[EnglishRebel]

I was due to pick up my 2019 Quadrifoglio yesterday (Friday) at FCI Greensboro. The salesman brought the car top from FCI Charlotte on a flatbed for me to check out and test drive. Well, we only got out of the parking lot when there was a visual warning on the dashboard that the hood wasn't fully close and a "Auto Start-Stop Not Available" audible. The salesman got out and made sure the hood was fully closed but on driving again we still got the same warnings.





Back in the dealer parking lot, we looked at the two latches and noticed that the one on the passenger side had an addition component that appeared to latch the hood closed. Not being familiar with the system, we both assumed the part on the driver’s side latch had somehow broken off. The salesman apologized and agreed to take the car back to Charlotte, get it fixed and bring it to my house. I should add, that this issue should have been picked up in their pre-delivery inspection. As the car was only moved from their showroom onto the flatbed there was no way the driver would have known about this. I took my Lexus and headed home.





Later that day, I got a call from the sales manager at FCI Charlotte who said that there was no missing part - that all that was needed was an adjustment to fix the issue. They are going to bring it on a flatbed to my house by late morning today (Saturday). In hindsight, maybe the extra part on the passenger side hood latch was to trigger the switch that tells the vehicle that the hood is not properly closed. Why the Alfa engineers decided to only throw a warning once the vehicle was in motion is beyond me. If a door is left open, you get an immediate warning. It hasn’t soured my Alfa Romeo experience—in fact, in the short test drive the car is amazing and I can’t wait to drive it. It's off the the local Xpel dealer on Monday. In examining the car, it's in pristine condition with just a few very small stone chips.

 

[313speed]

Ironically my AST light came on yesterday. My hood latch has been replaced twice and looks to need a third fix. I can see the hood slightly askew on the driver’s side, so I’m assuming that’s the problem. I’ll let the dealer fix is since I have a few months left on warranty, but this is another issue I assume I’ll need to get good at fixing.

 

[EnglishRebel]

Well, took delivery of the car and did a quick test drive to make sure the hood latch was fixed. No more warnings. However, I came to open the hood and guess what? It only unlocks the driver's side latch. Now how the heck do I get it open? Any suggestions?
Thanks
Alan

 

[wingler]

Well, took delivery of the car and did a quick test drive to make sure the hood latch was fixed. No more warnings. However, I came to open the hood and guess what? It only unlocks the driver's side latch. Now how the heck do I get it open? Any suggestions?
Thanks
Alan

I take it you have reached under the center of the hood and pulled the release lever there?

 

[EnglishRebel]

The hood has not been released to a point where I can do that. I was on the phone with the Sales Manager at FCI Charlotte and voila, the hood opened. It didn't do it every time and doesn't pop up to allow my to access the release lever - I had to pry it open with my fingers to do that. I just think that that have it set too tight to prevent the "hood open" warning. All the cars I've ever owned, the front edge of the hood pops up maybe a half inch once the lever is pulled. This may be for something to be looked at at the next service.
Alan

 

[wingler]

The hood has not been released to a point where I can do that. I was on the phone with the Sales Manager at FCI Charlotte and voila, the hood opened. It didn't do it every time and doesn't pop up to allow my to access the release lever - I had to pry it open with my fingers to do that. I just think that that have it set too tight to prevent the "hood open" warning. All the cars I've ever owned, the front edge of the hood pops up maybe a half inch once the lever is pulled. This may be for something to be looked at at the next service.
Alan

👍 I just asked the question because the release inside the car unlatches the drivers side, and the one under the hood unlatches the passenger side. There are a couple of hexagonal shaped rubber bumpers under the front lip of the hood. They can be adjusted just by turning by hand. Adjusting them anti-clockwise a quarter or half turn may help the hood pop up when the latch is released.

 

[313speed]

I have the same prob occasionally w/ my hood. When it doesn’t open on the first pull, a second usually works. I’d have to push down on the side that wasn’t opening to release when I first bought it tho. The adjustment mentioned above took care of that.

On a side note, the AST light was gone today. Stuff like that happens occasionally... mostly just a minor annoyance.

 

[Theo]

I will say that the hood latch system is the car’s second flaw, after our batteries. I’d like to think that a Quad comes with a better latch handle which on my car, I was convinced came from old Yugo stock.

 

[maxpower]

👍 I just asked the question because the release inside the car unlatches the drivers side, and the one under the hood unlatches the passenger side. There are a couple of hexagonal shaped rubber bumpers under the front lip of the hood. They can be adjusted just by turning by hand. Adjusting them anti-clockwise a quarter or half turn may help the hood pop up when the latch is released.

Yes to this ^^^^^^
My hood would occasionally stick and seem to not open until I came across a thread here a while back mentioning the rubber bumpers. Turned them a little, and never had the sticking hood problem again.

 

[NAM VET]

one day my QV's hood would not unlatch, so drove a few miles to my dealer, and it did pop open then, so the tech took a moment to make an adjustment on the "bumpers" and all well since. NV

 

[EnglishRebel]

Which way did you turn the rubber bumpers and how many turns? I don't want to overdo it and get a "Hood Open" warning like I had before.
Thanks
Alan

 

[Computerfixusa]

Righty tighty lefty loosy. Or counterclockwise try a quarter turn at a time

 

[EnglishRebel]

Righty tighty lefty loosy. Or counterclockwise try a quarter turn at a time

A quarter turn counterclockwise did the trick. Both latched release and when the hood is closed there is no open warning. Thanks Computerfixusa.
Alan