can't get engine lid to open - it's open!

[Tessie McMillan]

Such elegant suggestions and problem-solving from this bunch. Thank 
you very much to all of you who responded with hints, BTDTS, and 
descriptions of how the cable system works. I am mighty grateful &:-))).

Once I got one side of the hood open, there was about a 1/16th inch of 
space between the hood and the front of the car over at the other side. I 
was able to insert one screwdriver in to create a space to peek through, 
and then used a longer screwdriver to slide the metal clip that creates 
tension against the hood spring/clip assembly. What a lot of redundancy! 
You have to release both sides, plus the center, all individually, before 
the hood will come up.

I'm still not sure why one side works and one side didn't; the side that 
isn't working well of course is the side that is obscured by the radiator 
cover.... One of you mentioned lubricant, so I tried greasing all the 
contact points I could find on the wire/clip side (in the car) and the 
spring side (in the hood). The cable piece is obscured below the radiator 
cover, so if it's this piece that has gotten sloppy, I can't see it yet.
In any case, I fashioned some wire coathanger and put it in with my 
toolbox in the trunk. I may be needing it again soon...

Thanks again, everyone! You'll be hearing from me again, as I have some
other "issues"....

Tess
in Bellevue, WA USA