Originally Posted by
SIcivic99
there has to be a cable, how else would the release in the car trigger the hood to open? When I pull on the release you can see it moving the silver metal latch that opens the hood, but it just moves it a little and it doesn't pull it up all the way like it should. I guess there is no easy way to fix this, I'm going to have to rip the front bumper off and see what the problem is. I'm in desperate need of changing my oil. I wonder if I have to buy a cable from honda parts or if it is something i can just pick up anywhere?
Some cars (dunno if any hondas but neither here nor there) have a button that activates a motor that pops the hood latch, similar to how the trunk release works on many cars.
You should be able to get on the ground and use a vice grip to pull the cable so that the hood opens. Using a flashlight helps.
If the space is too tight for the vice grip you could try your hand (wear a glove)
If you get ahold of the cable under the car and pulling really hard doesn't get the hood open it could be the latch itself or something to do with the alignment of the latch and the hook as a result of the accident.
Good luck.
Edit: Several years ago had a
very minor front end bump into a pickup with my '90 Prelude after I was smashed in the side by a van that ran a stop sign. Despite only a small dent in the middle front of the hood and a missing license plate the hood wouldn't open
I never got a chance to fix it, the car was totalled so I just let 'em take it as it was.
All I lost was about $20 worth of "goodies" under the hood and it was parked in deep snow so it wasn't worth the trouble (to me).