How to fix/replace a Chev/GM hood release handle

This brief video describes how I replaced a broken hood release latch handle on a 2000 Chev Suburban. The replacement part used to fit this model was Dorman part #03335, and it seems to work fine. Hopefully it will last as long as the original part.
If your handle breaks, you should lubricate the cable slides and mechanical system since corrosion and increasing mechanical resistance is likely underlying.
This amateur demonstration is offered for free, but there are no guarantees as to safety or accuracy. Before any kind of repair you should consult the dealer repair manual for additional information not available from various multimedia sources. Never trust a single source for critical information. Any misadventure you encounter if you decide to accept the risk of home repair is your responsibility.

[@knowtheledge23]

Been using pliers for 6+ years on my '04 Sierra , so finally bought the replacement , and had the same problem w/the flanged 5/16 nut not fitting. Didn't have tools to grind it down, so found a pack of 5/16 nuts with smaller flanges at the local hardware store for $3. It fit perfect in the new latch. I applied silicone spray as instructed and all works like new. Excellent instructions! 💯

[@EvolvingHooman]

Thank you so much! Between this and my Haynes manual, I feel confident enough to fix this myself rather than getting overcharged at a shop and deal with them thinking I’m an easy target solely bc I happen to be female.

[@JamesMendoza-p2l]

I ordered the same part for my 05 Chevy Silverado, followed your video, and done. Thanks for the easy step-by-step.

[@Mike1614YT]

Thanks for the good video. after successfully getting into my truck without breaking anything for 15 years, I figured out how to kick and break this plastic hood release handle. the part was $12 delivered courtesy of China/AMZ .

[@spelunkerd]

If you look at why people sell cars, many do so because of silly things like this. Then if they're honest during the car sale they have to disclose problems to a potential buyer. Or, they are dishonest and 'forget' to tell them, and live with the knowledge that the buyer hates them forever. Better to fix something like this right away, get benefit from the fix and the car for longer, and get a better resale price and good will at the end of the day. These days, new cars aren't made to be nearly as durable.

[@Buck1954]

Perfect! Just what I need. If only the mechanic had done this. My old man body doesn't like crawling around on the ground anymore.

[@rosieb9]

Thank you so much for posting this. Just bought a used 2005 and now I will be fixing the latch. 😊

[@chabat124]

This video made it a snap. Thanks for taking the time to help the common wrenching man.

[@jarenbraxton683]

That’s true it would cost about 50 bucks to get this fixed. Thanks for the vid I bought the exact one and it worked for me

[@58thatdude]

wow been looking for this for awhile thanks for posting !!

[@mancini2468]

Thanks for this…because of your video, I bought the part and will fix it myself later this week. 👍🏼

[@billk5727]

Thanks Dave! Always thorough videos and explanations from you.

[@mrcoulson58]

Thanks, man! New hood release handle installed quickly thanks to your video.

[@Crunch.International]

Great video. I just followed you and replaced mine in about ten minutes.

[@fernesal]

You didn't mention that not everytime it fails because corrosion or cable but because of everytime you exit your truck you kick it. I wonder if we can add a kick protection using a side plate.

[@drm315]

Dorman heroes? I've never looked at it as putting pressure on the dealers. You may have a valid point.

[@spelunkerd]

Yeah, generics get a bad rap because their market is not very original, they usually just copy what the dealer made. But they also define what parts are worth by setting the low threshold. Fair competition makes us all better.

[@raulh9080]

For the nut just cut some of plastic of on new piece or wigle it enough made it fit on mine thanks for video.

[@RiffMusic1970]

Thanks a lot. Will be doing this soon for my ‘05.

[@gfunk5345]

My man just made this look so easy. I’m going thru this problem right now, and I’m not making it look so easy lol

[@marcosestrada2012]

Right? Hahaha. Same here. Lol

[@kennethscofield4565]

The handle is easy enough to replace, I just needed to know hoevyo get that kick panel off without breaking it.Thanks for clearing that up. 🤙

[@brendacopper7558]

I wish you were here to fix mine 😢😢😢 I'm catching hell trying to get someone to do this

[@FL-rk5kp]

Mine has always been like that. Didn’t realize it was so easy to fix. Great video as usual.

[@spelunkerd]

Yeah, Amazon sell those generic replacements for ten bucks. For that price, there's no point in searching through a junk yard, ha ha.

[@davidhoward2237]

is it worth going to pick and pull anymore? well atleast where im out all good parts are gone before they get on the yard they sell good parts on ebay. So you can find parts cheaper on ebay

[@spelunkerd]

+David Howard Yes, the whole landscape of junk yards has changed. My local yards won't even let me pull my own parts, citing liability. And they don't keep the carcass very long, after they pull off anything that sells easily. I find it sad. Wandering through the junk yard was always a fun adventure.

