How Hood Latches Work
Automotive hood latches operate using a basic cable system. Inside the vehicle, there is a hood release handle. This is almost always down near the drivers left foot. When you pull on this handle, it retracts the hood release cable to actuate the latch under the hood. The release cable runs from the handle, through the firewall and fenders up to the hood latch, which is behind the front grill. When the release cable retracts, it pulls on the bottom of the hood latch, which leverages the latch in a way that it releases from hoods retainer clip from the latches primary hood lock. You'll notice the hood pops up an inch, but it is not completely free from the latch. This is a safety precaution in case the hood latch gets released accidently while driving. At this point, you must reach your fingers under the center of the hood to locate the final release switch, which is integral to the hood latch. Lift the release switch and lift the hood up; some hoods have hatch strut, also called a hood strut, which is a pneumatic damper that holds up the hood. Other vehicles will have a prop rod, which must be manually positioned to hold up the hood.
Note: Sometimes the hood release isn't located down by the driver's feet. In some vehicles, an electronic push button can be found on the dash or in the glove compartment. Pushing this button will pop the hood, which must then be manually released from the hood latch.
How Trunk Locks Work
Trunk locks work in a very similar fashion to hood latches. There is a pull lever attached to a release cable. When the cable is retracted by the lever, the locking mechanism on the trunk is opened so the trunk can be accessed. On many newer vehicles, it is not uncommon to find an electronic trunk release button on the dash or drivers key. The electric switch sends a signal to an actuator, which then retracts the release cable to open the trunk.
How Tailgates Work
Truck tailgates operate by the use of locking rods. The tailgate stays locked in place by a rod bridging the gap between the driver's side and passenger side of the tailgate. When you pull on the tailgate handle, a mechanism behind the handle retracts the two rods towards the center of the tailgate, allowing the tailgate to drop. Some tailgates have a lock built into them, so the tailgate latch might need to be unlocked before the tailgate can be opened.
More Hood Latch, Trunk Lock and Tailgate Handle Parts
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