GM 3800/3400/3100 Spark Plugs and wire Replacement (Gen. 2 V6 engines)
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----------------- Hey guys here again with a video showing you how to replace the spark plugs and spark plug wires on the GM 3800 V6 engine! This process is also very similar to the GM 3100 and 3400 Engines with the exception being where the coil packs are located. These engines are found in various GM products from bonnevilles to regals, grand am grand prix impala etc. The
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Your a life saver as my top coil didnt have numbers
Absolutely recommend putting high-temp slit loom tubing on wires near manifold. Caused melted wire issues for me but a great video and ya, removing the O2 sensor was a great idea!
Thank you for explaining the cylinder order.... I put my spark plug wires off of my cool pack so that I can replace my AC compressor with a bypass fully today and I'm just now getting to the point where I can put my wires on because I wasn't sure where they went! 😆 Believe it or not I watch three different videos before coming to this one and yours was the only one that was pretty cut-and-dry and easy to understand
Glad it helped
Very nice video, Thank you.
Thank you for your help. A couple of good tips there I didn’t know: The number of each cylinder in the engine was new to me, getting that cover off was a new (didn’t want to break it trying to take it off without knowing! LOL). I appreciate it.
Steven Sanabria Thanks for watching!
We all know how to take the front ones out I want to see you guys take the back 1s out
My wife’s 2002 Buick LeSabre was running rough. Auto Zone’s diagnostic tool was of little help. The car’s computer only threw a code that read “random misfire” which could be anything. I was prepared to tackle the job of replacing all the plugs and wires because at 92 K miles I don’t think they had ever been changed. Then after watching countless videos on how to replace the back three plugs I came across a video where the guy narrowed down the problem by simply unplugging each spark plug wire from each coil one at a time. Sure enough I noticed that the wires going to the top coil pack which handles cylinders 3 & 6 had no effect on the engine when I pulled them off. The engine continued to run erratically. Hmmm....could this be my problem I thought? So as not to pay retail in the event that I was wring I went to the local scrap yard and got one. Plugged it in and viola....it worked. Problem solved! I was so happy. I dodged a bullet. I didn’t have to struggle with those back three which wouldn’t have solved my problem anyway.
It goes to show ya that a misdiagnosis can lead to serious unnecessary work and expense.
bthor76 You are correct sir. Of course this video is purely for teaching someone how to change the plugs and wires. Your situation is different. You did right by pulling every plug wire as that is what I would have done.
I tried to pull wires from the coil and it kept shocking me. I've done this on my car but I'm trying to figure out misfire issues on my moms car. I didnt see any damage to the wires.
@Barry Shaw Well I surely didn’t have any spark to the cylinders that were supplied by these two spark plug wires once I pulled them from the coil pack. The other four cylinders kept running be cause they were supplied with spark from their corresponding coil packs which of course were good and operating normally. The point being when I electrically removed these wires it made absolutely no difference to the engine so this coil pack wasn’t working as it made no difference if it was plugged in or not hence it was probably the problem. The only other thing it could’ve been was the spark plug wire or the wires supplying voltage to the coil pack (unlikely) so I went with a new (scrapyard) coil pack and thank God it worked.
@Barry Shaw Don't overcomplicate things. Let's go through this one more time. My wife's car was running rough. One by one I started pulling spark plug wires from each coil pack. If it ran worse I plugged that wire back in. If it made no difference than that coil pack is probably not working properly and thus is the problem. You only have three coil packs on a six cylinder engine. Each coil pack handles two cylinders. With an insulated tool or a very thick glove remove the spark plug wire from one of the coil packs while the engine is running. Be careful because it packs a wallop...probably 50,000 volts. It shocked the hell out of me. You'll learn from it if you do it and you won't do it again. You can probably do it without the engine running but it may not start again with a good coil out of the system.
So to recap you're looking for a coil that makes no difference in the running of the engine if the spark plug wires are connected or not. That will be your bad coil.
@@Worlds1stClone75 did u… unplug… the battery?