[@jerryburnett1803]

Thanks Man! Easy fix. Great video!

[@jayogden1151]

Very informative and spot on. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@texastaurus9271]

thanks for the video... got mine replaced 👍👍

[@javieregartell]

🤔hmm Thank you! Great video I was looking for this I don't need to replace the cable,just the handle.

[@psycho9177]

Outstanding video saved time and money.

[@davidfalcon6061]

Thanks for this video, vary helpful, my handle gave out, and I was thinking of putting hood pins, but this is much better...

[@tballi]

Great explanation and presentation. Thanks so much!

[@shawnmrfixitlee6478]

Great share , Those fail quite often ! I see folks with vise grips on the end of the cable come in allot

[@spelunkerd]

Yeah. For a part worth only ten bucks, and an easy repair that takes 15 minutes, this one is definitely worth doing. People often get rid of cars because of silly irritations like this, and if they knew how easy they can be to fix they might hang onto the car for another few years. By comparison, the way new cars depreciate gives a lot of cash to work with. Thanks for stopping by, Shawn!

[@larrymoberg3249]

Excellent tutorial. Thank you very much. 5 🌟

[@tedijune6759]

Dear spelunkered; I appreciate your vid here… It is self explanatory, clear-concise… I have a 1999 Chevy Tahoe LT that the hood cable has stretched… I have the drivers side panel off, but now the hood won’t pop open…I think there are two hex head metal screws that hold the cable at the top-front metal that perhaps have come loose? Thoughts? Thank you, Tedi

[@spelunkerd]

After reading your post I looked at my 2000 Suburban, and I can see a fair bit of the mechanism from the lower grill. I would start by spraying penetrating oil, silicone spray, or any light oil lubricant on it while trying to move the mechanism back and forth. From the inside you can see where the end of the cable meets a black bracket, pulling that bracket to the drivers side. You might be able to get some long angle pliers into that area to give it a bump. These all have two mechanisms, one to allow the hood to lift up a little, and a second that releases it all the way. The handle for the latter is reachable with your hand. These are designed to be difficult to break into, to prevent theft of batteries, vandalism etc. There was a major design change in the Suburban in 2000, so mine may not be similar to what you have. Good luck!

[@condor5635]

Great video... I am going to lubricate my 03 Suburban latch area next opening!

[@Daoldhead51]

I’m out here struggling lol. Just needed a video to tell me I’m doing it right just too aggressive.

[@jamesbolton1861]

Great information, well presented

[@darylbiancucci2792]

I ground the cap nut ok but now the socket I used to loosen the nut will not fit in where the nut goes in the new part. ??

[@ronnieDshman18]

Great video thank you!!!

[@4thwalltvandfilm]

Thanks a bunch. That really helped and was super quick and easy.

[@spelunkerd]

You're welcome! I thought so, too.

[@robertlyman7245]

Got it done fast ty

[@zx8401ztv]

Smashing job , looks like new again :-D Yes the cable and mechanisms do get sticky with old grease, so i suppose a cable and lock flush would be a good idea. Plastic has never been my favorite for stressed parts, it can get really brittle with age and repairing the part itself can be hard. Minimal designs leave no room for bodges.... i mean professional modifications :-D

[@spelunkerd]

Excellent point. Especially with those parts exposed to heat or sunlight, brittle degradation happens all the time. At least with common parts, generic competition gives the consumer options. When the part is uncommon and the manufacturer walks away from supply, we'll have few options beyond a laser printed part or a junk yard search.

[@zx8401ztv]

I do hate plastic in home devices, i have repaired many vcr's for people in the distant past. Tiny bits of special shaped plastic mechanisms that can't be glued together and not enough space to use other methods. Some plastics seem to have an almost oiley surface, and glues just don't stay put. I've made parts from aluminium when i was in a determined mood LOL. I think we all know that state of mind where it just won't beat us.

[@martinblouin3639]

just a side note, do not use lithium grease if you live in a part of the world where it gets cold, the grease is gonna harden like hard butter

[@neileschenbrenner4303]

do you know what size thread is the retainer nut, dont have a grinder to cut the original nut.

[@spelunkerd]

I'm sorry, I never checked it. One of the most underrated tools in my garage is a thread checker. My set comes strung a wire so I can bring it to the work piece.

[@ramdbzdude0_0]

Thank you sir!

[@donmcbroomaz]

What size nut needed to avoid having to grind down OEM nut? I have the new handle coming, but want to be ready to replace quickly.

[@spelunkerd]

That nut was a cap nut, which is a hat shaped nut that serves the role of a combined nut and flat washer. The grinding I did was to make the brim of the 'hat' smaller. I don't remember the size of the nut, but even a normal size nut with correct thread pitch would work. You could take the nut into a hardware store and ask somebody to match up the correct size regular nut. Most hardware stores have matching kits that make pairing nuts and bolts a snap.

