I accidentally left my lights on overnight and needed to jumpstart my battery. But I can’t figure out how to open my car’s hood. How can I open the hood of a Ford Focus SE?
is a simple process that you can master in seconds. Here’s what you need to do:
Start by getting in the driver’s seat and look beneath the steering wheel, by your feet for a lever. This lever is built into the car’s inside wall, to the far left of the pedals. Once you’ve found the lever, pull it towards you to release the hood. You should hear a pop as the hood is released.
Get out of the car and walk around to the front of your
. You’ll know that the hood is popped if you can see a slight gap between the hood’s rim and the car frame.
Using your fingers, slide your fingers beneath the gap until you feel the yellow safety lever. This is holding the hood in place. Slide this lever to the left and pull up to open the hood.
While holding the hood open with one hand, use the other to prop up the kickstand so that the hood stays open while you work.
If you’re ever unable to pop the hood or jumpstart the battery, then you’ll likely need to call for a tow truck. This is often costly, so it’s a good idea to see if
Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.