On the 10th-gen Accord the serpentine belt job is more about access than about the belt itself. Both turbo engines use one short belt running the alternator and A/C compressor off the crank pulley, with a self-adjusting spring tensioner, so there is nothing to measure or adjust. The catch is that the belt lives behind the passenger-side wheel and inner fender liner, so the real work is pulling a wheel and a dozen 10 mm bolts and plastic clips before you ever touch a pulley.
What varies is the engine. The 1.5T and 2.0T take different belts, so order by VIN rather than by year. The hybrid takes no belt at all. The mistake people make most often is not verifying the belt is fully seated in every groove before lowering the car — a belt sitting one rib off will chirp, shred and throw itself within a few miles. Take thirty seconds with a mirror and a light.
| Item | Type | |
|---|---|---|
| Floor jack 2 ton minimum, with jack pad Lift the right front corner to remove the wheel. | Required | shop |
| Jack stands 2 ton pair Support the car on the pinch-weld jack point while you work in the wheel well. | Safety | shop |
| Wheel chocks Block the rear wheels before lifting. | Safety | shop |
| Breaker bar 1/2 in drive, 18-24 in Loosen the lug nuts before lifting. | Required | shop |
| Socket 19 mm 6-point, 1/2 in drive (thin-wall or lug socket) Right front wheel lug nuts. | Required | shop |
| Ratchet 3/8 in drive, plus 6 in and 10 in extensions Fender liner and splash shield fasteners, and reaching the tensioner. | Required | shop |
| Socket 10 mm 6-point, 3/8 in drive Nearly all inner fender liner, splash shield and under-tray bolts on this generation are 10 mm. | Required | shop |
| Socket 8 mm, 3/8 in drive Some aero under-tray and liner screws use 8 mm hex-head self-tappers. | Recommended | shop |
| Phillips screwdriver #2, stubby and standard A few liner screws and clip centers are Phillips. | Recommended | shop |
| Trim clip / panel removal tool Plastic pry set with clip puller Pop the push-in plastic rivets holding the wheel-arch liner without breaking them. | Required | shop |
| Socket 14 mm 6-point, 3/8 in drive (shallow) Fits the tensioner pulley center bolt so you can rotate the tensioner arm and release belt tension. | Required | shop |
| Serpentine belt tool set Long-reach belt tool with 3/8 in drive and offset sockets Makes reaching and holding the tensioner in the tight wheel-well space far easier than a plain ratchet. | Recommended | shop |
| Long-handle ratchet or 3/8 in breaker bar 3/8 in drive, 15-18 in Enough leverage to hold the spring tensioner back while the belt is slipped off and on. | Required | shop |
| Torque wrench 1/2 in drive, 20-150 ft-lb Torque the lug nuts and the tensioner bolt if it is removed. | Required | shop |
| Torque wrench 3/8 in drive, 5-80 ft-lb For the smaller bracket and tensioner fasteners if you disturb them. | Recommended | shop |
| Inspection mirror and LED flashlight Telescoping mirror, corded or magnetic light Verify the belt is fully seated in every pulley groove before lowering the car. | Recommended | shop |
| Zip tie or mechanic's wire Heavy 8 in ties Hold the new belt in position on the crank pulley while you route the last loop. | Recommended | shop |
| Serpentine belt 1.5T: Honda 31110-5AA-A02 or equivalent; 2.0T: 31110-6B2-A01 or equivalent — match by VIN The replacement belt; the 1.5T and 2.0T belts are different lengths and rib counts. | Parts | shop |
| Belt tensioner assembly With pulley, engine-specific Replace only if the pulley is noisy, rough, or the tensioner is weak or leaking; not needed for a routine belt swap. | Parts | shop |
| Idler / tensioner pulley Engine-specific Optional — cheap insurance if the belt was squealing or shedding rubber. | Parts | shop |
| Plastic push rivets / clips Honda fender liner clip kit Some clips break on removal and must be replaced. | Consumables | shop |
| Brake parts cleaner or belt dressing-free degreaser Non-residue aerosol Clean oil or coolant residue off pulley grooves; never use belt dressing on a ribbed belt. | Consumables | shop |
| Nitrile gloves and safety glasses Debris falls out of the wheel well and pulley grooves. | Safety | shop |
1.5T (L15BE) and 2.0T (K20C4) use the same tool sizes — 19 mm lugs, 10 mm/8 mm liner fasteners, 14 mm tensioner pulley bolt — but the belts are different lengths and rib counts, so match the part to the VIN. The 2.0L Accord Hybrid (LFA) has no accessory drive belt, no tensioner and no alternator, so no tools apply.
| Front wheel lug nuts | 80 ft-lb (108 Nm) |
| Belt tensioner pulley center bolt | verify in the service manual |
| Belt tensioner assembly-to-block bolts | verify in the service manual |
| Inner fender liner / splash shield bolts (10 mm head) | about 7 ft-lb (9 Nm) — snug only, threads are into plastic or sheet metal |
Wheel and body fastener sizes (19 mm lugs, 10 mm and 8 mm liner fasteners) and the 14 mm tensioner pulley bolt are standard across this generation's turbo engines, but confirm the tensioner bolt size on your car and get the belt by VIN, since 1.5T and 2.0T belts differ; torque values other than the lug nuts should be checked in the factory service information.
No. The hybrid's 2.0L Atkinson engine uses an electric A/C compressor and motor-generators in place of an alternator, so there is no accessory drive belt, pulley or tensioner to service.'
Practically, yes. You can sometimes get a hand on the tensioner from below with the under-tray off, but with the right front wheel and inner fender liner out of the way the job takes minutes instead of an hour of cursing.
Honda calls for inspection at regular services rather than a fixed replacement interval; most owners replace it around 90,000-100,000 miles or sooner if it shows cracks across the ribs, glazing, missing chunks or chirping on cold start.
A 14 mm socket on the tensioner pulley center bolt, on a long 3/8-inch ratchet or a serpentine belt tool. Confirm it on your car before you buy a tool — and note the tensioner only moves in one direction, so don't force it the wrong way.