3800 BEST MOTOR EVER!!!!
I used to agree until I got 2 bad ones in 1 month in 2 cars
@@babyboo68696869 what was wrong ?
4.6 liter v8
Very, very helpful. Thank you.
#GRTheReal
Fantastic Job
Best freaking video i seen on my model thaks bro bro
All good Kermit.
I just done a Park Avenue today that O2 sensor you can get around it with just a 3 in extension and a flex head ratchet without using a swivel and I left the O2 sensor in
Remove motor mounts, let's You move engine forward, so You can have space for the one's in the back.
My words Exactly
I prefer to do things the hard way lol
Yea really lol.
WHAT ABOUT SHOWING THE HARD PART, DOING THE REAR
Been talked about over and over in the comments. You can get to them. It’s not very hard.
1. Very hard to get a camera back.
2. Clearly explained by myself how to do them.
3. They are exactly the same as the front.
@@HelpingHandAutoRepair I respectfully disagree. Very little space to work with in back.
Yeah 👍 💯
@@steveb9151 the service manual even says that the motor mounts need to get disconnected so you can tilt the motor
@@henriquerodrigues127 I'm sure it does. I'm just saying that doing that pretty much ends the DIY aspect to the repair.
Should show the whole process replacement of front and back plugs.
I did. Watch the video. I pulled the front plugs out. Then very clearly explained that it is exactly the same process for the back. I’ve seen people say this about 4-5 times now. The camera won’t fit in such a tight area. Plus you can easily see and feel where the plugs are. Just stick the socket in there and loosen the plugs up. It’s actually very simply.
First off, how can you see how it fits on there if the camera doesn’t need to move according to you. Lol, you won’t see anything if the camera doesn’t follow me back there.
If you have done the front three, you can clearly just look at the back plugs and take them off the same way. I used the same ratchet and spark plug socket for the back plugs. The only thing I had to do was remove the O2 sensor that is in plain sight on the back of the motor.
I clearly explained this. If you can’t follow that…🤷🏽♂️
You answered your own complaint. If you can see it back there, you can clearly see how the socket slides on. It’s definitely not rocket science my guy.
People do take the rear and front mounts off these engines and spin the engine to make the rear more accessible. I don’t do it that way as that is too much extra work.
Yes. I have a video on those engines on my channel as well. The VQ engine.
Great video . Getting ready to try it on my '98 grand prix gt . By the way , love that music . What instrument is that ?
Gregory Wheless the intro music? Just a keyboard.
No the music playing when you fast forwarded the video a couple of times .
Would low ohms wire be best in this 3.8 application. Or would low ohms cause interference. I'm getting this p0303. #3 miss fire
Benjamin Bugarin You can certainly buy a pair of high performance plug wires for this engine but if the engine is stock then stock plug wires will work just fine.
That's odd I have the 3400 V6 2003 Impala and I was told the fireing order is 246 on the bottom and 135 on top
FYI, being frustrated by tight plug boots, I just broke off the spark plugs and removed the wires. Once they are broken you have easy access to remove the threaded parts of the plugs.
I used a flexible rope on the back to pull the spark plug wire. It works very good (changed all 6 in less than 2 hours)...
Damn
Which direction do I turn the rear plugs to get them out?
Dan Kingsley towards the driver side. You will be facing the engine. The ratchet needs to swing up and to your right to loosen them. Remember righty-tighty. Lefty-loosey.
🤣
Thanks for the video. I just tried to replace the spark plugs on my 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GT with the 3800 Series II engine. Those wires for the back three are impossible! The front three wires were easy to get to but each one required all my strength to pull them off. Even after rotating the engine forward to get some extra room, I just couldn't get enough leverage to pull the back three off. I wonder if they were simply so old that they were just stuck on the plugs due to age. I know the wires are the originals that came with the car. No idea about the plugs. Is it possible for a 18 year old car with 194,500 miles to still have the original spark plugs?
