How do you close your hood?

[silverrascal]

Sorry if this seems like a completely odd question. But please allow me to elaborate...

My prior vehicle was a VW GTI. The hood on it is propped up with a pneumatic arm. When I went to close or lower the hood, the arm provided some resistance so much so that I would have to firmly push down on the hood to latch and lock it.

Now on my Civic, the hood uses the usual manual arm that latches to the roof. And when I go to close the hood, I have to support the hood until I either A) drop it with the force of gravity or B) gently lower the hood to the point before it latches and then try to press down it to latch and lock.

I know there's probably not a wrong way with maybe the except of letting the hood go from it highest point and slamming it down but how do you close the hood?

Quick related story: When I first got my brand new 1990 Acura Integra, my cousin wanted to check out the engine. The hood, even then, was propped up via a manual arm. When he was done looking at the engine. He unlatched the arm and put it back in place while holding the hood up with his other arm. NBD. But then he let go of the hood at its highest point and SLAM! the hood shuts all the while I'm looking in horror as to what the H-E-L-L he was doing to my new ride. Ever since then I've never dropped the hood in such a fashion on any car. It's just un-nerving to me to hear the loud clang of metal especially on my own rides.

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[domm92]

A little less then a foot away and I drop it.
Someone told me a story about how they got a new car and a friend or family put the hood down by its latch and then pushed it down by hand and left a big dent in the hood.

The civics sheet metal is very very thin from what I've heard so I would just drop it from a low distance.

 

[corbygray528]

I usually lower it all the way down where it's resting just on top of the latch, then give it a little flick up and that's enough to get the weight of it to latch when it falls back down.

 

[ediblebirch]

I lower it all the way to the latch and then push down on it.

 

[Billy4202]

I go like 6 inches away and let 'er drop.

 

[dick w]

Dropping it must be OK. It's the OM (p 492) procedure:

When closing, remove the support rod, and
stow it in the clamp, then gently lower the
hood. Remove your hand at a height of
approximately 12 inches (30 cm) and let the
hood close.

 

[GAVZDAD]

Close it about halfway, then slam it with all the force you can, just to make sure it shuts good.

 

[Civic_Honey627]

I get mine a few inches from closed, give it a slight bounce up and let it go. Since the metal is unbelievably light, I close my trunk from a few inches as well. I used to slam down (within reason) the trunk on my '06 coupe but this ain't that car....not by a long shot!

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