Hood occasionally "pops open". Very annoying/embarrassing

[99BLKRT/10]

Hood occasionally \"pops open\". Very annoying/embarrassing

I can never catch it in the act. It's pretty embarrassing driving down the road with my hood partially popped open. It will be in that first "click" position when you usually pull the hood lever halfway down (passenger side popping up). This happens to me about 30% of my Viper trips. Is there anyway to adjust the hood so that it doesn't pop open so easily? It looks like I'm driving a Viper that has been wrecked and badly repaired whenever this happens.

 

[1TONY1]

Re: Hood occasionally

Try adjusting the latches on both sides. They adjust vertically, two bolts in each. They may need to come up...barely.

 

[ViperJohn]

Re: Hood occasionally

My hood came unlatched once. It looked like the car was winking. Make sure you pull up on the upper wheel well openings after closing to make sure the latches engaged. Since I had my incident, I check them religiously.

 

[99BLKRT/10]

Re: Hood occasionally

Try adjusting the latches on both sides. They adjust vertically, two bolts in each. They may need to come up...barely.

So do you think that there might be too much tension on the latches? If so, I guess this adjustment would allow "less" tension on the latches.

I'll give this a try but I guess I won't find out until I drive my Viper around a bit.

Thanks!

 

[1TONY1]

Re: Hood occasionally

We did this Friday on a car that didn't want to latch every time. Mark/scripe the current location so you will have a reference point and that way you can put it back if need be. ViperJohn had a good idea.....do that too.....if it is latched when you close it, it should not pop up. I was thinking it was not latching all the time.

 

[95Viper]

Re: Hood occasionally

You might also have the rubber bumpers out too far, thus not allowing the latches to properly catch. Take a piece of paper and stick it over the rubber bumper. Shut the hood. You should be able to forcefully pull out the paper. If it comes out too easy, they need to be raised. If it can't come out at all, need to be lowered. At the same time, watch the corner of the hood. Don't adjust it to where the corner bumps against the headlight. If this happens, move up the latch and start over again with the bumpers. Marking the latch first is a great idea.

 

[Fishtail]

Re: Hood occasionally

I experienced the same problem. It bothered me for a while....drove me nuts!

All I had to do was adjust the rubber stops. The hood didn't have enough travel to engage all the way down. No more problem

-Lou

 

[dansauto]

Re: Hood occasionally

I experienced the same problem. It bothered me for a while....drove me nuts!

All I had to do was adjust the rubber stops. The hood didn't have enough travel to engage all the way down. No more problem

-Lou

yes!!! this is probably the problem.

 

[DG Viper]

Re: Hood occasionally

You might also have the rubber bumpers out too far, thus not allowing the latches to properly catch. Take a piece of paper and stick it over the rubber bumper. Shut the hood. You should be able to forcefully pull out the paper. If it comes out too easy, they need to be raised. If it can't come out at all, need to be lowered. At the same time, watch the corner of the hood. Don't adjust it to where the corner bumps against the headlight. If this happens, move up the latch and start over again with the bumpers. Marking the latch first is a great idea.

Man... what a great post! I like that paper idea. I'll have to check mine. My left front corner just barely nips the headlight - so it sounds like I might want to make a small adjustment.

 

[slaughterj]

Re: Hood occasionally

All the information above is good. Whenever I close my hood, I always push down above the mechanisms which are attached under the hood (about 12-18 in from the front lip), and I always pull up on the wheel wells on each side to confirm it is locked into position. You can also lightly pull up simultaneously on the wheel well and the naca duct to see if one side is lose - I had that happen recently and had to make some adjustments for better locking. To do those adjustments, first try out adjusting the round rubber bumpers, then perhaps adjust the front latching mechanisms themselves.

 

[95Viper]

Re: Hood occasionally

DG Viper, If your corner barely nips the headlight when closed, imagine what it is doing when the hood shuts...it almost has to hit. Do the paper trick
- If it is impossible to pull out, mark the latch and move up, adjust the rubber bumper accordingly with the paper again.
- If it easily pulls out, adjust the bumper up until it can forcefully be pulled out...then check clearance of light.