You just got out of that urgent meeting you had for the day, and you have got to rush to the convenient store to pick some groceries and then rush home before its dinner time. That’s a typical evening for most fellows.
Thanks to cars, you can be anywhere you want at any time. But, have you ever found yourself with a dead battery on one of those crazy evenings. Well, the case is typical. You try pressing the door’s lock from a distance and boom, you don’t hear that sound your car produces, and neither are the doors opening.
So, how can you open the hood of a locked car with a dead battery? Most people will shout that you should open the door manually using a key and pop open the hood using the lever that is usually somewhere below the dash.
But, did you know that some cars can’t even open the door when the battery is empty? Does it mean that you can’t open the hood and top up the battery? Well, there is a way you can deal with the hood manually.
But, you must be prepared for some handy job. You might as well need some tools to bypass the trouble. Without saying much, here is a step-by-step guide on how to pop open the hood whenever you find yourself in such a mess.
4 Steps to Open a Car’s Hood When the Battery Died
1. Press Down the Hood
It’s the hood you are working on, and therefore you have got to understand how its lock works. When it comes to most cars, the lock is designed to disengage somehow whenever the hood is pressed down.
However, that may not always be the case because some latches tend to be sticky or stretched. On such an instance, you may need to put in some more work and an assistant to help with disengaging the cable.
2. Reach the Latch Through the Grille
You may have to reach the lock of your hood from a different angle. The grille area works perfectly in such instances. If you are in those dark basements parking, you may need the help of a flashlight to locate the lock from the grille’s angle. You should be able to see the latch through the grille.
3. Trip it Using a Thin Tool
Once you locate the lock, next, you should do try and trip it so that it can disengage the hood. The fact that your fingers can’t fit in between the grille holes means that you need a thin tool to carry out the job. A long, tiny screwdriver or a wire can work correctly in this case. You can even remove the grille if you find it hard to trip the hook.
However, removing the grille isn’t recommended for the non-removable ones as this can cost you more for a process that can be approached differently. But, with the grille angle, you should be able to reach the hook and trip it while the hood is stills pressed.
4. Approach the Latch from Under the Hood
Often, some cars tend to be hard-cores and hence dealing with the lock from a front angle may prove to be complicated. You can approach the lock from under the hood. However, if the engine was on recently, you should be careful as this means that the engine area is still hot.
But, if the car has been off for long, you should go ahead and address the issue while under there. You can try tugging the cable with a pair of pliers. This should be much easier to reach the lock and twist it to disengage. Remember, this is your last option. Therefore, you should try as much as possible.
What if the Latch Doesn’t Disengage?
Often, your car may decide not to cooperate, and that means that opening the hood may prove impossible. If you find yourself in this dilemma, your remaining option should be to call your mechanic for help.
Most mechanics know how to deal with this mess, and it will only take them a few minutes. Don’t be tempted to remove the front bumper by yourself as this may end up costing you even more than you could have paid for calling in help.
What Could be Draining Your Car Battery?
1. Old age. When did you buy the cell in question? By now, should know that the age of your car battery does natter when it comes to efficiency. Having a flat battery frequently may be a sign that your battery is old and some replacement is needed. If you notice that your battery is nearing its expected timeframe, then you shouldn’t hesitate to start looking for a new one.
2. You forgot to turn off the headlight/radio and other attached components. The electrical appliances connected to your car continue consuming charge if not switched off whenever the vehicle is off. They can drain the battery if left to run for long. Therefore, if you had left the headlight on, for instance, it might be the reason you have a flat battery.
3. You drive your car for short distances. The alternator in your car needs enough time to charge the battery. By saying so, it means that you need to drive your vehicle for long distances to ensure that the cell is filled to the brim.
Unfortunately, that’s not the case for most people. They tend to use the car for short rides. With time, the alternator may not be able to compensate for the charge that your headlights and radio system, for example, consumes. As a result, you will end up with a flat battery.
4. Faulty alternator. Another reason why you might be having a flat battery is because of a defective alternator. If the alternator fails, it means that your battery won’t charge while the car is on the road.
On such instances, the engine may end up using all the power in your cell and hence the flat battery. Therefore, if you notice that the alternator is faulty, you shouldn’t hesitate to take it to your mechanic for repair.
