🔧 Accord - Serpentine Belt Replacement

You’ll be replacing the drive (serpentine) belt that runs the A/C compressor on your Accord hybrid. A worn belt can squeal, crack, or fail and leave you without air conditioning.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate | Estimated Time: 1–2 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ This is a hybrid: never work on the engine with the car in READY mode. The engine can start by itself.
• ⚠️ Keep the key at least 10 feet away from the car while working.
• ⚠️ Do not touch any orange high-voltage cables or connectors.
• ⚠️ Disconnect the 12V battery negative terminal to prevent the engine from starting.
• ⚠️ Support the car with jack stands any time a wheel is off. Never rely only on a floor jack.
• ⚠️ Let the engine cool fully; the exhaust and engine parts can be very hot.

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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)
• 🛠️ Wheel chocks
• 🛠️ 19mm socket
• 🛠️ 10mm socket
• 🛠️ Ratchet handle 3/8" drive
• 🛠️ Breaker bar 1/2" drive
• 🛠️ Torque wrench 3/8" or 1/2" drive
• 🛠️ Trim clip removal tool
• 🛠️ Flathead screwdriver (medium)
• 🛠️ Lug wrench or 19mm lug nut socket
• 🛠️ Fender cover or clean towel
• 🛠️ Work light or flashlight
• 🛠️ Mechanic gloves
• 🛠️ Safety glasses

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• 🔩 A/C drive (serpentine) belt - Qty: 1
• 🔩 Plastic splash shield clips - Qty: 4–6 (in case any break)
• 🔩 Dielectric grease (small packet) - Qty: 1 (optional, for 12V battery terminal)

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park the Accord on level ground, shift to P, and set the parking brake.
• Turn the ignition off and make sure the dash is completely dark (not in READY mode).
• Open the hood and let the engine area cool if you’ve just driven.
• Disconnect the 12V battery negative terminal using a 10mm socket, and tuck the cable aside so it can’t spring back.
• Place wheel chocks behind both rear wheels.
• A “splash shield” is the plastic cover inside the wheel well and under the engine that keeps water and dirt out.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift and secure the front right corner

• Loosen the front right wheel lug nuts one turn using a lug wrench or 19mm lug nut socket, but do not remove them yet.
• Position the floor jack under the front jacking point (center front pad behind the bumper) and raise the car until the front right wheel is off the ground.
• Place jack stands under the proper side jacking point on the right side and gently lower the car onto the stands using the floor jack.
• Remove the front right wheel completely using the lug wrench or 19mm socket.

Step 2: Remove the right wheel well splash shield

• Use the trim clip removal tool or flathead screwdriver to pop out the plastic clips holding the front part of the inner fender liner and the small access panel near the crank pulley.
• Remove any 10mm bolts securing the small lower splash shield using a 10mm socket.
• Gently pull back or remove the section of the splash shield that covers the belt area to expose the pulleys and belt.
• Keep clips and bolts in a small tray.

Step 3: Note and/or record belt routing

• On this hybrid, the belt normally runs around the crankshaft pulley and the A/C compressor pulley, with an automatic tensioner.
• Take a clear photo with your phone of the existing belt path.
• If your car has a routing sticker in the engine bay, also use that as a reference.

Step 4: Relieve tension from the belt

• The “tensioner” is a spring-loaded pulley that keeps the belt tight.
• Locate the tensioner pulley through the wheel well opening; it will have a 19mm hex boss for a wrench or socket.
• Place a 19mm socket on the tensioner and attach a breaker bar for leverage.
• Rotate the tensioner in the direction that loosens the belt (usually clockwise when viewed from the wheel well) while watching the belt slacken.
• While holding the tensioner in the released position with the breaker bar, slip the belt off one accessible pulley (typically the A/C compressor) using your free hand.
• Slowly release the tensioner back to its resting position.

Step 5: Remove the old belt

• Pull the belt out through the wheel well opening.
• Check the belt for cracks, glazing (shiny spots), or chunks missing to confirm wear.
• Compare the new belt to the old one for length and width using your hands and eyes.

Step 6: Inspect pulleys and tensioner

• Spin each accessible pulley by hand with gloves on (A/C compressor pulley and tensioner pulley).
• Listen and feel for roughness, grinding, or wobble.
• If a pulley feels rough or loose, plan to replace that tensioner or pulley before reinstalling the belt.

Step 7: Install the new belt on the lower pulleys

• Route the new belt around the crankshaft pulley and A/C compressor pulley to match your photo and the original routing.
• Leave the belt off one pulley that’s easiest to reach (often the tensioner) so you can slip it on last.
• Make sure the belt ribs sit cleanly in the grooves of each ribbed pulley using your fingers to feel both front and back.

Step 8: Apply tension and seat the belt

• Place the 19mm socket and breaker bar back on the tensioner.
• Rotate the tensioner again to create slack in the belt.
• With your other hand, slip the belt onto the last pulley (typically the tensioner pulley).
• Double-check that the belt is centered on all pulleys and fully in the grooves.
• Slowly release the tensioner so it tightens the belt.

Step 9: Final visual inspection

• From both the wheel well and above the engine bay, visually trace the entire belt.
• Make sure the belt is not twisted and is seated correctly on every pulley.
• Check each pulley twice before reassembly.

Step 10: Reinstall splash shield and wheel

• Reposition the inner fender liner and any lower splash shield panel.
• Install the clips using the trim clip removal tool or fingers; replace any broken ones with new clips.
• Reinstall any 10mm bolts using a 10mm socket and snug them; no specific torque is critical here, just firm hand-tight.
• Reinstall the front right wheel and hand-thread the lug nuts.
• Raise the car slightly with the floor jack to remove the jack stands, then lower the car to the ground.
• Tighten the lug nuts in a criss-cross pattern using a torque wrench with 19mm socket to 120 Nm (89 ft-lbs).

Step 11: Reconnect the 12V battery

• Under the hood, lightly clean the negative battery terminal if needed.
• If using it, apply a tiny amount of dielectric grease to the terminal.
• Reconnect the negative cable and tighten the nut with a 10mm socket to snug, not over-tightened.

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✅ After Repair

• Start the Accord (READY mode) and let it idle while watching the belt from above and, if safe, a quick glance from the side.
• Make sure the belt runs smoothly with no wobble and no squealing noises.
• Turn on the A/C and check that it blows cold and there are no unusual sounds from the belt area.
• After a short drive, recheck the belt visually for proper tracking and recheck the wheel lug nut torque.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $220–$350 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $30–$70 (parts only)

You Save: $150–$280 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100–$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 1.0–1.5 hours.

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