2009 Honda Accord Engine Oil Change Guide

I just performed the first oil change on our new 2009 Honda Accord LX
sedan. The odometer read 5,800 miles and the oil life meter was at
20%, so I figured it was about time.

It's a fairly simple procedure that can save you money and even time
once you become familiar with it.

I took pictures while I changed the oil and wrote up a quick guide.
Here's the page -
http://www.paulstravelpictures.com/Honda-Accord-Engine-Oil-Change-Guide

I'm sure most of you could do this with your eyes closed, but
hopefully it will help some of the new owners out there.

Cheers,
Paul Michaels
Ft. Lauderdale, FL

 

Nice, but a few points need to be made:

1) The jack stand is not just a nice thing to have for "extra safety", it
is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL. Do NOT get under that 3,000 car with it supported
only by an oil-filled jack. Hospitals and coffins are dreadful places to
end up in. Hydraulic jacks DO fail, and can do so suddenly.

2) The oil filler cap does NOT need to be removed when you drain. The PCV
system's crankcase breather pipe allows more than enough air to prevent any
sort of vacuum from forming.

3) 5W-20 motor oil might be correct for your very new car, but many others
require 5W-30. Use of 5W-20 will cause bearing damage on Hondas not
designed to use it.

4) If you're going to be using aftermarket filters (a practice I personally
discourage), you need to make absolutely certain the old aftermarket gasket
has come off with the old aftermarket filter. If the old gasket stays
behind, the new oil will barf out all over the road next time you drive the
car. OEM oil filters won't do this.

5) That drain bolt has a specific torque setting. Just reefing a Honda
drain bolt tight risks eventually stripping the threads in the pan. You
give no torque figure, and likely had no idea there even was one. Plus you
should use a new washer.

6) The final oil level should be all the way up to the "FULL" mark, not
half-way between "FULL" and "ADD".