Hood Latch Doesn't Work

[Carl Carpenter]

The hood latch release cable has become disconnected from the hood latch mechanism on my 2007 Murano. I can easily slide the cable in and out and rotate it 360 degrees by hand when it's detached from the release lever. Pulling on the cable has no effect on the mechanism. There is no clearance through the front grille or from under neath the bumper to access the latch. It appears my only option is to cut an access hole in the center of the grille where the Nissan emblem is located. I didn't find any related posts when searching the forum and would appreciate any ideas or suggestions to fix this problem.

[VStar650CL]

There's no easy way to do that. We usually end up using a collection of swivels and wobbles to get at the screws holding the latch to the radiator support, either from below or through the grille openings. Then prybars to get the latch clear of the centering post to enable lifting the hood slightly with the latch still attached, then a hook to get at the latch mechanism to trip the arm. It all has to be done pretty much blind and by feel, so it can take hours to do it without damaging the grille or hood.

[VStar650CL]

Here's a vid from a guy who did one on an '09:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV-kpn9FKj8

The rivet he's talking about doesn't actually need to be destroyed, it's a standoff with a nail-type head that goes into a hole in the back of the latch. Once the screws are out, pushing the latch flat against the radiator support with a prybar while using a second bar to jimmy the latch upward will allow the hole to get past the head, and the whole latch can be lifted upward once you work it clear. Most Nissan latches are set up that way, so it will save you some grief if you visit the U-Pullit with some wrenches and bars to get a mental picture of what you're dealing with.

[Carl Carpenter]

Thank you for your replies. You're definitely right about it not being a quick and easy task. Unlike the 09 latch, the 07 is mounted with just the three bolts but as you say the challenge is removing them without damaging the grille and the radiator. There's a very small amount of clearance between the back of the bumper and the radiator to access the bolts but not enough clearance to turn them with a socket wrench. A more successful approach might be to access the bolts straight on through the center of the grille but that would require making a hole in the Nissan medallion. The resulting damage may be minimal if the medallion can be cut away without damaging the surrounding grille, and a replacement can be obtained from a salvage dealer. It appears to me that the medallion is mounted to the grille with a back plate and two small screws. Since I wasn't successful using the few tools I have, my mechanic will now try to remove the latch. I'll give you an update after the problem is resolved.

[Carl Carpenter]

Fortunately, my mechanic was able to open the hood with little to no damage to the grille. He could reach the latch bolts through the small vent openings in the grille using some special tools he has. The process was time consuming and left some barely noticeable scratches to the grille surface. Interestingly he found no problems with the operating condition of the latch or the release cable, and he couldn't explain what caused the cable to come loose from the latch other than to say things just happen. For now, the hood release lever is again working normally.

[VStar650CL]

Those cables use a plastic snap, and I give our guys the same advice about them that I offer about electrical connectors: "If you don't hear a click, recheck, because it isn't locked." It's entirely possible it was never properly seated but took years to work its way completely free. Or if anyone ever had the latch loose for repairs to other things like a radiator or condenser, they may have popped it partly loose and didn't realize it, then it worked its way out. In any case, glad you got it open without a lot of damage!