No matter how well you take care of your car, it will need regular maintenance to ensure it drives smoothly. If you need to check the wiper fluid, oil, or antifreeze levels, you’ll need to pop the hood. Luckily, this is a simple process. Here’s what you’ll need to know.
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How to Open Hood on Subaru Forester
While most vehicle mechanisms have received frequent upgrades over the years, the hood latches have remained relatively similar for decades. The procedure to open the hood of your car is similar across makes and models.
Safety Considerations
To prevent injuries and damage, please note the following:
- The car should be completely shut off before opening the hood.
- If possible, let the engine cool down completely.
- Make sure that the windshield wipers are not lifted from the window.
- Avoid opening the hood during high wind or heavy rain. It may force close the hood.
- Ensure that the vehicle is in “park” or that the parking brake is engaged.
Pull the Hood Opener Knob
Each Forester will have a hood opener knob located below the steering column, between the steering column and the driver’s door. In some models, the instrument panel has a symbol indicating a car with an open hood. The knob is under the bottom instrument panel. You can find it by grabbing under the instrument panel, as close to the door as possible, and hooking the knob.
Once you pull the knob, you should hear a pop indicating that the primary hood latch has disengaged. You can exit the vehicle and go to the front of your car.
Unhook the Hood Latch
All Foresters will have a hood latch that secures the hood to the front of the car. You can find the latch lever under the Subaru symbol above the car’s grille.
Feel for the lever with your fingers, then press it from right to left. Doing so should disengage the latching mechanism and pop the hood slightly from the car.
Lift the Hood and Prop It Open
With the hood latch disengaged, you can lift the hood and inspect the vehicle’s engine compartments.
Automatic Hood Prop
In Subarus from 2014 onward, the hood should have a pneumatic hood prop on the right-hand side (next to the driver’s door). If it functions properly, the hood should stay up.
Manual Hood Prop
In older Forester models (and possibly some new ones), there will be a hood prop running across the front of the vehicle compartment. Unlatch the prop, lift it, and fit it into the slot in the hood. Usually, the hood lifts from the right-hand side and the slot is on the left.
Closing the Hood
- If your vehicle has a manual hood prop, remove it from the slot and place it in its retainer slot.
- Using both hands, gently lower the hood until it’s about six inches above its regular (closed) position. You may need to use a bit of force to override the pneumatic prop.
- Let the hood drop to its closed position.
- Make sure that the hood latch is engaged. You can do so by trying to pry open the hood without unlocking the latch.
- If the hood doesn’t lock properly, drop it from a higher position.
Opening the Hood from the Outside
You can open the hood from the outside by force by removing the primary latch mechanism entirely.
Keep in mind that you may need to lift the car to get under it if needed, and that there’s a chance you damage the latch if you’re not careful.
- Shape a wire into a hook and get a screwdriver or wrench.
- Find the spring mounted to the hood latch behind your car’s grille. If you can’t access it from the front, you may need to go under the vehicle and will likely need a second person.
- Hook the spring and remove it from the latch.
- Prop the latch from below with the screwdriver or wrench.
- Simultaneously push the wrench up and lift the hood open.
Reattach the spring to the latch.