Passenger Side Gas Strut Locked

[Haitian_King]

Wow, it's been a while since I've posted.

My troubles started yesterday. I popped the hood ti check my fluids before heading out. After checking them, I tried to close the hood. The latching mechanism seemed to be stuck and wouldn't let the hood close properly. So I get to work on getting it unstuck so I could close the hood and leave. My dad came by and attempted to close the hood from the front, and slightly left of the belt buckle. As it was coming down, the passenger side hood support stopped dead and the end result was a buckled hood.

I spent the day in a rage at my misfortune. I ordered new supports to replace the old ones, but I'm at a loss over the hood. I really don't want to be one of those guys driving around with the bent hood, looking like some sort of bum.

Is it something a body shop can straighten out? Or would it require a new hood?

I found one primered and ready to be painted in Texas for $447, but I don't know if the paint shop will be able to make the hood match the rest of the car.

I'm sad to say that I have had to leave it in the driveway because the hood won't latch and I'm too vain to be out there with a bent hood. I'm driving my MDX now and it's just nowhere near as fun as my Q.

What are some of my options here?

[Q45tech]

What happens when you don't perform PM [quarterly lubrication] on hood supports and hinges.

I can assure you my 19.5 year old hood has been opened and closed at least twice as often as yours and struts are original.

One year I logged 76 open/closes in just 1 year. I would guess at 1000+ cycles.

[paranoidjack]

What happens when you don't perform PM [quarterly lubrication] on hood supports and hinges.

I can assure you my 19.5 year old hood has been opened and closed at least twice as often as yours and struts are original.

One year I logged 76 open/closes in just 1 year. I would guess at 1000+ cycles.

What I would give to see your books Tech, 76 open/closes...what detail! That's crazytalk!

[Infinitiguy19]

What happens when you don't perform PM [quarterly lubrication] on hood supports and hinges.

Not to get off topic but what is the recommended way to grease the hood hinges and pistons?

And Haitian King your probably going to hate me for this. But the 1991 Q45 part out I had was black with a mint hood. Too bad it was bent to hell when I flipped the car over in the junk yard

What I would give to see your books Tech, 76 open/closes...what detail! That's crazytalk!

I would love to see his car and his filling cabinets full of recipts.

[Haitian_King]

What happens when you don't perform PM [quarterly lubrication] on hood supports and hinges.

I can assure you my 19.5 year old hood has been opened and closed at least twice as often as yours and struts are original.

One year I logged 76 open/closes in just 1 year. I would guess at 1000+ cycles.

How right you are.

I had to learn the hard way. I'm waiting for the new struts to come in so I can replace them, but I'm still boned with this hood.

We managed to get it somewhat back to the way it was, but because I know that the slight kink is there, it's going to drive me crazy.

[Haitian_King]

Not to get off topic but what is the recommended way to grease the hood hinges and pistons?

.

Please, do tell. Inquiring minds want to know!

[Q451990]

I lubricate the hinges with a product called "super lube" but I suspect any quality lubricant (e.g. not WD-40, which in my opinion is best used as a rust penetrant and not much else) should work. I like the SuperLube because it seems to last for a long time and appears to work in a wide variety of temperatures. It works very well as a garage door lubricant.

http://www.super-lube.com/supe...8.htm

The stuff is getting hard to find, but apparently it's still available at ACE or TruValue type places - but I can't get it at Lowe's, Home Depot, or Harbor Freight anymore...

Heath
Modified by Q451990 at 1:48 PM 7/29/2009

[qship96]

Simple common white lithium grease works wonders for hood/doors/sunroof needs. Clean out old grease/dirt with a solvent and relube with grease every 90 days and you are good to go!

On a side-note, I have been trying a new to me product called "Eureka Fluid Film" which comes in a spray can that is lanolin based for lube and rust prevention- it is a natural product made from wool grease/oils- spraying it on everything/anything from lawn mower to underside of Q!!!

[goody90q45]

HK- I inherited a slightly bent hood when I bought the 94Q. I used a sturdy shelf bracket which is a lightweight piece of angle iron, hammered it a bit to fit a couple of curves, and the hood closes flush without bending and has for the past 4 years. It's not the prettiest fix but the hood's closed most of the time anyways.

[Haitian_King]

HK- I inherited a slightly bent hood when I bought the 94Q. I used a sturdy shelf bracket which is a lightweight piece of angle iron, hammered it a bit to fit a couple of curves, and the hood closes flush without bending and has for the past 4 years. It's not the prettiest fix but the hood's closed most of the time anyways.

Thanks Mike for the info. I'll look into it. Hopefully I can get the same result.

Has anyone ever had the problem that started this whole debacle for me? The latching mechanism getting stuck and not retracting to let the hood close properly?

It's something that's happened a couple of times before for me, but I was always able to get it unstuck and it would be fine for months after.

[maxnix]

One has to realize the hood is designed to bend in a head on crash to absorb energy and to prevent the hood crashing through the windshield and deacapitating the driver. Fixer emptor!

Never have heard of a strut freeaing before, but that is possible.

Never force that which shouldn't require it.

[Haitian_King]

I got my new struts in and installed them. They seem to be stuck in the open position however. I didn't want to force the hood down to get it to close, but I seem to have reached an impasse.

I thought perhaps lubrication was necessary, but the instructions that came with advise against lubrication of the gas strut.

At the time of writing, I removed both struts and have lowered the hood, eliminating the hinges as the culprit.

I don't know why these new struts won't allow the hood to be lowered.

[maxnix]

New gas cahrged struts are firm at first, but should close without breaking the hood.

Which ones did you use?

[Haitian_King]

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get the OEM ones from IOS. The website listed them at $300+ each. I found a pair of OEM replacements on eBay and ordered those.

After the install they didn't seem to be willing to give, so I didn't force the hood anymore. After the last mishap, I'm a bit gun shy when it comes to applying pressure to the hood.

[maxnix]

Stabilus?