Can things get any worse, Broken w123 hood release cable - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

BoomInTheTrunk · #1 12-24-2010, 03:55 AM

Well it's been awhile from posting anything on this forum, a long while and today things got really really bad. Give me a second to elaborate on the issue at hand. It all started over the weekend when out here in Southern California it rained and rained bad. My neutral safety switch is bad so for the past few weeks I have been starting the car by shorting the hot on the starter to start it. Well because of the rain I decided not to drive it because having to go outside to start the car is not fun when it is raining really bad. Today being the first day that we haven't had rain I decided to drive it to work. Got in the car, opened the hood and started it, I let it warm up and when I pulled away I heard what sounded like a bunch of water sloshing about in the back, I looked in the back and there is 5 inches of water in my back seat, YAHHHHH, what fun

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Now to make things more fun I work in retail, and today had to be the worst day I have had this year with people, why cant you respect workers and see that we will get to you in one moment, its like they are the only ones in existence and if I am helping some one else they dont care. We do care but you will have to wait your turn. this one customer pissed me off so much today I almost lost it.

well to make the story short I got off work went out to the car put the key in went to open the hood to short the starter to start it and BOOM!!!!! there goes the hood release cable. Now I am out in a parking lot at

11:15PM just want to go home and I have to call a tow truck. Get out my AAA card and am having trouble getting through.

11:22PM I get through with the "NICE LADY"(yah right), and she says "that the tow truck will be there within the hour", oh yahh

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12:35PM The truck finally pulls up and tows me home.

12:45 here I am typing this.

So here I ask the question how do I replace the cable if I cant open the hood in the first place?

This is going to be some Christmas weekend for me I work everyday for the next 6 days excluding Christmas of course but I need a working car and rally don't know how to pull this off. can you point me in the right direction to getting help.

Doktor Bert · #2 12-24-2010, 04:03 AM

Sorry to hear that....the rains here in Central california went on for 7 days straight. At times, the rain literally roared as it was coming down. Storm drains backed up and just about everything that could hold water flooded.

Windshield gasket leaks account for the greatest percentage of water in the floorboards that I have seen personally.

What chassis do you have???? That cable can be a bear to replace. Any chance you can grab it under the dash with some Vise Grips??? Or, did it break at the latch?????

BoomInTheTrunk · #3 12-24-2010, 04:08 AM

I did pull at if and still nothing. It seems the thing that you pull out on the grill, can come out, but not like normal, and when I pull on that, nothing happens.

Its a W123

layback40 · #4 12-24-2010, 04:17 AM

There was a thread a few weeks ago about this problem.
I think Roy explained that you can open it with a screw driver as a leaver through 1 of the holes in the grill.
I am having inhibitor switch reliability problems at the moment. The quick fix was to run a couple of wires from the battery & the solenoid wire into the cabin, around the top of the guard & in the door. If the inhibitor doesnt work, I touch the wires together & presto!!

vtmbz · #5 12-24-2010, 08:39 AM

I just did this: you go through the grille in the square right below the hood latch. Stand on the passenger side with a long slim screwdriver and find the hood latch cable. It ties into the hood latch. Push against the lever right there towards the drivers side fender and the hood will pop. In my case the cable was shielded by a plastic cover (it has to be out of the way to do this). The lever pivots in the middle with the cable on the bottom. Then use the pull.

vstech · #6 12-24-2010, 12:21 PM

wow, I feel your pain. I can't imagine retail work this time of year... once you get the hood latch cable fixed, are you going to tackle the water drain problem first, or the NSS problem? most of the time the NSS is out of alignment with the shifter, due to worn linkage bushings. pretty easy fix. the switch itself can be bad too. do your reverse lights work? if you have a little wiring skill, you can hook a simple solenoid to the starter terminals, and run small wires into the cabin put in a push button switch, and you have bypassed the NSS, but remember, the car will start no matter where the shifter is now... so don't forget and drive down the hill or run yourself over starting it in gear!

leathermang · #7 12-24-2010, 01:18 PM

I think I posted pictures of how to reach in and grab the right thing ( always more fun grabbing the right thing ) to open the hood...
A bent wire coat hanger would probably be just right...

