crazy as I gotta get to the battery to charge it... Any suggestion will be appreciated. Thanks, Eric. snipped-for-privacy@webtv.net
I don't know if this will work, but I'll mention it anyway. My 1988 Pontiac
6000 (2.5L with 125k miles - garnet red) on occasion although not frequently, the hood will not loosen up when I pull the hood release. What I do is get a long flat-head screw driver and stick under the front of the hood where the lever is to open the hood. (Slightly to the left of the center when you're looking at the front if it's located the same place mine is.) When I do this, I can normally get it to pop loose so I can open it up.Nice to see your's runs great because mine does not. I'll trade you. ; )
Greetings: We too have a 6000le (Wagon, 87) and I have seen this prob on a lot of vehicles. The cable can and does strech, or will flat out break somewhere within the cable sheath, where you can't see it. One ole redneck solution I've seen, and used, is a pair of vice grips. If you can find a location of cable where you can get at it, pull the inner, (steel cable, not plastic covering) using the vicegrips. I just leave the small pair of vicegrips permantly locked on to the end of the cable where it broke off when that was inside passenger compartment. It will often break near stress points, attachment points. And one of the most common is right under the dash. If so, you are lucky, just grab ahold of the broken end of wire, (cable) and PULL! It will more likely than not pop the hood. If, on the other hand, the break is someplace else, you are gonna have to work a little harder to get at it. Once you DO get it open, by whatever means, you have two choices: FIX it, (the right way) OR the REDNECK way... IE: The cheap pair of (off brand) vicegrips. Then find, and/or run the broken end of cable to someplace you can keep the vicegrips, and can get to when you need to. Not elegant solution, true. Who said rednecks are elegant? (Heck, we cain't even spell elegant!) If worst comes to worst, you may need to pop hood some other way, and replace the existing cable with a wire of some sort that you can pull later to open. A cheap 'choke/throttle' cable meant for replacment on lawnmowers can serve, if it's long enough to reach. Use the one you took off your lawn mower's safety stop deal. You know, the one that keeps stopping the motor everytime you have to stop to pick up a stick. I know that about 50% of people disable or remove that one, and it's better quality that the throttle cable on same lawnmower is 99% of the time! Look around, someone has one of those laying around. I have 4 or
5 myself. (Salvaged, not from MY mower! My kids use it) Good luck: Junkmansnipped-for-privacy@webtv.net wrote:
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