Hood Latch Latches on to Comfort and Security

Anthony Fontanelle
January 10, 2008

The hood latch belongs to those small and inconspicuous mechanical components that owners simply love to ignore. However, despite its size, it has proven itself to be crucial to the safety of various auto parts, as well as to the owner’s peace of mind while driving. Just imagine the headaches that a defective hood latch can bring to a car owner. With a loose latch, it is next to impossible for the driver to focus on the road ahead if the hood constantly flies open and flaps itself against the wind. Likewise, a hood latch refusing to lock exposes the under-the-hood parts to the damaging weather elements and promotes such auto parts as fair game to thieves hunting for devices to trade. The same thing can be said when the hood latch unnecessarily clamps itself to the hood and refuses to budge. How else can the owner check and repair parts in the engine compartment if the hood is stuck? Indeed, there are a number of unfortunate souls who have yet to experience such misfortunes before realizing the value of the diminutive hood latch.

The hood latch is simply defined as a fastener that holds the vehicle hood securely shut when it is meant to be locked down. Without a properly functioning hood latch, the significant duties of the hood in safeguarding the engine, suspension, and steering mechanisms are compromised.

To date, there are various forms of hood latches available in the market. There is the manual hood latch normally seen in older models, where the latch needs to be directly engaged and disengaged from the car hood. Another type is the hood latch that is locked and unlocked through the aid of a hood release cable, which is either located behind the seat, on the glove box, or at the left side of the dash. There is also the electronic hood latch that is now standard on a number of newer vehicles. This electronic latch is controlled and operated through a special button installed within the car, which comes equipped with a purportedly secret emergency release cable that can act as an alternative way in case the main control button malfunctions.

With such variety of hood latches, each of these devices is not designed for all types of vehicles. Automakers create different hood latches for different vehicle types. Thus, before purchasing a new hood latch, it is crucial to first check the car’s specifications to know which hood latch type fits the factory settings of the car.

Source:  Amazines.com