Question about grille inserts

I was just wondering...how do you guys open the hood?
Especially with the small honeycomb grille inserts...
Do you use a screwdriver or something? I can't figure it out. Lol

 

I've wondered the same thing. I've read you just slide your finger under the hood and press somewhere. I have found nowhere convenient for doing that.

The only option for me is to slide the hook thing to the left. It's a very tight fit. Not something I'd want to do on a regular basis. Personally, I think it's a design flaw to not allow easy opening of the hood.

 

when you pop the lock for the hood it will allow you to lift the hood about an inch and a half, enough to get your fingers in there and undo the latch. I have seen that there is some kind of mod you can do to the latch to make access to the latch easier.

 

What he said. I didn't even realize there was a way to unlatch the hood through the grille until two weeks ago. I had been unlatching it through the hood ever since I've had it. You just push up on the latch and it'll release. Not that hard.

 

I don't think my hood goes up an inch and a half. That spot I highlighted is tight. I can barely get my knuckle in the gap. Can't raise the hood 100% because that just catches the latch. It seems like a small tab tacked to the left side of the latch would be easy enough.

Just occured to me. Do those bug shields get in the way, make the gap tighter?

 

There's no pushing up on mine. Only sliding to the left. I was trying to figure out what people meant by "push up." I failed to find anything I could push up. I'm gonna have to take a better look at my latch when I get home. It's bugging the $hit out of me. I swear I'm not mentally challenged.

 

I'm second gen

 

Lol me too, had tacomas for years and have always just lifted the hood and hit the tab like most any other vehicle ever made...

 

Maybe that's part of the confusion.

 

Where is this "tab" of which you speak? The only tab I have can't be reached by sliding your hand under the hood, only through the grill (as it was designed).

I might to leave work early so I can resolve this.

The yellow circle is the only thing I can reach. The gap isn't wide enough for my hand to get by my knuckles.

 

I have ALWAYS reached through the grille to pull up on the tab so it will release.
I've never tried it any other way, honestly.
I open my hood at least every other week just to keep an eye on fluids and such.
If the grille inserts are gonna make that a headache, I think I'll pass, but if it's just something I'm missing, I'm gonna check some out.

 

Confirmed: Bug deflector prevented me from reaching the lever. It all makes sense.

Now I can sleep tonight...and dream about a custom grill.

 

So are maybe the 01-04 trucks different than the rest in this regard due to the hoods being different along with other different components in this area? Could that be the confusion with this latch deal. Because the older tacos are very simple and easy to pop the hood release then lift the hood a bit to access the lever hut it and boom the hood is open! No going through the grille or any craziness whatsoever...

 

It's possible. We'd need a side-by-side comparison to confirm.

It was getting to me, so I took my bug deflector off last night. It has a small bulge along the front that kept me from reaching down behind the lever and pulling up. Not as easy as through the grill, but easy enough.

 

Here is what I did. The Redline hood struts lift the hood until the catch hits the bottom of the latch.
I slide my fingers to the left, hitting the bolt... there you go.

 

Nice. I was thinking of ways to add that sort of feature. That looks like a simple solution.

 

See i dont even think its possible to open the hood through the grille on the older trucks. The grills have horizontal slats vrs the vertical slats of the 01-04 trucks.

Again the hood simply lifts after its been released from inside and the lever is very easily lifted. I bet all 3 of my toyotas the hood has a good 1 to 2 inches of play to be able to lift up allowing plenty of access to the latch. The newer trucks with their face lift must be alot different, have ro be. There is just now way this can be such a complicated deal lol!

 

My Taco was in a wreck from the previous owner, and my radiator support (where the grille and hood latch attach) is pushed back significantly.
I have to use two zip ties to hold the grille in place properly, since the tabs won't reach.
Actually dropping it off in Alabama later today with a shop that's been friends of the family for years, they're gonna do some body work on it and also install my lift kit and new shocks.
I won't have my truck for a couple of weeks, I'll be driving the Camry, but I'll definitely look more into this when I get the truck back.