I'd like to think that I'm reasonably intelligent, and a pretty good mechanic. I've rebuilt engines, replaced clutches, changed out the head, adjusted valves, etc. on a variety of cars and SUV's that we've owned. And I've always changed the oil and filter on our vehicles every 3000mi.. And with the Honda dealer 50 miles away I think that I want to continue this tradition with our new Accord Hybrid. I don't trust quick lube places, and I'd like to use a semi-synthetic oil in this car for both longevity and gas mileage.

So I bought the factory Honda service manual, and I looked in the owner's manual, and I'm still having a hard time locating the darn oil filter. I think I see the oil drain bolt facing toward the rear of the car on the oil pan, and I even removed the plastic cover from the top of the engine, but for the life of me I can't seem to locate the oil filter? Looks like it should be somewhere near the CV joint on the passenger's side of the engine? What am I missing here? I've read where this is suppose to be a from the top (engine compartment) operation? The shop manual drawings leave a lot to be desired. Please help!

2005 Honda Accord Hybrid

Dave,
Lie on your side with your head in front of the right front tire (passenger side), nose almost against the tread, and shift your eyes up and you will be looking at it. It's just above the suspension arm and almost touching the side of the axle boot on the transmission side. It's about 12" from the inside edge of the tire tread toward the transmission side of the drive axle. It gets dirty so everything under there is the same color (don't look for "blue", but instead look for a vertical cylinder shape). It's very easy to reach and remove while lying in front of the tire. You can easily reach and remove the drain plug from that position too. See page 2 of the Accord "share" section linked from the top of this page. Bar10dah has supplied some excellent photos of both there. Piece of cake...takes me about 15 minutes to change everything.

Don't feel bad- I do all of my maint too, but could not find the filter either when I was inspecting the car before I picked it up. I made them put it on the lift so I could find it... felt sort of dumb when I saw it. In my defense, I'm used to Fords where it's hanging below everything, or GMs where its up against the firewall and you burn your arm on the exh pipe reaching around and up for it.

part of what makes this car so great is that you can change the oil without getting underneath it! Reach in next to the wheel, do your thing, and go.

Are you using syn or regular oil? 5w or 0w?

oh- did you get fresh crush washers? I was able to reuse the factory one, but they're cheap, so I just replace them.

Thanks guys , I'll take another look. Looks like it should be pretty obvious from the photos. I plan to use 5w-20 semi-synthetic oil (probably Castrol) and change it every 3750 miles. Or do you guys recommend sticking with the Honda oil? How big of a mess can I expect when I spin off the filter?

2005 Honda Accord Hybrid

the mess is not bad, since the filter is small and vertical- just remember to wipe off the top of the suspension arm- there's a flange shape in there that will hold a lot of dripped oil. And of course shift the catch pan from the drainplug!

I use 50/50 syn and regular 5W20- I see no reason to specifcally use Honda oil. I'll probably put in 0W20 next change. (I do 5000 miles, simply for ease of remembering)

I chose Valvoline Synpower 5w20 and change @ 5000 miles (rough average of 3750 and 7500 intervals).
I do use the Honda filter that's about 5 bucks at the dealership.

One thing to watch out for (and it happens to me every time): When removing the filter, the oil that escapes coats the outside of the filter evenly. The synthetic oil feels much more slippery than dino oil to the touch. Just as I reach the end of the threads to remove, the filter slips out of my hand and splashes into the pan. I always anticipate this and try to change my grip, etc. to avoid it but there is just no holding on to it once it's free. To avoid this, you may want to wipe down the filter just before making those last few turns or use a cloth to grip it rather than your bare hand.

Also, I had to use a filter wrench to free the OEM filter at my first oil change (pliers type).

In order to keep the oil from running down the sides of the filter, I use a plastic grocery bag. I put it around the filter, as if the filter is sitting in the bag. Then start turning! That way, all the oil running down the filter is caught in the bag, and as the filter comes free from the treads, you can just let it drop into the bag, tie it up, and dispose of it properly.

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Great tip 10dah (why didn't I think of that??). I'll try it next time.