Satoshi/Grillcraft - How Do You Open The Hood?

Hope this isn't one of those questions where the answer is embarrassingly obvious but how do you open your hood if you have one of these grills installed.

When I pop the hood from the interior of my truck I still have to go around the front, reach around the Toyota emblem and lift the hood catch to unlock the hood.

Wouldn't one of these grills totally block your hand from accessing the hood catch?

Did a search but couldn't really find an answer on the forums.

 

I never opened the hood through the grille. I didn't know that was possible. Ha.

 

That's what I thought. There is a little handle you push just below the hood and just above the grille. OP is doing it the hard way I guess......

 

Stick your fingers between the hood and top of grill

 

Yup, that's what I do. That's what I do with all of our Toyotas. The latch is on the same side on all of ours too.

 

if u had owned a 1st gen, this would be a concern because to open the hood u must stick a finger in between the vertical space in the grill to release the hook.

if u owned a 2nd gen, u would know that the hood release hook is above the grill. so when u pop the hood latch, u lift up the hood a little so there is space between the hood n the grill, stick a finger in, n it opens right up. (pun intended)

 

Lol

 

Fortunately there's two ways of doing this hood release I only knew of the upper one for the longest time

 

lol. OP you doing the hard way. that i thought was impossible. lol. i just pull the latch on the inside, go to the front lift hood a little and stick fingers between the top of grill and hood and release that latch.

 

My 2000 opens with the finger between grill and hood method. Two fingers works better.

 

I did a Satoshi on my 2012. I cut off 2" of the under the hood latch for the grill clearance. I can still pop it between the hood and the grill once the interior latch is activated. No big issue.