why does the hood on my 1997 volvo 960 not seat properly.

You could have a latch issue, or the bump stops or hinges are not adjusted properly. Was the vehicle in an accident recently?

The latch and hood mounts need readjusted could be done with one person but easier with two jus loosen the bolts and adjust as need. Watching an YouTube video on adjusting a hood would be recommended

Can you direct me to a video> can;t find one on line. the hood is attached with 3 bolts. the far side is through an oversized hole and the centre one is through a slot. when i push down the upper arm travels back to hit a rubber pad. detailed instructions would be helpful. the problem is that it does not settled down. i removed the windshield washers in case it was binding but that did not help. thanks,

The oversized holes are for adjustment, can you tell if the hinges them selves at bent in any way. Can you upload a photo of the gaps on all four sides when closed or as closed as it can. I'll try to find a video for you.