🔧 Accord - Serpentine Belt Replacement

The serpentine belt drives multiple accessories (alternator, A/C, power steering). If it’s cracked, noisy, glazed, or slipping, replacing it prevents charging problems, overheating, or loss of steering assist.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate | Estimated Time: 0.5–1.5 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Work on a cool engine—keep hands away from hot parts.
• ⚠️ Keep fingers and clothing clear of pulleys at all times.
• ⚠️ Support the car with jack stands before going under or removing the right-front wheel.
• ⚠️ Do not start the engine until the belt is fully seated on every pulley.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Floor jack (rated 2-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 2-ton minimum)
• Wheel chocks
• 19mm socket
• 1/2" breaker bar
• 14mm socket
• 3/8" ratchet
• 10mm socket
• Trim clip removal tool
• Flathead screwdriver
• Flashlight
• Mechanic gloves
• Safety glasses

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Serpentine belt - Qty: 1
• Plastic splash shield clips - Qty: 4–10

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, set the parking brake, and place wheel chocks behind the rear wheels.
• Open the hood and look for the belt routing diagram sticker (usually near the radiator support). If it’s missing, take a clear photo of the current routing before removal.
• Tip: Take a phone video of the belt path.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Create access to the belt

• If you have enough room from above, you can try from the top with a flashlight.
• If access is tight, lift the right-front corner using a floor jack (rated 2-ton minimum) and support with jack stands (rated 2-ton minimum).
• Use a 19mm socket to remove the right-front wheel lug nuts and remove the wheel.
• Remove the lower/right splash shield section using a 10mm socket and a trim clip removal tool (a small pry tool that pops plastic clips out without breaking them).

Step 2: Relieve belt tension

• Locate the belt tensioner. It’s the spring-loaded arm with a pulley.
• Place a 14mm socket on the tensioner’s bolt head and attach a 1/2" breaker bar.
• Slowly rotate the tensioner to relieve tension (it will feel strong—control it).
• Tip: Move it slowly to avoid pinched fingers.

Step 3: Remove the old belt

• While holding the tensioner rotated with the breaker bar, slip the belt off the easiest-to-reach smooth pulley (often the alternator or an idler).
• Gently release the tensioner back to its resting position.
• Pull the belt out of the engine bay and compare it to the new belt for matching length and rib count.

Step 4: Route and install the new belt

• Route the new belt following the under-hood routing diagram (ribbed side rides on ribbed pulleys; smooth side rides on smooth pulleys).
• Leave one easy pulley for last so you can “slip it on” after tension is released.
• Rotate the tensioner again using the 14mm socket and 1/2" breaker bar, then slip the belt onto the last pulley.
• Release the tensioner slowly and confirm the belt sits squarely in every pulley groove.

Step 5: Reinstall splash shield and wheel (if removed)

• Reinstall the splash shield using the 10mm socket, trim clip removal tool, and flathead screwdriver as needed.
• Reinstall the wheel and hand-start lug nuts.
• Lower the car and tighten lug nuts with a 19mm socket to Torque to 108 Nm (80 ft-lbs).

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✅ After Repair

• Start the engine and watch the belt for 15–30 seconds. It should run straight with no wobble.
• Listen for chirping/squealing. If you hear noise, shut it off and re-check belt seating on every pulley groove.
• Recheck for any leftover tools or loose clips around the splash shield area.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $150–$300 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $25–$60 (parts only)

You Save: $125–$240 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 0.7–1.2 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.