Hood Latch - Rattling Noise

91ford27

Article No. 91-23-3
11/13/91


^ HOOD - "RATTLING" NOISE FROM HOOD LATCH

^ NOISE - "RATTLE" FROM HOOD LATCH


FORD: 1992 CROWN VICTORIA

LINCOLN-MERCURY: 1992 GRAND MARQUIS


This TSB article is being republished in its entirety to provide additional information about adjusting the hood latch.

ISSUE: A rattle, which sounds like a loose shock absorber, may be caused by the hood latch contacting the hood latch striker. This rattle occurs because of misaligned or misadjusted hood latch, hood bumpers or misaligned hood assembly.

ACTION: If service is required, use the following procedure to check the hood fit and to adjust the hood supporting hardware.


1. Check to see that the hood is correctly set for flushness to the grille opening panel. Reset the latch downward if required.

2. Be sure that the hood adjustable bumpers (F0TZ-16758-A), located at the front corners of the radiator support, are correctly set. The height should be set to ensure that a slight tension exists between the hood latch striker and the latch. Reset the bumpers if required.

3. Check to see if the hood side bumpers (N807032-S) are properly installed. If missing or damaged, install new ones.


4. Confirm that the rattle is gone.

^ If the rattle has been eliminated, no further action is required.

^ If the rattle is still present, release the hood to the secondary latch and retest for the rattle.

CAUTION: WHEN DRIVING WITH THE HOOD IN THE SECONDARY LATCH POSITION, USE A SUITABLE SAFETY STRAP TO RESTRAIN THE HOOD.

^ If the rattle is eliminated with the hood in the secondary latch position, proceed to Step # 5.

^ If the rattle is not eliminated with the hood in the secondary latch position, then the source of the rattle is elsewhere and must be corrected by using other diagnostic procedures.

5. Check to see if the hood-to-fender margins are parallel.

6. Check to see if the latch is pulling the hood to the left or right.

7. If the margins are not parallel, or the latch is pulling the hood, correct the margins.

a. Loosen the F-mount, radiator support to frame, nuts.

b. Push the fenders to the left or right.

c. Retighten the mount nuts.

8. Loosen the latch bolts attaching it to the radiator support.

Figure 1:

Figure 2:

NOTE: TO ADJUST THE LATCH, IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO REMOVE THE LOCATING PINS IN THE LATCH BODY, FIGURE 1. THIS CAN BE DONE WITHOUT REMOVING THE LATCH. THE LATCH MUST REMAIN PARALLEL TO THE RADIATOR SUPPORT TOP SHELF WITHIN A 3 MM MAXIMUM DIFFERENCE SIDE TO SIDE AS SHOWN IN FIGURE 2. PROCEED TO STEP # 9.


9. Drive the pins out to the rear, using a drift pin and light hammer. Do not replace the pins; they are used for production assembly only.

10. Move the latch about 1.0 mm to the right or left to center the latch in the hood striker opening.

NOTE: BY DESIGN, THERE SHOULD BE A 1.0 - 1.5 MM GAP BETWEEN BOTH SIDES OF THE LATCH HOUSING AND THE HOOD STRIKER OPENING.

11. Retighten the hood latch bolts and maintain hood flushness.

12. If the rattle is still evident, recheck the latch-to-striker clearance. There must be a minimum clearance of 1.0 mm between both sides of the latch and the striker.


PART NUMBER PART NAME CLASS

N807032-S Hood Side Bumpers C
F0TZ-16758-A Hood Adjustable Bumpers B

OTHER APPLICABLE ARTICLES: NONE
SUPERSEDES: 91-13-1
WARRANTY STATUS: Eligible Under Basic Warranty Coverage
OPERATION DESCRIPTION TIME
912303A Adjust Hood Latch Side 0.7 Hr.
Bumpers
DEALER CODING
BASIC PART NO. CONDITION CODE
16612 56
OASIS CODES: 112000, 702000