Hood struts might not make you go any faster, but being able to work on or show off your engine without an ugly, unsafe prop rod makes them one of the best modern vehicle upgrades. This makes it even more frustrating when they stop working like they’re supposed to. Unfortunately, hood strut problems don’t just go away on their own, so being able to diagnose issues and remedy them is a must.

On average, hydraulic hood lifts can last around three years or 36,000 miles. This varies depending on the quality of the strut, the air temperature and how often you open the hood, so knowing the signs to watch for is important – or else you’ll be back to the prop rod before you know it. Let’s delve into troubleshooting hood strut problems and what to do when they occur.

Three Signs of Bad Hood Struts

1. The hood slowly closes on its own after you open it.

Whether it happens right away or after a little time, this is one of the early indicators that your hood lifts have gone bad. The metal cylinders contain pressurized gas which creates stored energy to operate the hydraulics. As the seals age and wear out from use, they thin and fray to the point where the gas starts to leak. This eventually lowers the internal pressure to the point where it can no longer support the hood’s weight, which is why it gradually lowers.

2. The hood suddenly slams shut or immediately closes after opening.

This is easily the most dangerous symptom of a hood strut problem. Occasionally, worn-out seals will break entirely instead of slowly leaking. If this happens while the hood is open, it will come crashing down whether or not there is someone underneath it. Once the seals have failed, it’s like you don’t have hood struts at all. You should keep a support rod handy as a fail-safe if you know your hood struts have a lot of miles on them.

3. The hood won’t open.

Has your hood ever been stuck shut no matter how much you pull the lever, tug on the hood or scream at the sky? It could be due to faulty hood lifts. Sometimes when all the pressurized gas has leaked out, the lift arm can get stuck in the closed position, and you’ll need to go to an auto shop for assistance. This isn’t the only reason a hood refuses to open, though, so ask a mechanic to confirm once they’ve gotten the hood open.

Hood Strut Maintenance

Since hood strut cylinders are pressurized gas storage devices they will eventually wear out through normal usage. Basically the gas leaks out over time due to temperature changes, usage and hood weight. For the best performance, it’s a good idea to replace the struts on a periodic basis to prevent hood lift failures over time.

Replacing Your Hood Struts

In almost all cases, the easiest and most affordable way to fix a hydraulic hood lift problem is changing out the gas cylinders. MRT offers affordable replacement hood strut cylinders for all our hood strut kits that only take 20 minutes to install. Just remove the old struts using a flat-blade screwdriver and snap the new ones in place as shown in this short video. You’ll be right back in action for many more years of quality hood lift performance.