The "help, I broke my hood cable and I can't get my hood open" is a perennial topic, so I suppose it is an appropriate item for the FAQ section. I doon't have a large amount to add, since it was 11 years ago the last time I had a problem (man... THAT is a dangerous thing to say). So, I need you guys to help build the FAQ. Here's what we are looking for:
- how you opened the hood
- the part that actually broke
- what you did to prevent it from happenening again
- what you did after opening the hood to prevent it from happening in the future
- any special 'tools' you utilized
Here's what I have to offer.
I actually didn't have a cable break. The cable just popped free of the unlatching mechanism. I used a special 'tool' made of a 12" long, or so, piece of window screen frame to reach up from underneath the car and pop the latch free. Fortunately I had a parts car (my very first one) nearby to get a look at the latch mechanism so I knew what I was working with. Some folks may be able to reach the latch mechanism with their hands, but my big popeyeass forearms prevent me from such activities.
I have used plastic zip ties on the hood cable to permanently retain it to the mechanism of every XR4Ti I've owned since that happened to me.
There is also a thread similar to this in the Scorpio section, since the Scorpio suffers from the same problem.
http://forum.merkurclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7194
Edit: I received the following information via private message and figure it is worth sharing in here.
Dipstick wrote:I saw the "How to Open an XR4Ti Hood if the Cable Snaps" FAQ
I don't know if this is true for Merkurs, but on Ford Sierras there is actually an "emergency" mechanism to open the hood if your cable snaps. If you get under the car and look up between the radiator, there is a hole below the hood lock. Insert a screwdriver through the hole so that it passes to the right of the lock striker. Then twist or lever the lock sliding plate to the right until the striker is released.
This works on Sierras at least, and maybe you guys know about it already, but if not, it could be worth checking out!