To celebrate my newly installed 12V battery, I decided to do a quick check under the hood only to find that the release cable has failed. I could feel slack at the interior lever and nothing apparently happens at the hood latch, although pushing the hood down after I pull the lever produces a faint 'click' so something is moving. My guess is that it detached from the latch end or the cable stretched. I'd had enough for the day, so first step tomorrow is to give the cable a good tug with pliers near the interior lever. I didn't find much on the forum, but did find a YouTube video with a method for triggering the release on the C, which involves removing the bumper cover and other parts. I also found a procedure for an older (regular) Prius, using a stick through the front grill to push the small spring and tab. I'll try that first. Any other advice or tips would be greatly appreciated. I'd love to avoid a trip the dealer for this. Thanks.
You may have a broken hood latch spring, I had replaced one on a Gen 2 not long ago.. less than $2 at the dealership... Have someone helping you by pulling hood latch release from inside your vehicle while you pull up the hood... See if that works, good luck! Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
I followed this advice from Leadfoot J. McCoalroller shared in March 2020: “If you've got a helper available, have someone gently press down on the front lip of the hood while you pull the release. Sometimes that can help. Either way you'll want to clean/lubricate/adjust that latch before closing the hood again.” First thing I tried and it did the trick. 3 min fix. No tools needed. Now I’m really back in business! Thanks, Leadfoot!