I ended up having to take it to a mechanic so they could charge me $344.05 for new spark plugs and wires (GRRRRRR). Also, they didn't put the heat shields back on (wtf?).
Jake Williams It’s possible that those are the original wires. I did mention to use pliers to help pull the wires off. It really helps. I had to use pliers on all the back ones. Especially on the GM trucks.
There was a recall and part of the recall was to discard the engine cover.
Devin Hodges The engine cover is not hard to remove. This gentleman is talking about the back spark plug wires.
I watched this video and it saved me. Simple answer to some tough wires to remove! No hiring mechanics here! Good luck! th-cam.com/video/q47yT5O_E8w/w-d-xo.html
So your just gonna skip the back spark plugs.. 👎
And tips for the plugs on the back?
I explained that I removed the rear o2 sensor right on top to reach the middle plug. The plugs on the back are removed the same way. I used a 1/2” ratchet with a 3” extension and a spark plug socket. Worked perfectly. It was a bit cumbersome reaching back there but with a little patience it will get done.
@@HelpingHandAutoRepair thanks man I really appreciate it
bro how u get the back spark plug boots off so easy been pulling on mine for 2 days now help only have 2 more to go and cant get the middle one in the back and the one by driver side in the back boot just wont come off i think its seized on any ideas? will have no problem geting the spark plugs off its just these dam boots
I used some pliers and leveraged them off.
Can you to thousand Buick Century engine go into a 98 Chevy Lumina the motors are the same 3100 V6 any help is highly appreciated
Madein Madein the LG8 came in 2000-2005 centuries. The L82 came in the 1994-1999 centuries. It would be best to find a 1999 or 1998 L82 3.1
How do I get the spark plugs out with those pliers? Got a hydrolocked 02 Bonneville I may be able to save.
Mike Severance I used a pair of straight long needle nose pliers to grab and pull up on them. I have been using the same method for years so I’m sure I made it look easier than they can be. Sometimes they are stubborn. I do have spark plug puller pliers as well.
B07PBW6GZS (type this in google search) this are decent. I also have a pair of Lisle offset plug pullers (51410) and this set from Harbor freight isn’t bad either
www.harborfreight.com/3-piece-long-reach-hose-grip-pliers-37909.html?cid=paid_google%7C%7C%7C37909&mkwid=s%7Cpcrid%7C407485515533%7Cpkw%7C%7Cpmt%7C%7Cpdv%7Cm%7Cslid%7C%7Cproduct%7C37909%7C&pgrid=86895515213&ptaid=pla-297948004215&pcid=8688951018&intent=&gclid=Cj0KCQiApt_xBRDxARIsAAMUMu90RJ9Fdhyggt6TYdaOC4v84p4t73PjITeoitc2bCmq3oKHSe_M--QaAivSEALw_wcB
@@HelpingHandAutoRepair Cool. Thanks. With pliers like those, would I try and grab from where the plugs connect to the engine or around the wires going into the tube around them?
Mike Severance Honestly you should try and do your best to get as close to the bottom of the wire (closest to the cylinder head) as possible and give it a quick solid pull. If for some reason you can’t manage to get it loose, just use long straight needle nose pliers (like I do in my video) to grab wherever you can on the metal sleeve and try and lever it out against the valve cover or whatever you can lever against.
@@HelpingHandAutoRepair Alright. Once I start working on it again, I'll try that. Thanks for the advice.
Not true i have a 3800 series 2 with no motor mounts in front
Remove motor mounts and use ratchet strap to pull motor forward
How can you distinguish gen 1 from 2 with these engines. I just ordered a head gasket kit for my 95 cutless. A gen 2 gasket kit
Unfortunately the Gen 1 stop in 95 and Gen 2 started late 95/early 96. Please don’t quote me on this, but I believe the Gen V6s had iron cylinder heads while the Gen 2 motors had aluminum heads.
Ok, upon a little more reading. You should definitely have a Gen 2 engine. I assume it says 3.4L DOHC on the top?
