What are the reasons behind a Nissan hood that is not closing?
By
Vroomouk
This article will explain why “Nissan hood won’t close “. In addition, we will explain to you the need and working of the pedestrian airbag system.
What are the reasons behind a Nissan hood that is not closing?
- Hood latch jammed
- The Latch cable is broken.
- Debris gets into the latch.
- The spring attached to the latch cable is detached.
Hood latch jammed
The Hood latch is made out of metal, preferably steel. Now, metal is reactive with water, and when water strikes the surface of the metal, especially iron or steel, the metal corrodes. Thus the jamming of the hood latch results from metal getting corroded due to water. Once the hood gets corroded, the corrosion spreads, affecting the spring mechanism present in it.
The spring mechanism in the latch is responsible for the working of the latch. Once the mechanism is damaged, the opening and closing of the hood are affected.
The Latch cable is broken.
The hood latch cable is responsible for the actuation of the latch. Hence, it is the most important part of the latching mechanism. The latch cable is attached to the latch release lever present below the steering wheel. When the release lever is lifted, the hood latch operates, and the latch hook gets out of the latch present on the car.
However, due to continuous exposure, the latch might get rusted, and thus it won’t be able to conduct the operation for which it is installed. Thus if the latch cable gets rusted, it is best to replace it.
Debris gets into the latch.
The latch of the hood is present on the front of the vehicle. Hence, it is exposed to many foreign articles when the car is in motion. Therefore there are chances that some debris gets stuck in the latch. Due to this, the hood latch mightn’t actuate properly and hence when the driver tries to close the hood of the Nissan, it won’t close.
The spring attached to the latch cable is detached.
The latching mechanism of the bonnet uses two springs of different sizes. A small spring present at the bottom of the latch is connected to the latch cable. The latch cable is attached to the latch release lever below the steering wheel. The cable generally gets detached due to the corrosion in the cable or the spring.
To fix the spring back in its original position, you need to open the latch from the Nissan, stretch the spring and attach it to the slot given in the latch mechanism.
Need of pedestrian Airbag
The pedestrian airbag came into existence due to the push to enhance car safety for passengers inside and outside. In 2009, the Euro NCAP organization decided to introduce a new rating system for checking the vehicle’s safety. The new safety rating system focused on pedestrian protection and forced car manufacturers to enhance efforts in this regard.
The first pedestrian airbag was introduced in Volvo V40 in 2012 at the Geneva Motor show. However, the manufacturer had already introduced a pedestrian detection system earlier in which the car automatically applies full brakes if a pedestrian comes in front of the car. Hence the inclusion of a pedestrian airbag system was not a surprise.
Working on Pedestrian airbag
The pedestrian airbag is similar to any other airbag present in the vehicle. Like any other airbag, the system consists of sensors and a control unit. However, the system works on complex calculations.
The system consists of seven sensors present on the front of the car. These sensors send the data collected to the control unit, which is present below the car’s hood.
When an impact is about to happen, the sensors present on the front of the car send information to the car control unit, which then analyses the information and detects the object’s shape. For example, if the system detects that the car will hit a pedestrian’s legs, it quickly actuates the airbag. The system works between 20km/hr to 50km/hr. The airbag works using the sack and th gas hybrid generator responsible for filling the airbag.
The airbag is mounted on the bottom of the windscreen, and it can cover upto the middle of the windscreen and the lower parts of A-pillars when inflated. Thus airbags cover the areas of the car on which an adult person might impact the car during an accident.
Conclusion
This article addressed “Nissan hood won’t close” in this article. While explaining why the hood of Nissan won’t close, we have explained the causes of the hood not closing. Apart from that, we have explained an important pedestrian airbag safety feature of some high-end cars along with its need for installation on the vehicle.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs): Nissan hood won’t close.
Why do cars need hoods?
A hood is meant to protect the vehicle’s performance parts such as the engine, ignition system, battery, etc. Moreover, the hood also provides access to technicians for performing maintenance activities on the car.
How much does it cost to change the Nissan car hood?
The price for changing the car’s hood depends on the size of the car. If the car bonnet area is large, then a hood of greater size will be required; hence the cost will also increase. However, a rough estimate for getting a hood change on a Nissan varies from $76 to $345.
What should I check when I open the car hood?
The main things you should check below the vehicle’s hood are the engine coolant reservoir tank, engine oil level, windscreen washer fluid level, clean the terminals of the battery and the brake fluid level.
Why won’t my hood open?
Opening the car’s hood is easy if the latch is working properly. If the latch isn’t working properly due to any reason, opening the hood can be a daunting task. However, you can try opening the hood by pressing it down and lifting the hood release lever simultaneously.
