How to Open a Car Hood

You've decided your car needs to be replaced and you saw a late model beauty down at the car lot. When buying a used car it's a good idea to check under the hood. To do that you need to be able to open the car's hood. Here's how to open a car's hood so you can make a thorough inspection before you make the purchase.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Consult the car's owner manual and locate the section on opening the hood. If the owner's manual is not available, most of the time you can download these instructions from the car manufacturer's website.
2. Open up the driver's side door to the car and find the interior hood latch. It should be marked with a symbol resembling a car with an open hood, or it may have a label such as "Hood Latch Release."
3. Pull the interior car hood latch release until you hear the hood "pop." The hood will raise slightly as the car hood latch is released.
4. Walk around to the front of the car and find the car's secondary or safety hood latch release. These can be tricky to find. In most models you'll find this somewhere in the car's grill area, but check with the owner's manual for exact location.
5. Release the safety hood latch by moving it in the direction described in the manual. Put your fingers under the edge of the hood and lift up. If the car has a prop rod, lift it out from under its clip and place it in the hole in the underside of the hood where indicated. Take a thorough look around for engine oil, rodent nests and things held together with duct tape.