How to Change Oil in a Honda Accord

This pictorial guide includes a detailed step-by-step explanation and photos of how to change the oil and oil filter in a Honda Accord! Changing the oil in your vehicle saves you not only time and money, but also gives you the assurance that the job is done correctly.

For a step-by-step description with pictures, scroll down and keep reading!

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Table of Contents

Why Change your Oil?

Changing the oil in your vehicle is one of the quickest and most satisfying maintenance tasks you can do yourself and is the gateway to more complicated maintenance projects later on. This task involves very few steps and takes less than 1 hr to complete.

Not sure which type of oil to use? We wrote an entire article on the Best Type of Oil for a Honda Accord.

Honda recommends 5w-20 motor oil for Accords made before 2011. For Accords made in 2011 or later, they recommend 0w-20 motor oil. I highly recommend using full-synthetic motor oil in order to prolong the life of your vehicle.

The vehicle shown here is a 2004 Honda Accord. Here is a list of supplies and tools you will need.

List of Supplies and Tools Required

Mobil 1 EP HM Full-Synthetic (5W-20) – recommended for 2003-2010 Honda Accords
Mobil 1 EP Full-Synthetic (0W-20) – recommended for 2011-2020 Honda Accords
Oil filter Mobil 1 M1-110A Filter – fits 2003-2018 Honda Accord 3.0 2.0 2.4 3.5.
17mm socket wrench
funnel
drain pan
oil filter pliers (optional)
torque wrench (optional)

Procedure to Change the Oil and Filter in a Honda Accord

Warm up the oil in the vehicle.
Remove the drain plug to drain the oil.
Replace the drain plug.
Remove the old oil filter.
Lube the new oil filter.
Install the new oil filter.
Add Fresh oil.
Put the oil filler cap back on.

Now we’ll address each of these steps in more detail with step-by-step instructions:

Step 1: Warm Up the Oil

Perform an oil change after the vehicle has already been running for a while or take it for a quick 10–15-minute drive to get the oil warmed up.

Step 2: Remove the Drain Plug and Drain the Oil

Crawl under the vehicle and locate the oil pan and drain plug. The drain plug is located very near the center of this photo.

Where is the oil filter located on a Honda Accord?

The oil filter on a Honda Accord is located just aft and above the oil pan as shown in the following picture (orange).

Use a 17mm wrench or socket (nice socket set) to remove the drain plug.

Have a drain pan ready as you loosen the drain plug. If you need a drain pan, here’s an inexpensive one from Amazon.com. After breaking the bolt loose, usually you can unscrew it the rest of the way using your fingers.

Take care not to drop the bolt into the drain pan as you get to the end of the threads. Position the drain pan under the drain hole as you remove the bolt. Then let the oil drain for about 10-15 minutes.

Step 3: Replace the Drain Plug

Replace the drain plug bolt and snug it up; torque it to about 15-20 ft-lbs (nice torque wrench).

After the draining oil has slowed to a drip, replace the drain plug and snug it up. Don’t overdo it. You want it tight, but not so tight that you are damaging the threads.

Step 4: Remove the Old Oil Filter

Position the oil pan under the old oil filter while you are unscrewing it. It will drip oil when it is removed, and you want to catch as much of the oil as possible.

If the filter is stuck, consider getting your hands on an oil filter removal tool.

Step 5: Lube the New Filter

Put some oil on the seal of the new oil filter.

Here’s the new oil filter. It should have the “7317” code. I have used the basic FRAM filter in the past (and in this guide), but I now recommend the Mobil1 M1-110A filter due to better filtering capabilities – dual layer synthetic filtering media as compared to the standard PH7317 filter.

Note: As an interesting sidenote, this article shows several filters cut open for comparison.

Take out the new oil filter. You want to put a little oil on the new oil filter seal, so that it will create a nice seal. Use your finger or a rag to wipe a sheen of oil around the circumference of the new oil filter seal.

Step 6: Install the new oil filter

Now that the old oil filter has been removed, this is what the oil filter attachment point looks like.

12-honda-accord-oil-filter-attachment-point

Put the new oil filter on and start to tighten it.

When you feel resistance, go another 1/2-3/4 turn or so. You don’t want oil to leak out, but you also don’t want it so tight that you can’t remove it by hand next time.

Step 7: Add fresh oil

You’re now ready to move to the engine bay. Pop the hood and remove the oil filler cap. Get your 5 qt bottle of motor oil. You can’t go wrong with the highly rated Mobil 1 Full-Synthetic motor oils (0W-20 or 5W-20). Check out this post on the recommended oil to use in a Honda Accord.

Check the specifications in your owner’s manual for the amount of oil to add. For a 4-cylinder 2004 Honda Accord, the amount is 4.4 qts.

16-honda-accord-oil-quantity-specifications-manual

Put the funnel into the oil fill hole and pour in 4.4 qts of oil.

You know when you are at 4.4 qts when there remains about 0.6 qts in a 5 qt jug.

Step 8: Put the oil filler cap back on

Replace the oil filler cap.

One last thing that I should mention is that Honda Accords will show a “Maintenance Required” Light when it thinks the oil should be changed. You will need to reset this light if it comes on after you have changed oil. Check out this article for the procedure to reset the light is pretty straightforward.

You’re now finished. Good work. Take the old oil to an auto parts store, Walmart, or some other place that takes old oil for recycling.

Click here for more articles on Honda Accord maintenance!