I need to add AC refrigerant.

The hood release button inside the vehicle is fine. I lifted it and can feel the tension from the cable. I am fairly certain the hood release cable is not broken.

However, the lock on the hood won't pop open. I poked, prodded and banged on it. I sprayed some WD-40 inside and let it sit overnight. It still won't open. The grill is hard plastic so I can't get in-between or around it. I can reach the secondary hood release inside with a long screw driver. I can push it with the screwdriver, but that is useless.

The hood is stuck closed.

the cable on the hood latch rusted out. can't unlock hood

I have a 2005 Honda Pilot. Tried to unlock the hood to do maintenance,: add refrigerant and check other fluids. Hood wouldn't unlock. Same thing happened before...we pushed/banged on the hood while pulling the release latch and it unlocked......not this time. Sprayed some WD-40 under grill onto lock; waited overnight, it still wouldn't open. Honda Service charged me $280 to take off the front bumper and the front grill. They said there is no other way to get to the lock. They said the metal parts of the release cable that connected to the lock rusted out over time. When we lifted the latch, those pieces disintegrated. Technically, the cable itself is fine....its just not 'connected' to the lock anymore, so the hood couldn't be unlocked by anyone, not even the Honda Service Tech. The only way to 'determine' the problem was to take the truck apart. Now it is not driveable and they need to order 'parts'. The new quote is almost $700.00. The new 'cable' has multiple parts that need to be ordered because they all fit together. Then Honda Service is charging me to put the truck back together again.

Going forward, I will have to remember to periodically open the hood and grease the cable connection. This is allegedly normal wear and tear from the winter road salts and rain. Metal parts corrode and rust.