The hood release handle in the interior of my 2000 jeep cherokee does not budge when I try to pull it out (exerting 200% effort). The cable seems to be intacct, however, the handle seems to be frozen/stuck (i can push/jiggle the handle like a quarter of an inch).

Any ideas?

 

My first guess is that the cable itself is frayed inside the housing and catching on it.
I know we sell this chain and cable lube at my Napa, frankly anything like that would probably work,
but you might not be able to squirt any inside the cable housing so....
Never really looked close at it so I don't know if you can even do that.

 

These work pretty good to push lube through the cable

 

Have someone push down on the hood on both sides while you pull the handle. Takes pressure of the latch and might help some. Once you've got it opened lube everything!

 

Isn't there a wright up about opening the hood from the outside ?

 

we found a video on youtube instructing to go underneath the engine bay and reach up to slide the skinny metal rod under the hood while someone else pushes down on the hood. This helped release the passenger side latch, however, the drivers side hood latch did not budge.

 

any other ideas? I tried pushing down on the hood while someone pulled the hood release with no luck. The hood release handle only moves about a quarter of an inch and then feels frozen.

 

Which side is stuck?

 

Before you beat up your hood/fenders or header panel, try removing the header panel itself to get at the latches/rod to release them.

Remove the headlight buckets and fasteners securing the header panel to the front fenders Then with a thin combo wrench, sneak betweet the hood and header panel to loosen and remove the 4 nuts securing the header panel to the radiator support. You would now be able to pull the header panel forward and away from the front of the jeep giving you all the necessary access to manipulate the latches themselves.

 

the driver side is stuck

 

Good idea, I will give this a shot this weekend

 

Easily accessible from the bottom. Reach up from the bottom, in front of the torsion bar, pass inside the power steering pump, grab the rod and pull down. This will release passenger side. Then push that rod towards the outside of the vehicle and driver's side will release. Confirmed just now.

 

Probably cause driver's side works the opposite way the passenger side works.

 

If you decide you need to replace the cable, I bought a Dorman 912006
from Rockauto and it is working well for my Jeep

 

I have found that the pivoting mechanism attached to the underside of the hood gets stiff over time. Good reminder to squirt some lube in there on occasion, perhaps with every oil change before this happens to you.