First off, I have to say that I have done a search for this and got back zero results, so none of that "do a search, n00b!" crap, please.
I've been having a problem ever since I got my '98 Sunfire GT in April 2007, and nothing I do seems to fix it. At speeds above 100 kph (60 mph), my hood enjoys lifting and floating, being held down by just the latch and hinges. I've removed the weatherstripping across the top of the firewall, and stuffed a length of plumbing insulation (a foam tube) under the leading edge of the hood (makes getting at the hood latch a pain, but it's worth a try) and it hasn't made a difference.
(I'm going to go ahead and recommend NOT removing that piece of weatherstrip from the top of the firewall, because it keeps the heat from the engine bay out of your HVAC intake. It's easily replaceable, so you can go ahead and try this yourself if you're curious, but it will not make any change if you're trying to solve this same problem.)
Has anybody else experienced this? Any suggestions on causes/fixes? I just got laid off (YAY for inflation + gas prices + garage in the middle of nowhere!) so please, no "go get hood pins" or anything else that costs money. We're saving up for a house and the new baby (due after xmas), so there is no spare cash at the moment.
Thanks in advance for any help that can be offered!
-Rob
my stock hood did the same thing from the day i bought it. anything over 65 mph and you could not only
hear, but actually
see play in the very back end of it closest to the windshield. i checked every bolt and everything else i could think of and they were all secured fine, so i never did figure out what the problem was.
finally i got a c/f hood and put in locking hood pins (not the @!#$ty sliding lock type--the good kind with a key) and now even with there being less weight the hood doesnt move an inch. so if youre unwilling or unable to spend the $25 to get hood pins, im not sure what else to suggest to you. good luck figuring it out.
So its a no for hood pins. Got a welder? A few tack welds should solve the problem.
When in doubt, get a bigger hammer?
Perhaps adjust the bump stops in the corners and the hood latch to put a little extra force on it?
unbolt the latch and slide it down a bit farther on the body so it closes a little more and or spin those little black rubber things up so they put tension on the hood when its closed. As long as the hood is solid in between the latch and the 2 rubber stoppers it wont move unless its carbon fiber or fiberglass or something else that will flex
Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I'm going to go try adjusting the latch position and raising the bump stops.
