Starter replacement on the 9th-gen Accord is a two-bolt job in theory and an access job in practice. On the 2.4L K24W the starter lives low on the transmission side of the block, so you drop the lower splash shield, get under the car, and pull two 14 mm bolts plus a 12 mm nut on the main battery cable. On the 3.5L V6 it sits high at the back of the block behind the intake, which turns a one-hour job into a three-hour one and sometimes means pulling the upper intake plenum.
The mistake people make most is replacing a good starter. A slow, groaning crank is almost always a tired battery or a corroded main cable or ground strap, not the starter. Load-test the battery and check for full battery voltage right at the starter B+ stud while a helper cranks. The second mistake is cranking down the small B+ nut on the solenoid - the stud shears easily and you end up buying the starter twice.
| Item | Type | |
|---|---|---|
| Safety glasses Debris and road grime fall in your face working under the engine. | Safety | shop |
| Nitrile gloves Keeps grease and battery acid off your hands. | Safety | shop |
| Multimeter DC volts, 20 V range Confirm battery voltage and that B+ reaches the starter before condemning it. | Recommended | shop |
| Socket, 10 mm 10 mm 6-point, 3/8 in drive Disconnects both battery terminals and holds the splash shield and cable brackets. | Required | shop |
| Floor jack 2 ton minimum Lifts the front of the car to reach the starter on the 2.4L. | Required | shop |
| Jack stands 2 ton pair Supports the car at the pinch-weld jack points while you work underneath. | Safety | shop |
| Wheel chocks Keeps the car from rolling with the transmission in park or neutral. | Safety | shop |
| Trim clip / panel removal tool Plastic pry set Pops the plastic rivets in the lower engine splash shield without breaking them. | Recommended | shop |
| Ratchet, 3/8 in drive Standard and stubby Main driver for the splash shield, cable nuts and starter bolts. | Required | shop |
| Extension set, 3/8 in drive 3 in, 6 in and 10 in Reaches the starter bolts past the subframe and exhaust on the 2.4L, and down behind the intake on the V6. | Required | shop |
| Universal joint / swivel adapter 3/8 in drive wobble or U-joint Lets you get on the rear starter bolt and B+ nut at an angle. | Required | shop |
| Socket, 12 mm 12 mm 6-point deep, 3/8 in drive Removes the main battery cable nut on the starter B+ stud. | Required | shop |
| Socket, 14 mm 14 mm 6-point, 3/8 in drive Removes the two starter mounting bolts on both engines. | Required | shop |
| Combination wrench set 10, 12, 14, 17 mm For cable nuts and brackets where a socket will not fit. | Recommended | shop |
| Socket, 8 mm or small nut driver 8 mm, 1/4 in drive Some starters use a small nut on the solenoid S terminal instead of a push-on connector. | Recommended | shop |
| Breaker bar or 1/2 in ratchet 1/2 in drive with 14 mm socket Extra leverage if the starter bolts are corroded into the aluminum case. | Recommended | shop |
| Torque wrench 3/8 in drive, 10-80 ft-lb Sets the starter bolts and battery terminals correctly in aluminum threads. | Required | shop |
| Magnetic pickup tool Telescoping Retrieves the B+ nut or a bolt dropped into the subframe. | Recommended | shop |
| Inspection light LED work light or headlamp The starter area is dark and mostly worked by feel. | Required | shop |
| Penetrating oil Frees corroded starter bolts and the B+ stud nut. | Consumables | shop |
| Wire brush / terminal cleaner Cleans the battery cable ring terminal and ground surfaces for good current flow. | Consumables | shop |
| Dielectric grease Protects the B+ terminal and solenoid connector from corrosion. | Consumables | shop |
| Brake cleaner or degreaser Cleans oil off the bellhousing area so you can see the mating surface. | Consumables | shop |
| Starter motor Engine-specific: K24W 2.4L or J35Y 3.5L, note CVT vs 6MT The replacement unit; Denso reman or Honda OE preferred. | Parts | shop |
| Upper intake manifold gasket set 3.5L V6 only, if plenum is removed Never reuse the plenum gaskets if you pull the intake for access. | Parts | shop |
| Socket, 10 mm and long extension for intake 10 mm 6-point, 1/4 and 3/8 in drive V6 upper intake plenum bolts and harness brackets are 10 mm. | Recommended | shop |
Both the 2.4L K24W and 3.5L J35Y use 14 mm starter mounting bolts, a 12 mm B+ terminal nut and 10 mm battery terminals, so socket sizes do not change. What changes is access: the 2.4L is worked from underneath after removing the lower splash shield, while the V6 is worked from above and often needs the intake air duct and sometimes the upper intake manifold plenum removed (10 mm bolts, new gaskets). Starter part numbers differ between the 2.4L and V6, and between CVT/automatic and the 6-speed manual, so order by VIN.
| Starter mounting bolts (2.4L and 3.5L) | 33 ft-lb (45 Nm) - verify in the service manual |
| Starter B+ terminal nut | 7-9 ft-lb (10-12 Nm) - verify in the service manual |
| Battery terminal clamp nuts | 7 ft-lb (9.5 Nm) |
| V6 upper intake manifold bolts | verify in the service manual (staged torque sequence) |
The 10/12/14 mm fastener sizes are standard Honda practice for this generation and are reliable, but the 33 ft-lb starter bolt figure and V6 access route should be confirmed against the Honda service manual for your exact year, engine and transmission.
A healthy battery reads 12.4 V or more at rest and holds above 9.6 V during a load test. If the battery is good and you have full battery voltage at the starter B+ stud but only a single click or nothing when cranking, the starter or its solenoid is the problem. A slow, labored crank points at the battery or corroded cables instead.
Not always, but the starter sits at the rear of the block behind the intake, and many people end up removing the upper intake plenum to get a straight shot at the 14 mm bolts and the B+ nut. If you do remove it, use new plenum gaskets - do not reuse them.
Two 14 mm head bolts hold the starter to the block on both the 2.4L and the 3.5L. The main battery cable nut on the solenoid is 12 mm, the battery terminal clamps are 10 mm, and the small S-terminal wire is either a push-on connector or an 8 mm nut depending on the unit.
No. There is no battery registration or starter relearn on this generation. Disconnecting the battery only loses the clock, radio presets and some transmission and idle adaptives, which relearn on their own within a few miles.