Motors Doh! I removed the spark plug wires before marking them!!!

So being the genius that I am, I decided to take my spark plugs and wires to the auto shop to be tested, but I didn't mark which plug went where.

I've got a 6cyl 1995 Buick Century.

I have the Chilton manual for it, but none of the diagrams look like my engine. Not to mention the fact that they make comments like "3.1L distributorless" and "3.1L something ignition" and a few others, but I don't know which I have. I'm an auto newbie, so I was expecting "Vin 'M' use this diagram" or something like that.

(Not to mention some diagrams mark where the front of the vehicle is, and some don't...)

Anyway, any ideas how I can find the proper wiring diagram for my vehicle?

I only took the back 3 wires off, so I'll at least have a little bit more to go by when I head back there tonight when comparing it to the book. (I realized my mistake long after dark and am a "parking lot mechanic" at the moment)

 

You could try asking here

http://www.buickforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=18&page=2&order=desc

I did a bit of hunting for you, but I didn't turn up anything definitive. I dunno if this helps, but from what I've read (bear in mind I've never so much as looked at a Buick - rare beasts over here) it sounds as if the car has three coil packs (it's effectively distributor-less), with each pack supplying spark to two cylinders. That might help track down a diagram.

 

If your manual lists the firing order you might be able to work it out from that. Wikipedia suggests you have a V6 in there, so by "the back 3" I assume you're removed the wires from one bank?

 

Here's a pic I drew of my car's engine and coil packs. (nearly photo-realistic, isn't it?)


Let's incorrectly number the pistons going from 1 to 6 clockwise starting with the top left, which makes the back 3 pistons number 1, 2, and 3. (The front would be 4, 5, and 6)

I have completely removed the "back" wires, 1, 2, and 3 on the engine.


If I numbered the coil packs 1 thru 6 going left to right, I *think* I removed 1, 4 and 5, but I'm not sure...

It is something odd like that...

I'll go home and see if I can figure it out, if not I"ll post my results, and I'll make a diagram and put it in the glove box.

 

http://autorepair.about.com/library/firing_orders/bl-fo-6387.htm


coils in the back, cylinders in the front obviously

 

Nice!

My google skills must be going down because after an hour of searching I never found that.

I wound up finding a diagram that worked, along with the fact that my father-in-law etched the firing order on the coils.

I have learned 4 things from this:

1. Always make sure you have a diagram before untangling things in a car
2. Clean your engine before messing with spark-plugs (because you wind up rubbing the spark plugs in the grime while trying to find the hole they go in, then you have to pull them out and clean them)
3. give a friend some beer in return for him doing the work for you (I was dumb and did the work myself)
4. iridium spark plugs are worth every penny.

I wound up laying on top of the engine in order to put the back spark plugs in... is that bad? (If so I'm never replacing spark plugs, because I'm not double jointed in all wrist and hand joints, and cannot therefore reach the plugs while standing on the ground....)

Thanks for the link again, I never knew about.com could actually have something useful.