How to Install the Spark Plugs & Wires Into a 2003 Buick Regal

The Regal is one vehicle that has lived an interesting production life. It began in 1973 as what Buick dubbed the personal luxury class, where the drivers area had a plethora of gadgets and gizmos, but the rest of the vehicle was plain. Buick downsized the Regal in 1978, bringing about the release of the desirable Regal Grand National, which began in 1982 and peaked at 276 horsepower in 1987. After the Grand National disappeared, the Regal became downright average. The 2003 Regal came standard with a 200-horsepower, 3.8-liter V-6 engine, but it did have a taste for the wild side with its 240-horsepower, supercharged V-6 option. Replacing the spark plugs on either version of the V-6 engine is a bit tricky and requires a special tool.

Instructions

1

Check the gap on all six new spark plugs with a spark plug gap tool. The correct plug gap for the 2003 Regal is 0.060 inches, with a tolerance of plus or minus 0.002 inches. If any of the new spark plugs are not between 0.058 and 0.062 inches, adjust the gap by widening or narrowing it with the spark plug gap tool until it is within specification.

2

Wipe the oil filler tube and the surrounding area with a clean, lint-free cloth. Grasp the oil filler neck and rotate it a quarter-turn counterclockwise to unlock it. Remove the filler tube from the engine. Lift the front of the engine cover, then pull the cover forward to disengage its rear dowel pin from its bracket. Remove the cover from the engine compartment.

3

Press the oil filler tube back into the oil filler hole and twist it clockwise to lock it into place. Never leave this tube disconnected from the engine, as it may allow contaminants to fall into the engine.

4

Trace the spark plug wire from the coil pack near the front of the engine compartment toward the engine until you reach the rubber boot that connects the spark plug wire to the spark plug. There is a small heat shield covering each rubber boot.

5

Reach under the heat shield, grab the boot firmly and twist it a half turn to break it loose from the spark plug. Pry the metal heat shield upward from the rubber boot, using GM tool No. J-38491. Pull the boot away from the spark plug to disconnect it.

6

Trace the disconnected spark plug wire back upward toward the ignition coil, removing it from all of the retaining clips along the way. Pull the rubber boot away from the ignition coil with a slight twisting motion to remove it.

7

Lay the removed spark plug wire on a flat surface and select from the spark plug wire set a new spark plug wire that matches the length and boot style of the removed spark plug wire. Apply a dab of dielectric grease into both of the boots on the spark plug wire and spread the grease around with a small flat-head screwdriver.

8

Line up the L-shaped boot on the new spark plug wire with the vacant receptacle on the ignition coil and press the boot onto the receptacle until you feel the boot click into place. Route the wire toward the exposed spark plug, pressing the wire into its retaining clips as you go. Leave the end of the wire hanging once you get to the spark plug.

9

Remove the exposed spark plug wire with a ratchet and spark plug socket. Thread a new spark plug into the engine by hand and feel for resistance as you tighten it. If you feel any resistance, immediately remove the spark plug and reinstall the plug. Tighten the spark plug to 11 foot-pounds, using a torque wrench and spark plug socket.

10

Align the new spark plug wires boot with the top of the spark plug and press the boot onto the spark plug until you feel it click into place on the plug.

11

Repeat steps 4 through 11 to replace the remaining five spark plugs and wires on the Regals engine.

12

Remove the oil filler tube from the engine. Guide the dowel pin on the rear of the engine cover and lower the front of the engine cover onto the engine. Insert the oil filler tube into the oil filler hole and turn it clockwise to lock it and the engine cover into place.