[@donmcbroomaz]

@@spelunkerd Thanks for the quick reply! Much appreciated.

[@cynziaselph7552]

Wouldn't it be a 13 mm, since that's the size socket you used?

[@texastaurus9271]

@@cynziaselph7552threading is different

[@Clyffcarlock1]

Do you have to release the latch tension before removing the latch?

[@spelunkerd]

It unbolts as a unit, I don't remember problems with having to relieve tension first.

[@abelcp22]

Nice thank you for the help

[@trevorhudson4817]

The shop is trying to charge me $205.68 but this is for a 96 2500 Chevy truck I acquired the truck through a will and need to fix it up. Would the handle in the video work for the truck?

[@spelunkerd]

Not sure, but for that money I'd be looking at aftermarket parts or junk yard parts for sure. Many parts stores will allow returns, though internet sales involve a more complicated return policy.

[@laragreene8328]

Mine just has a bolt looking thing sticking out and the plastic handle fit on it....Its no wonder the plastic handle broke off...lol...but I cant figure a way to fix it and dont know of a glue strong enough to repair the handle. It didnt look like a very good set up to start with.Maybe if I saw the whole part to buy it would look easier. Maybe the handle comes with the bolt,already attached and I'm not seeing the whole picture.

[@spelunkerd]

It may be time to compare with a similar model. Some junk yards allow clients to explore, it makes for a fun day.

[@JG-re9it]

Where did you get the orange tool to take the panel off and where can I purchase one?

[@spelunkerd]

any autoparts store, harbor freight, amazon, bangood, etc. plastic is better because it doesn't scratch paint.

[@JG-re9it]

What is it called?

[@rodolfomonarrez1919]

Just replaced mine, but it wont open, and I don't want to pull on it any further because I'm afraid to break it again. There was some noise coming from the front when I took it off. Somebody that can help?

[@spelunkerd]

I did a video on the hood of a VW Jetta, and it does show the general principles of how these work. They are designed to be difficult to access for security. You may be able to get the tip of a spray cannister into the latch area to lubricate the binding metal parts.

[@brandondubois9849]

The plastic you removed around the handle what would you call that or where could I find one?

[@spelunkerd]

I'm not sure what they call it but your best bet is a junk yard, preferably one you can go into yourself to remove the part you need.

[@dodgers8187]

Where did you get the replacement from? Link if possible please & thank you

[@spelunkerd]

I don't remember, I think I found it on Amazon or Rock Auto or Ebay.

[@ericlou3405]

Just did mine

[@thegreek8962]

Thank you ~ really..

[@stuzman52]

It looks like Dorman came through on this one minus the flange which was a little too big. And the OEM part wouldn't have been worth it for that alone. And Dave, how did you know that I was thinking about cleaning that up before you put that kick panel back in place? :))

[@spelunkerd]

Yeah. The other issue with aftermarket parts is durability, we'll see about that. It looks to be made of the same plastic that the original was. Thanks Terry.

[@anthonybegay3091]

Locking pliers?

[@comments.cuestionsandconcerns]

it's what i called them. makes sense.

[@Tj-gq3mn]

How to open from inside if it’s broken

[@spelunkerd]

That can be tricky, because these locks are designed to make it difficult for thieves to gain access to your engine compartment. All hood latches have two locks, the main one that is activated with a cable and the safety latch to prevent the hood from flying up if the main hook fails. These almost always fail because of rust and poor lubrication, so as a first effort I would get in with WD40 and a long spray nozzle to lubricate all you can find. I show the mechanism of a VW hood latch in much more detail in an old video on my channel. You want to decide which latch is stuck. If the hood can partially lift up, the secondary latch has failed. If the hood won't lift at all, it's the main cable operated latch. If the cable has broken, you'll want to somehow reach the unbroken end of the cable and pull it. You may need to remove plastic covers and get in with long pliers, either from under the vehicle or through the grill. This is frustrating and time consuming, so have patience.

[@seanThree16]

this is every car problem ive ever had in my entire life. something breaks, i think it should be simple, watch a youtube video of someone doing something I cannot do, which is why im watching this, in this case it's opening the fucking hood. The cable broke, that's why Ive resorted to this in desperation...then I take it to a fucking mechanic and they do it and charge me 200 dollars.

[@spelunkerd]

I remember that frustration. Given what mechanics may charge for this, they find it frustrating, too! These are designed to be difficult, to make it hard for strangers to steal your battery, ignition wires, etc. I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help.

[@youcefmesslem5882]

Hawar you pané kapo chovroli blazer v6 1996

[@jimierogers9022]

Just don’t buy dorman…literally the worst parts on the market

[@rvadventures]

Typical doorman junk.

[@SrzMMC]

Thank you!!