@@HelpingHandAutoRepair no it’s a 3.1. But if my research is correct. Cause there wasn’t to much out there. It is the gen 2. I also used the Autozone app. And searched it up. And it says compatible with my vehicle. I used the VIN number on the app to get exact vehicle engine and model info.
@Helping Hand Auto Repair It’s a Oldsmobile ciera cutless v6 3.1l FI OHV. I’m actually planning on finishing it tomorrow into Saturday. I got all the parts ect. And the engine tore down. I’ll be putting gaskets in tomorrow. I need to figure out the head bolt lock tight situation. I’ve heard use lock tight. I’ve heard. Ppl say they didn’t with no issues. And I’ve heard use the gasket sealer. Any suggestions on that.
Unfortunately I have never had one of these apart. I have had plenty of other engines apart, I never had to use any type loctite on head bolts. But if you have a service manual that says so, then by all means do that.
At the video time mark of 1:31 .. just to the right of the cover on the air inlet tube there is a sensor there with a red center color .. Would you or anyone know what that sensor is called by chance .. Thank you in advance ..
Dave Miller intake air temperature sensor aka IAT sensor.
@@HelpingHandAutoRepair Thanks for the help .. have a good one ..
New sub here. Can you tell me how hard is #4 (middle - firewall side) plug replacement on my 2004 Grand Prix? Should I use an extension or swivel on that plug?
Remove the o2 sensor and then use a spark plug socket with a 3” wobble extension and a ratchet. You may have to put the socket and extension in first then attach the ratchet.
@@HelpingHandAutoRepair - Thanks for the reply. I wasn't thinking #4 was next to the sensor.
I did this and it still starts like it’s coughing. The plugs seem doors on the coil.
I have a cylinder 3 misfire....could I just replace number 3 spark plug instead of changing them all??
Jackie Tan You can. However a misfire could be a few different parts that could be failing.
From cheapest to most expensive:
1. Spark plug
2. Plug wire
3&4: coil pack or injector.
Helping Hand Auto Repair Cool thanks
I had a similar problem with 2001 Regal 3800. Check plug wires on odd side (front) and see if cracks or cuts present that could short out to enginge or something metal. Run engine in a dark area and watch for sparks on wires. swap coil pack with cylinder 3 on it with adjacent coil pack and also swap wires to match firing order. run scan tool and see if cylinder 3 is still misfiring. If so, move coil packs back to original position. Pull plug wire from number 3. May be practically glued on plug. Pull spark plug and inspect it. Look at white ceramic area for cracks or burn marks. also look at plug end to see if it is wet or gap is too small or too wide. If plug has crack replace it. If this plug was cracked, check number 5 as it is easy to get to and see if same problem is there. If so, you might as well try to tackle all plugs. I would recommend if you have to take off wires to get a new set of wires as chances are you will have to break a plug or two off to get the wire free. Also when finished check all the injectors to see if they are plugged in and fully seated and locked down. Just hope the injector are not bad as they are expensive to replace especially to replace all of them as recommended.
you didnt show how you got to the back plugs
YanceyReacts HD I’ve mentioned this already in the video. They come out here exactly like the front plugs. I also mentioned that you need to remove the o2 sensor in order to get to one of them. It is hard to get a camera back there. It isn’t hard to see where the plugs are.
He didn't show it because if he did he would've been cussing his ass off. Those back sparkplugs are a pain in the ass to get to
Lol true! But I did say you will just have work blindly. Just feel for them and removing the o2 sensor helped as well. Plus it’s just to small to get a camera back there.
@@HelpingHandAutoRepair so there is enough room to reach them without rolling engine forward?
Yes. I know others undo the engine mount to roll it over but all I did was remove the o2 sensor in the back that you can clearly see when you poke your head back there. Then with a combination of a short extension or a wobble socket or wobble joint, it can be done. I’m not saying it will 100% easy but it is definitely doable.
No torque specs for the spark plugs??
11 ft lbs.
Did you edit this with Filmora?
Yes.
