How to Replace Hood Latch 2010-14 Volkswagen GTI
Created on: 2018-05-14
How to repair, install, fix, change or replace a broken or loose hood latch on 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 VW GTI
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step 1 :Removing the Grille
- Remove the T25 Torx bolts from the top of the grille
- Pull the grille off the bumper
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step 2 :Removing the Bumper
- Pull off the access panel inside the wheel well
- Remove the three T25 bolt inside each wheel well
- Disconnect the fog light electrical connectors
- Unclip the fog light retainers from the bumper
- Remove the T25 bolts from the bottom of the bumper
- Unclip the bumper from the wheel wells
- Remove the two T25 bolts from the top of the bumper
- Pull the bumper forward and off the vehicle
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step 3 :Removing the Headlight
- Unplug the headlight electrical connector
- Remove the four T30 Torx bolts from the top of the headlight
- Pull the headlight forward off the frame
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step 4 :Removing the Hood Latch
- Unclip the latch cable from the bracket
- Disconnect the latch cable
- Unplug the hood ajar signal electrical connector
- Unclip the electrical connector retainers
- Mark the latch location with a marker
- Remove the T30 Torx bolts from the latch
- Pull the latch up out of the frame
- Unclip the electrical connector from the bracket
- Fish the electrical connector through the frame
- Pull the latch off the frame
- Unclip the cable from the latch
- Plug in the electrical connector
- Install the T30 bolts loosely into the latch
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step 5 :Installing the Hood Latch
- Fish the electrical connector through the frame and into place
- Clip the latch cable onto the latch
- Place the latch into the frame
- Clip the electrical connector into its retainers
- Clip the latch cable together
- Clip the latch cable to its retainer
- Line up the latch with the marks you made in Step 4
- Torque the bolts to 12 newton-meters
- Close the hood
- Check that the hood is lined up properly
- Test the hood release
- Test the hood safety
- Open the hood
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step 6 :Installing the Headlight
- Line up the headlight on the bumper, using the locating tabs
- Install the four T30 Torx bolts into the headlight
- Plug in the electrical connector
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step 7 :Installing the Bumper
- Line up the bumper on the vehicle
- Install the two T25 bolts at the top of the bumper
- Install the T25 bolts into the bottom of the bumper
- Connect the fog light electrical connectors
- Clip the fog light retainers to the bumper
- Install the three T25 bolts into each wheel well
- Push the access cover into each wheel well
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step 8 :Installing the Grille
- Line up the grille with the bumper
- Push in the grille clips
- Install the T25 bolts at the top of the grille
Tools needed
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Socket Extensions
Flat Blade Screwdriver
T30 Bit
Ratchet
T25 Torx Socket
Marker / Writing Utensil
Torque Wrench
Hi. I'm Mike from 1AAuto. We've been selling auto parts for over 30 years!
In this video we will be removing and reinstalling a hood latch in a 2010 Volkswagen GTI.
We're going to take these T25s out for the front grille, using a T25 socket, extension, and a ratchet. I'm going to grab underneath the grille and just pull forward. There's little clips underneath. That came out kind of easy. You may have to work at it a little bit.
Pull this panel off. Grab underneath and pull. There's a T25 that goes straight up and down. Going to use our T25 socket and extension to get on it. There's two more down here. We're going to pull our connector for our fog lights. You're going to push on this little tab here and then pull down. The connector will pull right out. Push down. Pull that straight out. The driver's side is the same. On the driver's side, the wiring harness had a retainer that's attached to the bumper. You have to pull it straight out.
We're going to take out all these T25s. There's one here, one here, and there, one there, and there, one there, these two, and these two. Now, on both sides, you're going to grab right here and pull out. We're going to take these last two out. Then pull straight forward.
We need to remove the driver's side headlight. This vehicle has an aftermarket air box, so yours may be different. You may have to remove your air box to gain access to the headlight. We're going to start by taking these T30s out: one right here, one right here. We're going to take this connector out. Going to slide a straight blade screwdriver into the connector lock, pull back. You should be able to pull back like so. Then just pull our headlight straight out.
