How to Fix a Hood Latch on Ford Contour

When a hood latch breaks, most people don't give it a second thought -- that is, until it comes time to pop the hood for a problem. Then it's a giant pain to get the hood open, and after a lot of fist shaking, it finally comes open, just in time for the problem to stop happening. Fixing a hood latch on a Contour can be done fairly easily, with the right tools and little bit of time.

Instructions

1

Open the hood on the car using the hood pop. If the hood pop is broken or won't release the hood, reach through the grille using a long flat-head screwdriver to access the latch body and push the lever over manually.

2

Unbolt the hood latch from the core support using the 3/8-inch ratchet, sockets, and the open-end wrenches.

3

Unclip the pull cable from the hood pull from the latch using the screwdriver. There is a keyed area for the cable to slide through to make it easier.

4

Insert the hood pull into the replacement hood latch using your hands.

5

Reinstall the latch on the core support using the 3/8-inch ratchet, sockets and the open-end wrenches.

6

Test the hood pull from the inside of the car, latching it using the screwdriver, and making sure it still works. If it does, close the hood and test again.