@@HelpingHandAutoRepair Ha! It was the music that tipped me off. I used to use Filmora.
Yep. Been using it for probably 4 years now. I’m sure there are better editing software out there though.
@@HelpingHandAutoRepair Hey, it gets the job done, and it is easy to use.
I just recently flipped over to DaVinci Resolve. It's a bit more of a learning curve, but once you get used to it, it is much more powerful, and quite a bit faster as well.
@@willemidaho yea, I have no complaints. Will check out that software as well. Have a good day and thanks for the recommendation.
How come you didn’t show how to get at the rear 3 plugs??
The camera doesn’t fit back there
El video no está completo el problema está los tres-03..último Sparkplug""tool
Good video, most annoying music ever🤣
Thanks. Yea I was experimenting music wise.
3800 series one throttle position sensor and manifold air temp sensor location as well as both oxygen sensor I know one is by the plugs on the back
repacing rear plugs are not difficult as you disconnect engine mounts and rotate engine forward then you have plenty of room to work
Blackie Chong Trying to make the job less invasive. Most are not willing to remove engine mounts. Let alone trying to rotate the engine and then lining it back up when they are done. I had no problem removing them in the video. Took off one o2 sensor and viola! Much easier than removing an engine mount.
@@HelpingHandAutoRepair who plays the keyboard music on your video ,I'm trying to find it.
Danny's do it yourself car video Honda civic lx 05 song is Always Dreaming by Same town forever
@@HelpingHandAutoRepair thank you sir
thats a impala lesabre motor mounts not like that
Those wires are NOT easy to take out., do I just yank em?
With a combination of using a set of pliers or special spark plug boot pliers yes you can leverage them out as carefully as you can.
Not true i have a series 2 3800 and it has no motor mounts in the front
Also do one plug and wire at a time
I don't have front motor mounts either.
Some have 2 motor mounts up top like that. Some have it down near the bottom. It's based on the design of the car not the design of the engine. My 2000 buick park Avenue 3800 series 2 has the mount down near the bottom of the engine. So there are actually both designs.
All these TH-cam AD’s have NEVER made me purchase anything, 😉
workharddieproud it’s a good thing I don’t put them there... 👌🏼
No but they allow you to watch stuff people make for free, and supports the platform. So yeah, it has allowed you to purchase free viewing with a small fraction of your time.
The 3100 and 3400 and 3800. Completely different engines the 3100 and 3400 are 60° and the 3800 is a 90°
If this were a video talking about the designs of the engines then this would matter. However this is a video talking about spark plugs. In which the coil packs of the 3100/3400 are on the top/rear of the motor and the 3800 are on the front/side of the engine. Otherwise the same process to change them.
Do content creators search high and low to find the most annoying goddamn music possible?
Sometimes
Please We Have To Repent And Gives Our Life To JESUS CHRIST ♥️🙏 He's Worthy To Be Praise 🙏
Amen. We can’t do life on our own.
This isn’t helping me at all you don’t say where the spark plugs are or how to get them off
🤷🏽♂️ they are on the ends of the spark plug wires
@@HelpingHandAutoRepair 😂😂😂
🤷🏽♂️
Hey can. U help me
What’s up?
My cousin bought the same car and need the same issue fixed he crossed the wrong spark plug wires 😒
If that’s all that’s wrong, there should be a few pictures or diagrams online that can be easily found to get the wires to the correct place.
Lol I recommend doing them one at a time so you don't mix them up come on man that's amateur stuff
You can if you want to. It’s up to you.
I watched your video to see how you removed the rear 3 spark plugs which are the hardest. You didn't even show. Thumb down
David Gutierrez I explained exactly how to do it. There isn’t room to stick a camera back there. Especially when they look just like the front ones do. 🤷🏽♂️shouldn’t be hard to figure that out honestly. Thumbs Up
@@HelpingHandAutoRepair right
Don't be putting the cover on. There was a recall and part of it was the dealerships removing this and throwing it away. Get rid of the piece of crap.