Dear Roel,

Hope you're well. I'd guess the left hinge has been bent, such that when it is closed, the "arms" bind against each other. Spraying lubricant will help.

Further to the advice given, if the gap between the hood's left-hand edge - and the edge of the left fender (edge of the passenger-side fender closest to the engine bay) - narrows towards the front edge - then the hinge has been bent such that the hood is slightly rotated in a clockwise direction.

To ease the "binding" of the hinge, grip the left-hand front corner of the hood and lift upwards, which tugging the hood sideways, i.e., as if you wanted to turn the hood in a counter-clockwise direction.

If the hood then can be opened fully, you've found the problem: a bent hinge. If you can't find a replacement hinge at a salvage yard, it may be necessary to remove the hinge and to straighten it by clamping in a large bench vise, and using a hammer to push the bent section so that it is again straight (or at least straight enough to allow the hood to open with less effort).

If you need to remove the hinge, use a fine-tip permanent marker to show where the hinge mounts contact the fender. These marks will enable you accurately to re-position the straightened hinge.

Hope this helps.

Stay well!!

Yours faithfully,

Spook