ben;

I don't know what you mean under "retired", but typical problems come from lack of lubrication of the cable and/or release mech itself, and as you pull harder and harder to overcome the sluggishness, you can eventually break the cablestop off at the latch end.

To open hood, look at the bottom of hoodlatch through the opening which you have made by removing one grill, and manually actuate the lever which would normally be pulled by the release cable. That will get the hood open anyway...

After repairs, I suggest you lube everything involved WELL. I recommend graphite grease for the cable and normal grease for the latchworks.

Cheers