How to Change the Oil in a 1991 Honda Accord LX
A vital component of maintaining your 1991 Honda Accord LX is to change the oil every 3,000 miles. It helps keep your engine free of damage that occurs when the old oil loses its ability to lubricate the moving parts properly. A fresh oil change also removes any gunk or metal fragments that may be circulating in the oil. Because these cars are low to the ground, the front often needs lifting in order to access the undercarriage and the oil filter.
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Things You'll Need
- Car ramps
- Wheel chocks or blocks
- Oil drain pan
- Metric wrench
- Oil filter wrench
- Oil filter
- 6 quarts of oil
Instructions
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1
Pull the front tires of your Honda Accord onto two evenly spaced car ramps. Make sure that the car is in Park (or is in first gear in a manual transmission) ,and engage the emergency brake. Place blocks behind the rear tires to prevent the car from rolling.
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2
Move an oil drain pan underneath the drain plug on the bottom of the oil pan. Unscrew the bolt with a metric wrench by turning in a counterclockwise direction. Remove the bolt quickly, and move your hand out of the way while the oil empties into the drain pan. Allow all of the oil to drain from the oil pan.
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3
Inspect the drain plug and gasket for damage or debris. Wipe the old oil from the drain plug. Replace the gasket if it is cracked or worn. Insert the gasket and drain plug back into the oil pan, turning clockwise to tighten. Continue to tighten the bolt down until it is very tight.
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4
Locate the oil filter on the side of the engine between the engine block and the firewall. Place the oil drain pan underneath the filter. Use the oil filter wrench to loosen the filter. Unscrew the filter, and place it in the drain pan. Make sure that the filter's rubber gasket is with the filter and not stuck to the engine block. A leftover gasket will prevent the new filter from sealing properly.
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5
Check to see if any oil from the filter has dripped on the exhaust pipe, which is located underneath the oil filter on a 1991 Honda Accord. Wipe up any spilled oil to prevent fuming when the car is started.
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6
Rub a small amount of new oil on the gasket of the new oil filter. Screw the filter onto the engine, making sure to line up the threads carefully to prevent cross threading. Turn the filter 3 3/4 to 4 1/4 turns until it is tight.
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7
Locate the oil filler cap on top of the valve cover, which is on top of the engine. Remove the oil filler cap and add 4 3/4 quarts of new oil. Use a funnel to add the oil, if you prefer. Replace the cap.
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8
Start the Accord's engine and let it run for a minute to circulate the oil. Turn off the engine and wait for one minute while the oil settles again. Remove the dipstick, and check the oil level, adding more oil if necessary. Look underneath the car to check for any leaking at the drain plug or oil filter. If there are no leaks, then remove the wheel blocks and back the Honda off of the car ramps. Check the oil level one more time with the dipstick.
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Tips & Warnings
Even though only 5 quarts of oil are used, buy 6 quarts to keep a spare on hand.
Check your oil once a week, adding any extra oil if needed.
Many locations around the country recycle engine oil. Take your used oil to a recycle center, disposal event, auto parts store or oil change shop that collects used oil for recycling.
Wait until the engine has cooled down before changing the oil. Otherwise the filter and the oil will be quite hot.
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