Thanks to James 93SLC for this guide!

Hood release part#'s (bought from www.impexfap.com Formerly vwparts.com)

Part number: 535 823 555 (Cable Clamp)
Price: $9.52 Quantity: 1

Part number: 443 823 597A (Prot Tube)
Price: $3.58 Quantity: 1

Part number: 536 823 531 (Hood Latch Cable)
Price: $63.44 Quantity: 1

Part number: 535 823 567 (Cable Housing Stop)
Price: $3.34 Quantity: 1

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Cable Anatomy





The release cable simply pulls the two hood latch springs towards the center of the car.
The drivers side spring is acted upon by the end of the cable housing pushing against a stop
and the passenger side pulled by the cable anchor itself.





Tightening of the cable is simply done by loosening the bolt on the cable anchor and pulling
the cable taunt. Don't pull too much or else you will start acting upon the hood latch springs
and the hood will not latch fully.









In my case the cable itself didn't break. What happened was that the metal clip that anchors the
cable housing just above the release handle had snapped. This meant that when I pulled the handle
the housing moved instead of being stationary. I was able to release the hood by grasping the housing
and pulling out on the cable.

You can buy the clip itself. Part#535 823 567

I also went ahead and replaced the driver side stop (old one was plastic / new is metal) and the cable anchor.





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Replacement

Step 1.
You will need to remove the air-box and plastic cover from behind the passenger headlight.
This will gain you access to the cable anchor. Loosen the clamp bolt and remove the anchor.





Step 2.
Once you have the cable free of the stop you can carefully pull it out from the driver side.
The cable travels behind the radiator through a bowden tube.





Step 3.
To feed the new cable housing through the cowling I slipped the new housing over the old cable
until it met up with the old housing. I could then push the new housing into the grommet using
the old cable as a guide.





Step 4.
From inside the car you can now anchor the housing into the stop clip, attach the new cable
to the handle and feed the cable through.

Tip: I did lubricate the new cable with Tri-Flow oil before sliding it through.





Step 5.
Back outside now you can feed the cable through the driver side housing stop and hood release spring
and guide it back through the bowden tube. As it comes out on the passenger side, carefully guide the cable
through the other hood release spring and cable anchor.

Step 6.
Before tightening the locking bolt you want to pull the cable snug while pushing the cable anchor against the spring.

Step 7.
Once you have the cable anchored (hood still open....don't get greedy yet) give the release handle some good
hard pulls. This will seat the housing and cable stops and will generate some slack in the cable. You can then
loosen the anchor bolt and retighten the cable.

Your almost done!





Step 8.
One of the keys to a smooth opening hood is to make sure the latch pins are lubricated and adjusted correctly.
If the pin is adjusted too short the the hood will be difficult to release. Too long and the hood will
not be held down snug. It is the springs on these pins that pops the hood up when the cable is pulled.
From the base of the pin to the end of the pin should be 57mm. You can simply adjust it with a couple of wrenches.









Step 9.
Finally you need to lubricate the hood pin and latch spring. I used a high quality waterproof
bicycle hub grease.

Step 10.
Now you can close the hood, hold your breath, pull the handle and hope the hood opens back up.

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If you found this guide useful, visit James 93SLC's Site and buy him a beer!