Open hood without latch cable

[ncgbrown]

So just finished my serpentine belt, valve cover gasket maintenance - dropped the hood and forgot that I had detached the hood release cable. I see some threads that folks go from underneath - but I see no clearance for that.

Others say you can remove the front grille. Can anyone tell me how the tabs work so I can break as little as possible?

2004 S4 B6

[badger.]

lol this just happened to me today (hood release cable fell out actually). tabs on the grill just snap in to the hood around the outside. Just kinda pushed the top the down and pulled out and work your way around. I can grab a pic tomorrow if no one else has one handy.

[REVOofRustler]

I just had to do this because my release cable siezed!

Take a rag and a large flat head screwdriver (trim removal tools may work better if you have them). Start at the top of the grille near a corner and press the screwdriver, covered by the rag, in between the hood and the grille. Take your time and pry the the top of the grille out. The chrome trim is held onto the grille by small tabs that can break, but if you get it right, the whole thing will come out as one piece. Once the top of the grille is undone, you can just wiggle the bottom of it out.

Once the grille is out, there are four 10mm nuts you can reach with a wrench. These hold the latch mechanism to the hood. You'll probably have to loosen them all a bit at a time so that you can gradually move the hood up until they're all off. It takes a bit of patience to get them off, but it's certainly doable.

Edit: For what it's worth, I did break a few of the clips on the chrome trim, but it still stays on fine, and doesn't look any different.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Audizine mobile app

[ncgbrown]

Thanks for the suggestions. I had a set of trim removal tools so I started to move around from the top of the grille. But as we are prying it open I am able to see that we are bending/breaking the clips that are holding the grille in place. Should I continue? Can I repair these clips?

[Nollywood]

This has always been a major worry with the B6 - seized, or snapped hood release cables.

I have reduced this risk in my own car, by installing a second hood release cable, for a LHD set-up. My car is RHD, so I now have release cables and levers on both sides of the car. The actual latch assembly is common to both LHD and RHD, and has cable attachments on both sides.

[neilpaku]

You can remove the grille - just work slowly and carefully. I worked from the top I think, then out to the side. I pushed it back in a couple of times to loosen it before removing it for real. Once you have it off, you can put some lube on the tabs "for next time". My 2004 has three nuts attaching the latch loop to the hood. Took about ten minutes to get them off, most of the time turning the most hidden one, one flat at a time. But what's ten minutes : )
I briefly looked at the "poke a stick up from underneath" method but I knew it wasn't going to work except by luck so the three nuts method seemed the best for me. I'd do it again no question.

[badger.]

here is a shitty pic of the grill tabs. one of my side ones is busted off, grill stays in just fine. note the grill is "upside down" in this pic
green are tabs
blue are 3 nuts that hold latch to hood

[ncgbrown]

Thanks. I was able to get the grille off and hood open. I did break a couple of tabs in the process but it seem no worse for wear. Gees, it took me about 3 hours to get that rear bolt out with the wrench I had.

[badger.]

Thanks. I was able to get the grille off and hood open. I did break a couple of tabs in the process but it seem no worse for wear. Gees, it took me about 3 hours to get that rear bolt out with the wrench I had.

Yeah it feels like it takes forever at 1/8turn or less at a time. My biggest problem is a regular 10mm wrench is too short to hold from outside the hood so it makes it ever harder to even get the wrench on for each turn. Good to hear you got it off though.

[neilpaku]

I duct-taped a stick to my 10mm wrench and had that back nut off in less than ten minutes for all three.