🔧 Accord - Rear Brake Pad Replacement

You’ll be replacing the rear brake pads and resetting the electric parking brake so the new pads sit correctly and stop smoothly. This is a common job, but on your hybrid the electric parking brake needs to be put into “service mode” first.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate | Estimated Time: 2–3 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Always support the car with jack stands; never rely only on a jack.
• ⚠️ Wear safety glasses and gloves; brake dust and cleaner are harmful to eyes and skin.
• ⚠️ Your Accord has an electric parking brake (EPB); you must place it in service mode before pushing the pistons back or you can damage the system.
• ⚠️ Do not press the brake pedal with a caliper removed; you can push the piston out.
• ⚠️ Keep ignition OFF while working on the brakes so the EPB doesn’t move unexpectedly.
• ⚠️ Work on cool brakes only; hot rotors and calipers can burn you.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• 🛠️ Floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum)
• 🛠️ Jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum, Qty: 2–4)
• 🛠️ Wheel chocks
• 🛠️ 19mm lug wrench or 19mm socket with breaker bar
• 🛠️ 3/8" drive ratchet
• 🛠️ 1/2" drive ratchet
• 🛠️ 12mm socket
• 🛠️ 17mm socket
• 🛠️ 3/8" drive torque wrench (5–80 ft-lbs range)
• 🛠️ 1/2" drive torque wrench (50–150 ft-lbs range)
• 🛠️ Flathead screwdriver (medium)
• 🛠️ Needle-nose pliers
• 🛠️ C-clamp or disc brake piston compressor tool
• 🛠️ Wire brush (small, steel)
• 🛠️ Shop rags
• 🛠️ OBD2 scan tool with Honda EPB service mode function (specialty)
• 🛠️ Brake cleaner spray (chlorinated or non‑chlorinated)
• 🛠️ Nitrile gloves
• 🛠️ Safety glasses

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• 🔩 Rear brake pad set (left and right) - Qty: 1 set (replace both sides)
• 🔩 Rear pad hardware kit (shims/clips) - Qty: 1 set
• 🔩 High-temperature silicone brake grease - Qty: 1 tube
• 🔩 Brake cleaner - Qty: 1–2 cans
• 🔩 Anti-squeal brake compound (Honda-spec or equivalent) - Qty: 1 small tube
• 🔩 Replacement caliper bracket bolts (optional) - Qty: 4 (if existing are damaged or badly rusted)

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park your Accord on a level surface, shift to P, and set the parking brake. Place wheel chocks in front of the front wheels.
• Loosen, but do not remove, the rear wheel lug nuts with a 19mm lug wrench while the car is still on the ground.
• Have your OBD2 scan tool with EPB function ready; you’ll use it to put the rear brakes in service mode. Service mode tells the electric motors to fully retract.
• Keep the 12V battery connected for EPB service mode; you need system power. Do not disconnect the battery.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Put the electric parking brake (EPB) into service mode

• Connect your OBD2 scan tool with EPB function to the diagnostic port under the dash (above your left knee).
• Press the START button twice without pressing the brake pedal to turn the ignition ON (dash lights on, engine off).
• Using the scan tool, navigate to Honda > Accord > EPB/Brake > Special Functions > Pad Replacement/Service Mode or similar wording.
• Follow on-screen prompts to “Open” or “Release” rear calipers for pad replacement. You should hear the EPB motors whirring at the rear wheels.
• Wait for the scan tool to confirm service mode is active, then turn ignition OFF if the instructions say so. If it says leave ignition ON, follow the tool’s directions.
• Do not skip service mode on EPB brakes.

Step 2: Raise the rear of the car and remove wheels

• Place the floor jack under the rear jacking point (center of rear subframe) and lift until both rear wheels are off the ground.
• Set jack stands under the rear pinch welds on both sides and slowly lower the car onto the stands with the floor jack.
• Remove the rear wheel lug nuts with a 19mm socket and ratchet or lug wrench and take off both rear wheels.
• Always shake the car slightly to confirm it’s stable.

Step 3: Inspect and locate caliper hardware

• Looking at one rear wheel area, locate the brake caliper (the part that squeezes the pads). Behind it is the caliper bracket, which holds the caliper in place.
• Find the two caliper guide pin bolts on the back of the caliper; these are usually 12mm bolts on your Accord.
• Behind that, you’ll see two larger caliper bracket bolts that attach to the knuckle; these are usually 17mm bolts.

