🔧 Accord - A/C Compressor Replacement

Replacing the A/C compressor on your Accord involves safely recovering the refrigerant, removing the drive belt and compressor, swapping the correct A/C oil and O-rings, then pulling a vacuum and recharging the system. Because refrigerant handling requires the right equipment, most DIYers do the remove/replace work and have a shop recover/recharge.

Difficulty Level: Advanced | Estimated Time: 3-6 hours (plus evac/recharge time)

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Refrigerant must be recovered before opening any A/C line—never vent to the air.
• ⚠️ Wear safety glasses and gloves; liquid refrigerant can cause severe frostbite.
• ⚠️ Keep the compressor ports capped; moisture ruins A/C components.
• ⚠️ Do not run the engine with A/C lines disconnected.
• ⚠️ Battery disconnect is recommended before unplugging the compressor clutch connector.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves
• Floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Wheel chocks
• 3/8" drive ratchet
• 1/2" drive breaker bar
• Socket set (8mm–19mm)
• Wrench set (10mm–17mm)
• Torque wrench (10–80 ft-lbs)
• Serpentine belt tool (specialty)
• Flat trim tool
• Pick set
• Line plug/cap kit (specialty)
• Drain pan
• Shop rags
• A/C manifold gauge set (specialty)
• Vacuum pump (specialty)
• Refrigerant scale (specialty)

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• A/C compressor (new or remanufactured) - Qty: 1
• A/C compressor clutch (if not included) - Qty: 1
• A/C manifold O-ring set - Qty: 1
• PAG A/C oil (Honda-spec compressor oil) - Qty: 1 bottle
• Serpentine drive belt - Qty: 1
• Receiver/drier or condenser/drier (recommended when compressor fails) - Qty: 1
• A/C system flush solvent (if compressor failed internally) - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, set the parking brake, and place wheel chocks behind the rear tires.
• Plan for refrigerant recovery and recharge: either use A/C manifold gauge set + proper recovery equipment, or schedule a shop to recover/recharge.
• Disconnect the battery: use a 10mm socket to remove the negative terminal and isolate it.
• Two quick questions so I can give exact torque specs + the best path:
  • Is the compressor being replaced due to seizure/noise or just no cooling?
  • Do you have access to vacuum pump + gauges + refrigerant scale for recharging, or will a shop handle evac/recharge?

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Recover the refrigerant

• Have a shop recover the refrigerant, or use proper recovery equipment with your A/C manifold gauge set (specialty).
• Never loosen A/C lines under pressure.

Step 2: Raise the front of the car and remove splash shielding

• Lift with a floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum) and support with jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum).
• Remove the lower splash shield/liner fasteners using a flat trim tool and 10mm socket.

Step 3: Remove the serpentine belt

• Relieve belt tension using a serpentine belt tool (specialty) or 1/2" drive breaker bar on the belt tensioner.
• Slide the belt off the A/C compressor pulley and remove the belt if you’re replacing it.

Step 4: Unplug the compressor clutch connector

• Locate the compressor electrical connector and release the lock tab by hand or with a pick set.
• Move the harness aside so it can’t get pinched.

Step 5: Remove the A/C suction and discharge lines from the compressor

• Place a drain pan under the compressor area.
• Remove the line/manifold retaining bolts using the correct socket set (8mm–19mm) (typically 10mm/12mm).
• Immediately cap the open lines and compressor ports using a line plug/cap kit (specialty).
• Remove and discard the old O-rings using a pick set.

Step 6: Remove the compressor mounting bolts and compressor

• Support the compressor by hand.
• Remove the compressor mounting bolts using a ratchet and appropriate socket.
• Lower and remove the compressor from below.

Step 7: Set the oil amount in the replacement compressor

• Drain the old compressor oil into a drain pan and measure what came out.
• Add the same amount of the correct PAG A/C oil (Honda-spec compressor oil) to the new compressor unless the new unit’s instructions specify otherwise.
• Rotate the compressor hub by hand several turns to distribute oil evenly.
• Keep ports capped until install time.

Step 8: Install the new compressor

• Position the compressor and start all mounting bolts by hand.
• Tighten mounting bolts using a torque wrench to factory specification for your Accord’s J35 compressor bracket bolts.

Step 9: Install new O-rings and reconnect A/C lines

• Lightly coat new O-rings with clean PAG A/C oil using a gloved finger.
• Install O-rings onto the line manifold, then install the lines onto the compressor.
• Tighten the line/manifold retaining bolts using a torque wrench to factory specification for the A/C manifold bolts.

Step 10: Reconnect electrical connector and reinstall the belt

• Reconnect the compressor clutch connector by hand until it clicks.
• Route the belt correctly and apply tension with the serpentine belt tool (specialty).

Step 11: Reinstall splash shield and lower the car

• Reinstall all undertray fasteners using a 10mm socket and flat trim tool.
• Lower the vehicle off the jack stands using the floor jack.

Step 12: Evacuate and recharge the A/C system

• Connect the A/C manifold gauge set (specialty) and pull vacuum with a vacuum pump (specialty).
• Verify the system holds vacuum (no leaks) before charging.
• Charge by weight using a refrigerant scale (specialty) to the under-hood A/C charge label specification.

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✅ After Repair

• Reconnect the battery using a 10mm socket.
• Start the engine and turn A/C to MAX; confirm the compressor clutch engages and air gets cold.
• Check for leaks around the compressor line manifold using your A/C manifold gauge set (specialty) and a careful visual inspection.
• If the old compressor failed internally (metal debris), strongly consider replacing the receiver/drier and flushing—otherwise the new compressor can fail quickly.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $1,100-$2,000 (parts + labor + evac/recharge)

DIY Cost: $350-$900 (parts only, plus refrigerant service)

You Save: $500-$1,200 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 2.5-4.5 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

HowToo makes it easy: same-day/2-day shipping on every part, plus all the tools and specialty tools you need! Check out the parts and tools sections below to add everything to your cart.