We're going to pull this cable out of this little bracket right here. Use a flat bladed screwdriver or your hands. Pull it towards the front of the vehicle and that'll come off. This can disconnect right here. I’m going to twist it sideways and pull it out like that.
All right, over here, this connector right here is the hood ajar connector. Push down on the retainer. Pop the connector out. And there's a little lock right here. Push that down. Push up and that will come out.
There's a little retainer on the inside. You can get to it with a trim tool. You could probably pull it out. We're going to just push it through with our screwdriver. That holds the wire. Over here the wires in these little slots, there's a holder for them, so we're going to push in here to get the wire out of the retainers. You can pull the wire through here like that.
Before we take these bolts out, I'm going to take a Sharpie and just go around, because we're going to want to line this up afterwards. Right here. You can also take a straight pick and just scribe it. That works as well. Right there too. Because we want that to line up after.
Now we're going to take our bolts out with a T30 socket and extension and a ratchet. Now we're going to pull up on our hood latch. There's a little bracket down in here. Let me see. Where the wire will be in right here. You can pull that bracket and then pull this bracket off the connector. Now we're going to fish this through underneath here. You can grab underneath the bumper, fish it up here, and pull it out. It'll come out up there. Going to pop the cable off. You can push this little tab right here. It'll pop off and the ball will come straight off with it and then there's your hood latch.
All right, we're going to reinstall. We'll start by fishing this cable down here and then we'll pull it through. We'll leave that for a minute. We’re going to reinstall our hood latch cable. You just pull this ball out a little bit. It should be right about there. You're going to tip it down. Now that ball is going to go into the slot right here. And then you're going to push it together. Make sure that's all the way down. Fish that in there. We'll fish this cable back down, grabbing from underneath. Push it back up. Push that cable back in. Grab it over here.
On the backside of here is what secures the wires in. You're going to take the wire and the cable and you're going to pull it towards you, towards the front of the vehicle. That will lock it in place. You can see it going in there. That's what holds it in.
This cable can go back in here. Click it back in to its holder, to the other cable. Push it down. push that ball down and then I'll lock it in. Then we'll lock this in over here. Lock that in like that. Get it fit and locked in.
Now we're going to slide this wiring harness back in to here. Grab over here. Push that retainer back through like that.
Then reinstall our bolts. We just want to put them in loosely because then we're going to line the latch back up. This one is lined up down there. This has just got to come up a skosh. Take a screwdriver and just pull it up just a little bit and it's lined up. Oops, it fell back down. Screw this up and we're lined up right there and we're lined up over here, and we're good to tighten it down. We're going torque these bolts to 12 newton-meters.
Before we put the rest of the car back together, we're going to want to test it and make sure everything is lined up, because if you had the whole car back together and you forget to hook the cable up or do something and the hood wouldn't release, then it's going to be harder to fix it at that point. Close the hood. Check right here. It looks like it's lined up pretty good. Check over any of the other headlight. It's lined up good. Now we'll check our hood latch and make sure it unlatches. Looks good. Check our safety. It looks good. We're good to put everything back together.
We're going to put this driver's side headlight back in. You're going to want to line up underneath here. There's these two tabs to line up. Want to line those up. Push it down. All right, then we want to push the connector on until it's locked on. Then take these bolts, put the bolts in. You’re going to want to start them all before you torque them down. Snug these up.
For ease of installation, it's easier if you have a partner and when taking it off, so we can line it up. Install these two T25s. We're going to install these T25s.
Next we're going to connect the fog light or the marker light, push that in. Now we're going to connect the fog light. Push it on until it's locked in. Do the same for the driver's side. We're going to install this last T25 going up. You're going to push on the fender. You're going to push on the bumper and make sure it lines up while you're tightening it. Put these Torx screws in. Install the cover. Putting it in up top and push in.
Install the grille. Line it up down below and push, lock it into place. Install these Torx screws.
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