Opening the hood of your Ford Transit is as simple as pulling the hood release lever inside the car and then sliding the catch just above the grille to the left.

From

changing the engine oil

to topping up the coolant, a lot of essential maintenance takes place inside the engine compartment of your van. Before any of that can happen, you need to know how to open the hood of a Ford Transit. Let’s get started!

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Where is the hood release on a Ford Transit?

The hood release lever is to the left of the steering wheel on the underside of the instrument panel. It’s a large plastic square printed with the icon of a car with its hood popped up.

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How to open the hood on a Ford Transit

According to the

official Ford owner manuals

, you can open the Ford Transit's hood with these easy steps:

Pull the catch to the left. Stand at the front of the van (where the hood meets the body panel) and find a black plastic arm. Slide your fingers under the hood—you should be able to feel it.

Open the hood. Raise the hood and unfold the metal strut tucked to the right of the engine compartment. Slide the top of it into the groove on the underside of the hood to prop it open.

Once you’re done performing maintenance or simply taking a look, remove the strut and fold it back into the groove where you found it. Lower the hood until it’s 8 to 12 inches above the rim of the engine compartment, then let it go so it falls shut.

Double-check that it’s secure—you don’t want the hood flipping up while you’re driving!

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How to repair the Ford Transit hood release

If you have issues with your hood, knowing

how a car hood latch works

will help you pinpoint the problem. Check out this table with potential hood release problems and symptoms:

Part(s)	What to look for	Potential problems
Hood	Objects on the hood	Hood is weighed down
Hood	Deep dents, warping, or rust	The hood is too deformed to open
Hood release lever	Lever won’t move	Release lever is stuck. The attached cable is caught or rusted
Hood release lever	Lever moves freely without any weight to it	Attached cable is cut or disconnected
Catch	Catch doesn’t move	Hood latch is rusted, misaligned, or caught
Catch	Catch moves freely but the hood doesn’t open	End of the catch has been snapped off inside lock
Hinges	Hood opens with difficulty	Need to lubricate the hood hinges

Fixing a Ford Transit hood latch that won't open can cost between $100 and $350, depending on the trim. Parts account for the majority of the cost. For example, if you need a new hood release cable, it only costs about $150 to $175. However, if the hood needs to be banged back into shape, you’ll receive an expensive bill at the body shop.

One way to avoid a costly repair is to have a robust

car insurance

policy to help you cover it.

Whether or not your policy covers a busted hood latch depends on how it was broken in the first place. If your grille was damaged in a crash, you could file a claim under

collision coverage

, even if the accident was your fault. But if a tree fell on it, that’s a job for

comprehensive coverage

Sadly, few policies will pay for repairs resulting from neglect or rust.

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