!!!hood Latch Problem! Urgent!!!

[BigAirSkier1580]

Alright, so my god damn car seems to be retarded when it gets cold. The rear hatch struts never work when it is cold.

And I've had minor issues with the hood latch in the past, but all I needed to do was push down real firmly. Almost kind of punch it, and it would latch shut.

Today, it won't latch properly. PERIOD. It won't stay closed properly. I tried spraying the latch mechanism with Silicone spray, but it didn't seem to do anything. The release inside the car feels loose, but the cable still actuates the latch mechanism though.

I don't know what the hell to do. And I need a fix for it tonite, because I can't drive I'm worried to drive anywhere really.

Any ideaS?

PS - This is on a '95 TSi AWD if it makes any difference.

 

[2GeNTSi]

If you don't want to get a new latch maybe invest in some hood pins??? That's all I can think of.

I had the opposite problem, mine wouldn't open when I pulled on the latch inside the car. I felt like an idiot who couldn't pop their hood open. I had to keep walking back and forth, pulling the hood release and then pulling up on the hood to see if it unlatched itself. After a couple of tries it would work USUALLY but sometimes I did it for a minute or more. And then I decided to spray some WD40 on the mechanism and now it actually pops up a bit on its' own.

 

[luv2rallye]

Did you try adjusting the latches height?

 

[Defiant]

The rear hatch struts never work when it is cold.

They're gas struts. They're a decade old. Besides leaking, gas shrinks and pressure drops when cold. Replace to fix.

Today, it won't latch properly. PERIOD. It won't stay closed properly. I tried spraying the latch mechanism with Silicone spray, but it didn't seem to do anything. The release inside the car feels loose, but the cable still actuates the latch mechanism though.

It's not closing. Check for alignment, make sure it's not missing a spring. Sounds like the lube in your cable is seizing up with the cold. You could try WD-40 instead of just silicone.