Diesel911 · #8 12-24-2010, 01:23 PM

If the water is pooling inside of the Car you can pry out the Rubber/Plastic plugs on the Floor and let the water out.

I have leaks some where and I decided to leave the Plugs out all of the time.
The only time no plugs will cause a problem is if I have to ford Water deeper than the Floor boards.

Part of the leaks in my Car were caused by holes rusted through the Body inside of the Wells where the Hood Springs and Hinges go and under the Rubber of the Rear Window.

Those have been fixed but I notice today it was still damp under the rear Mat on the Passanger side. So I guess I am not done fixing leaks yet.

Stevo · #9 12-24-2010, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leathermang

I think I posted pictures of how to reach in and grab the right thing ( always more fun grabbing the right thing ) to open the hood...
A bent wire coat hanger would probably be just right...

The coat hanger may not be stout enough, I used a chunk of welding rod and it was on the brink of bending.

4x4_Welder · #10 12-24-2010, 08:59 PM

Under the car, if you short the wires from the inhibitor switch it will work. I want to say it was the two purple wires, and then there were two blue wires for the backup lights, but it's been more than a year now. The info is on this site somewhere. Just use a "suitcase" connector, slip it over the wires, and clamp it shut. Use caution, though, as the car will be able to be started while in gear.

newtodiesel · #11 12-24-2010, 09:48 PM

Where did your cable break? If it is the handle inside, disassemble the handle and then , pull real hard with a pair of pliers on the cable, it will pop.

If you have to open it from the front side, facing the car looking at the grill...2nd row from the center on right side, 4th fin down is where you palce your long flat blade screw driver...look for the thing w/ the spring, insert screwdiver to the left of the spring and then turn the screwdriver clockwise...should pop it enough to use the other lever to lift the hood

whunter · #12 12-24-2010, 10:22 PM

Read this thread for information on opening your hood.
Hood cable, hood latches, hood release, HELP! cannot open hood!

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Mark DiSilvestro · #13 12-25-2010, 01:54 AM

A couple points -
If your cable broke at the inside handle, you may need to pul the under-dash plastic cover to actualy get a pliers or other tool in there.
Don't kow if this appies to all W123s, but -
If you need to open the latch by going through the grill, you may find a black plastic security cover hiding the latch & cable. If so, you won't be able to get a long screwdriver through the grill to release the latch. This is the situation on my '84 300TD.
Or you might be 'lucky' and some previous mechanic left that security-cover off, like my '82 240D.

If that security-cover is in the way, one thread suggested cutting out the plastic grill-center and then that security-cover, to be able to release the latch and avoid the tow & repair-shop expense. The idea being that the plastic stuff was relatively cheap to replace. I haven't tried to price those parts new. However, I have scored a couple decent complete W123 grills at the Pick-N-Pull in the $25 range. Or even better if you can find one on 'half-price' day! Good luck.

Happy Motoring, Mark

Yak · #14 12-25-2010, 02:23 PM

cant open the hood

No need to cut or mess with the black cover.

Long screwdriver or thin prybar inserted from the driver's side toward the center. Start in the third column over from the center, first row down (or close to there) in the grill. From front to back you've got the piston that pushes up, the housing for the hook, then the hook. Make sure the screw driver gets behind the housing onto the hook. Then push inward (towards the center) about 1/8 inch. You're pushing against a stiff spring, you may need a gentle bump with a mallet, if you're sure you're on the hook. You only have to get the spring to release and the hood will pop up.

Pics here: Hood Release Cable You can see the piston and the front of the housing, just above the "useless black cover"

Then read here to learn to replace the cable. datsun 5 speed in mercedes?

BoomInTheTrunk · #15 12-29-2010, 05:56 PM

So I am going to try the relay thing and the push button to by pass the ignition issue for now but how many amps does the relay have to be. I just dont want to buy something way over kill and pay the price for that.