I need help! I pulled the grille piece off of my truck and painted it. I put it back on like it went but now the hood latch won't work. What's wrong?

 

If the hood won't close then did you flip the latch closed while the hood was open? If so then pull the handle to release it.

If the hood won't open then did you knock the cable off the latch? If so then you need to get the hood open and put it back where it goes. To get it open with the cable disconnected you'll need a couple feet of extensions and a 10mm socket so you can take the two bolts out of the latch from under the truck. After removing the two bolts your hood will lift up with ease and you will need a towel or a jacket or something to put over the latch so it doesn't fly up and knock you out when you release it. Then just re-attach the latch and the cable and close the hood.

I found out with my truck a while back that if the release handle inside has the mounting screws too tight that it won't release the hood. My hood wouldn't open after getting the transmission rebuilt and it took me a little while to figure the handle deal out.

 

I already released it because thats what I thought, but it still wont work. Could I have bent it just to where it wont latch?

 

I just went out there and looked, I'm thinking that your secondary latch is the problem (the hook deal to the left of the thick metal bar that holds the hood closed). It is probably either bent or not connected correctly and is hitting where it should be sliding into its little hole and grabbing on.

 

There was a recall on the secondary hood latches....... for some years.

 

you might be right cause its not latching unless i push up on it. so what do i do if thats the problem?

 

If its the secondary hood latch, go see your local neighborhood dodge dealer.

 

Yeah, you could get it replaced for free from the dealer or you could look through the grille while slowly closing it to see where it's hanging up.
That latch is bolted to the hood so there would be no need to take it off to mess with the grille, I'm thinking that either the plastic piece that snaps onto the bar to connect it to the latch isn't on right or that bar is bent a little.
You wouldn't happen to have a picture of it would you?

 

No but i could get some if that would help

 

Here's the deal fellas, I took my truck in for an oil change, came out and later while driving down the freeway realized that the hood wasn't closed all the way. I pulled over, closed it and drove away. It's not locking down. The cable is fine, the hood release in the cab is fine and I already replaced the actual latch mechanism that the cable connects to, thinking that it had just gone bad. Then I realized that whatever it is the latch latches on to is what's broken. I have no idea what it's called, (someone suggested it's called a crossmember, but I can't find that listed as a part on a 2nd gen Ram 1500). Can anyone help me on this? Am I gonna have to buy a whole new hood?

"(the hook deal to the left of the thick metal bar that holds the hood closed)" --- I need to know the actual name of the 'thick metal bar'.