Long time no post, but I digress...

My hood releases just fine, but the latch doesn't pop shut, so when I slam the hood it won't latch. I can push it back into the proper position to get it to latch, with a flat blade, or better yet, a knife blade. I sprayed lube on the latch, no help. Anyone know how, if at all, to lube the release cable?
Anyone dealt with this problem?

thanks,
Ian

 

Just had the problem myself and sprayed the latch down with white lithium grease noe the hood shuts and stays shut just dropping it one inch.

 

About once a month or when ever I clean my engine I always use Lithium grease on all the latches and hinges and all the cables under the hood. Check your latch spring too and make sure it's not weak. Mike

 

Yep me too! Had the same problem, I greased up the latch good, and it worked like a champ

 

Same story with me as above.

 

same thing here, every once in awhile if i haven't opened the hood in awhile it won't close shut, i'm just gonna live with it, only takes a second to get the spring to move down with a flathead screwdriver

 

Any tip on lubing the cable itself?

 

Ice runner here..... master tech back on the attack... solveing "hood latch" issues for every 4 runner out out there....oh yea!!!!

Here is the deal. I had the same exact issue and i was ready to buy a new assembly....Cracked my ORIGINAL oem bug defelector trying to close my hood for the 10000th time.... that pissed me off real bad.

Believe it or not that thing has/can have TOO much grease/ oil on it.
So instead of grabbing and locking, the exessive grease, grime and dirt makes it so it won't catch.... the assembly just slides and slops around and you my friend may will just add more grease....thinking it will help free it up... it won't.

For some odd ball reason when the hood latch assembly is loaded up with TOO much penetrant/ grease It won't latch it just bounces up and down, and just slides around like a little jagoff that it is.

first off, don't just live with that hood latch BS:
Steps to restoring your sanity
1) Unbolt of the entire latch assembly (with springs) and soak (or scrub if necessary) it for 15 minutes in purple degreaser (or similar)
2) Rinse it well with water
3) Apply a LIGHT ammount of WD-40
4) Re assemble it, close the hood and BAM, just like new and it will work great 100% of the time
Now If that dosent work and the assembly is bent or trashed too much,
worst case: just buy a new oem assembly for about $50.00,
good luck