Step 4: Remove the rear caliper

• Use a 12mm socket and 3/8" ratchet to remove the two caliper guide pin bolts.
• Gently pry the caliper away from the bracket with a flathead screwdriver if it feels stuck.
• Lift the caliper off the pads and support it using a wire hanger or bungee cord so it hangs from the spring or body, not from the brake hose or EPB wiring.
• Never let the caliper hang by its hose or wire.

Step 5: Remove old brake pads and hardware

• Slide the old pads out of the caliper bracket by hand. Note which side had the wear indicator tab (small metal finger); it usually goes on the inner pad.
• Remove the pad hardware clips from the caliper bracket with a flathead screwdriver if they’re stuck.
• Use a wire brush to clean rust and debris from the caliper bracket, especially where the clips sit.
• Spray the area (not rubber parts) lightly with brake cleaner and wipe with shop rags.

Step 6: Compress the rear caliper piston

• Check that EPB service mode is active (you should be able to push the piston in; if it’s rock solid, stop and recheck service mode with the scan tool).
• Place one of the old pads against the piston face, then use a C-clamp or disc brake piston compressor tool between the pad and outer caliper body.
• Slowly tighten the tool to push the piston back into the caliper until it is nearly flush with the caliper body.
• Go slowly to avoid damaging seals. If you feel strong resistance early, stop and verify EPB is retracted by the scan tool.

Step 7: Clean and lubricate guide pins and install new hardware

• Carefully pull the caliper guide pins out of the bracket by hand or with needle-nose pliers. Note their position (upper vs lower).
• Wipe old grease and dirt from pins with shop rags and a small amount of brake cleaner.
• Apply a thin coat of high-temperature silicone brake grease to each pin and slide them back into their rubber boots, making sure they move freely.
• Install the new stainless hardware clips from your hardware kit into the caliper bracket by hand. Make sure they fully seat and are not twisted.
• Freely sliding pins prevent uneven pad wear.

Step 8: Prepare and install new pads

• Apply a small, even layer of anti-squeal brake compound or brake grease to the back of each pad where it contacts the caliper and shims (do not get any on the friction surface).
• If your pad set includes shims, install them on the backs of the pads as shown in the pad instructions.
• Install the new inner and outer pads into the caliper bracket, sliding the ears of the pads into the new hardware clips.
• Make sure any wear indicator tab is in the same position as the old inner pad (usually bottom or top of inner pad).

Step 9: Reinstall caliper over new pads

• Position the caliper over the new pads and onto the bracket.
• Line up the caliper with the guide pins.
• Install the guide pin bolts by hand first, then tighten with a 12mm socket and 3/8" ratchet.
• Tighten the caliper guide pin bolts to 34 Nm (25 ft-lbs) using a 3/8" torque wrench.

Step 10: Repeat steps on the other rear wheel

• Repeat Steps 4 through 9 on the other rear wheel: remove caliper, replace pads and hardware, compress piston, lubricate pins, and torque bolts.
• Always replace rear pads as a pair.

Step 11: Reinstall wheels and lower the car

• Reinstall each rear wheel and thread the lug nuts by hand.
• Snug the lug nuts with a 19mm socket in a crisscross pattern, but don’t fully torque yet.
• Use the floor jack to raise the rear of the car slightly, remove the jack stands, then slowly lower the car to the ground.
• Torque the rear wheel lug nuts to 127 Nm (94 ft-lbs) using a 1/2" torque wrench and 19mm socket in a star pattern.

Step 12: Exit EPB service mode and initialize brakes

• Turn the ignition ON (engine off) again by pressing the START button twice without pressing the brake pedal.
• Using your OBD2 scan tool, select the function to “Close” or “End Pad Replacement / Exit Service Mode” for the EPB. Follow the prompts until the scan tool confirms completion.
• Now, with the car still safely parked and in P, press the brake pedal firmly several times until it feels solid. This seats the pads against the rotors.
• Apply and release the parking brake using the EPB switch a couple of times so the system self-adjusts.

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✅ After Repair

• Start the engine and gently press the brake pedal; it should feel firm, not spongy.
• Check around both rear calipers for any leaks, loose bolts, or rubbing noises while slowly rolling the car forward and backward.
• Take a short test drive at low speed, gently braking several times. Listen for grinding or unusual sounds.
• Bed in the new pads: over the first 200–300 km, avoid hard stops; perform several gentle to moderate stops to gradually transfer pad material to the rotors.
• After the test drive, recheck lug nut torque to 127 Nm (94 ft-lbs).

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $350–$500 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $80–$160 (parts only)

You Save: $270–$340 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100–$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 1.5–2.0 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

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