Hi,

New to this message board...I'm hoping that you folks can give me some help...

I've never owned a Volvo before. I actually still don't...I'm trying to repair one for my cousin's daughter.

It's a 1998 Volvo S70. My cousin tells me that it has a bad turbo and asked me to fix it if I can. The vehicle was towed to my house. It looks like it hasn't been on the road for a while (flat tires, etc...) Battery is stone dead.

Here's my question: (please don't laugh, I'm actually pretty handy when it comes to American car repair...)

How do I get the hood open?

(I asked you not to laugh, but I certainly understand if you are...)

I found a red lever in roughly the same location that an American car would have a hood release. I tried it but it doesn't seem like anything is happening. So my thinking is either that the cable is frozen or what I'm pulling is actually a lever that's connected to a switch that releases the hood via a solenoid. (OK I'm guessing on that one....)

What's the deal? Is the hood release electronic or mechanical?

Any help anyone can provide would truly be very much appreciated.

Thanks,
H. (the Volvo newbie)