Fujita Cold Air Intake Installation (7th Gen Honda Accord)
Introduction
This guide covers replacing the factory airbox, intake tube, and fender-well resonator on a 7th generation Honda Accord (2003-2007) with a Fujita cold air intake, relocating the filter into the driver's-side wheel well for cooler intake air and a more pronounced high-RPM intake note. It applies to both the I4 and V6 engines and to automatic and manual cars, though the sensor arrangement and a few V6-specific hose steps differ as noted. Owners report a bolt-on fit with no cutting or fabrication required; the one genuinely awkward stage is extracting the resonator box, which is the reason the job earns a moderate rather than easy rating. Budget a couple of hours and work carefully around the plastic clips, several of which are fragile. Adapted from a community writeup by joerockt on DriveAccord (https://www.driveaccord.net/threads/fujita-cai-diy-7th-gen-56k-beware.5456/), including corrections from the follow-up discussion.
Reference
Tools Required
- Phillips and flathead screwdrivers
- 10mm and 11mm sockets
- Ratchet with a long and short extension
- Small-to-medium adjustable wrench
- Pliers
- Jack and jack stand
Parts Required
-
Fujita cold air intake kit for the 7th gen Accord (intake tube, filter, clamps, rubber isolation mount, hose adapter, machined sensor screws with Allen key)
-
Foam tape (anti-rattle)
-
Replacement crankcase/breather hose from NAPA (V6 only, if the supplied line runs short)
Safety Warnings
- ⚠ If you use the car's factory jack, always place a jack stand under the vehicle as a backup in case the jack fails.
- ⚠ The relocated filter sits high near the wheel, but avoid accelerating through deep water to minimize any risk of drawing water into the engine.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1 Prepare the kit and lift the vehicle
Lay out every kit component in a clear workspace, but keep the filter in its packaging until the final stage. Set the driver's-side front corner on a jack stand and take off the front wheel. Doing so opens up the fender liner and resonator later and avoids the far messier alternative of dropping the front bumper. Open and prop the hood. Nothing on the car or in the kit needs to be cut or modified; the whole install bolts on.
2 Disconnect the air-metering sensor
Find the sensor on the left side of the stock intake tube. Cars differ here: automatic I4 Accords carry a MAF at this location (sedans from 2003, coupes from 2005), while manual cars instead use a MAP sensor near the intake manifold. Release the connector by pressing its tab and sliding it off, or unscrew the sensor, then set it aside for reuse. Some 2003-2005 cars may have nothing to detach at this spot.
3 Remove the factory intake tube
Slacken the clamps at each end of the stock tube. Pull off the attached hoses; one is secured by a clamp, so slide that clamp out of the way before working the hose free. With the ends released, ease the tube off the throttle body and lift it out.
4 Extract the factory airbox
Undo the airbox mounting bolt with a 10mm socket on an extension, then remove the second bolt on the far side. Back off the two nuts on the battery hold-down bracket (an adjustable wrench helps) and keep the bracket for reinstallation. A small clipped tube sits on the left face of the box; ease it off, and disconnect the last hose as you lift the box clear. Do not worry if the brittle clip snaps, as it is not reused and can be replaced.
5 Pull back the fender liner
Move to the driver's front wheel well. Release the liner clips using a flathead screwdriver and undo the two 11mm bolts that hold the liner. Fold the liner back to expose the resonator box tucked behind it.
6 Free the resonator box
Two bolts secure the resonator. The upper one comes out easily; the second is the hardest part of the entire job. To reach it, partially release the bumper: pull roughly half the clips and bolts on the driver's side plus one screw inside the fender well, then unclip the upper bumper edge where it meets the headlight so it swings out far enough for a ratchet. Taking the whole bumper off is not necessary. Some installers instead detach the coolant line and thread the resonator tube out through the freed gap. Work the resonator loose, then refit the bumper and its fasteners.
7 Disconnect the hidden breather line
Back in the engine bay, a small cover with two clips sits just ahead of the battery. Ease those clips out with pliers without snapping them, lift the cover, and unplug the tube underneath. Refit the cover and reconnect its clips, then reinstall the battery hold-down bracket you set aside earlier.
8 Mount the new intake tube to the throttle body
Take the large tube and the two large clamps from the kit. Seat the tube on the throttle body with both clamps positioned, snug the clamp nearest the throttle body, and leave the outer one loose for now. Thread the rubber isolation mount into place by hand just below the fuse box.
9 Install and align the main pipe
Slide the intake pipe into the loose throttle-body clamp. Align the rubber mount's arm, set the washer on top of it, then tighten both the clamp and the mount. Reconnect both hoses, fitting the supplied adapter to the larger one. V6 cars require fully removing the coolant and crankcase lines at the throttle body, and their crankcase hose can end up about 1/4" short; a replacement from NAPA resolves it.
10 Refit the air sensor
If your car uses a MAF, remount it on the new tube using the machined screws and Allen key supplied in the kit. Manual-transmission cars keep the MAP sensor at the manifold, so nothing needs to be mounted here.
11 Fit the filter
Before installing, wipe out the inside of the intake, as kits frequently ship with polishing-compound residue. Slip the filter onto the end of the pipe down in the wheel well and secure it with the provided clamp. Because there is no stop or lip on the pipe, do not push the filter on too far or it will restrict airflow; seat it only until the pipe reaches the edge of the filter's own lip.
12 Button up and test drive
Where the new pipe passes close to nearby metal, wrap a strip of foam tape to prevent rattles. Refit the fender liner, remount the wheel, lower the car off the stand, and take a short drive to confirm everything is secure. Expect a stock-like sound while cruising and a stronger growl under throttle.
Pro Tips
- 💡 Removing the front wheel makes fender-liner and resonator access far easier than dropping the entire bumper.
- 💡 Clean out the inside of the intake pipe before install; leftover polishing compound is common.
- 💡 With no lip to stop the filter, seat it only until the pipe reaches the filter's lip so airflow is not choked.
- 💡 On V6 cars, plan on fully detaching the coolant and crankcase lines at the throttle body, and expect the crankcase hose to run roughly 1/4" short.
- 💡 Breather and PCV hoses grip harder the more you pull; wiggle the joint loose with a flathead first and push the hose off the connector rather than pulling.
- 💡 Expect to break at least one fender-well clip; it is replaceable and not required for the install. A bumper clip will not substitute, as it is a different size.
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