How to Add Anti-Freeze Coolant to a Honda Accord
The following article details a quick picture guide on how to add engine coolant (antifreeze) to a Honda Accord.
It is a good idea to check the level of your engine coolant every 15,000 miles or so.
What is the Purpose of Antifreeze?
Antifreeze coolant is a liquid that circulates through your car’s radiator to help cool down the engine. Antifreeze coolant has both a lower freezing point and a higher boiling point than water, making it great for cooling your engine without freezing when it gets too cold.
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The vehicle shown in this article is a 2004 Honda Accord.
CAUTION:
- Antifreeze coolant gets very hot when your car is running. Therefore, DO NOT OPEN the radiator cover when the car has just been running, or even if it is still warm. Hot steam can cause you to be very badly burned.
- Antifreeze is poisonous, but might smell good. DON’T DRINK IT! Also, don’t let your pets drink it. Keep any unused antifreeze covered and away from pets and small children!
Tools and supplies needed:
- Genuine Honda Antifreeze (1 gal.)
- funnel
- a rag? (depends how good a pouring you are…)
Procedure to Add Coolant to a Honda Accord
Alright, let’s get started!
The first step is to pop the hood and locate the radiator.
The radiator is at the front of the engine bay. In addition to the radiator cap there is also a plastic ‘transparent’ overflow tank with a plastic cover.
Here is a photo of the overflow tank showing the MIN and MAX lines. This makes it very easy. In this case, the coolant level is between the marks, but a little on the low side. We just want to add antifreeze until it is up to the MAX line.
Remove the cap on the overflow reservoir by unscrewing it and lifting it out.
You need to be a little bit careful at this point. Depending on the type of fluid you have, you may need to add some distilled water. So, check the writing on the bottle. If it says “pre-mixed,” then you don’t need to add any distilled water, you are good to go. Here is a link to genuine Honda pre-mixed anti-freeze.
Note: If your anti-freeze is full strength, dilute it with 50% antifreeze, 50% distilled water. For cold climates, you can use a mix of 70% antifreeze and 30% distilled water.
Once you have determined the correct mixture, go ahead and fill the overflow tank up to the MAX line, as shown below.
And that’s about it! Re-insert the plastic cover, and you are all set!
Tools and supplies Used:
- Genuine Honda Antifreeze (1 gal.)
- funnel
- a rag
Click here for more Honda Accord maintenance tips!
In the pictures it shows the color of the antifreeze as green. However the link to genuine Honda antifreeze shows it as blue. When I look at my antifreeze in my radiator it is green not sure what to add.
The Honda blue antifreeze is completely compatible with the Honda green OEM antifreeze. The main difference between the two is that the green coolant is type 1, and the blue is type 2. Type 2 is the newer version with slightly different formulation. Type 2 Honda antifreeze is backward compatible to all years.