Your 2001 Intrigue has the 3.5L DOHC V6 engine. This engine has a coil on
plug ignition system and doesn't have
spark plug wires. It has two sets of 3 coils, one for each cylinder bank. The
spark plugs are under these coils and obviously are not visible. When you pop the hood you'll see what I'm talking about. You need to remove the acoustic cover and the hook on the back of it. Then you need to remove the coils. Each bank of coils has a
plug going to it and is bolted to the valve cover with seven 10mm bolts. Next you'll need to remove the
spark plug boots. They are somewhat fragile so be careful not to crack them. I just used my pinky or a pliers wrapped in a cloth (so it doesn't tear the boot) if it was stubborn. You will need a 10" extension on a ratchet with a 5/8"
spark plug socket to remove the old/install the new plugs. This engine does have aluminum heads so be sure to use anti-seize on the
spark plug threads. The specified
spark plug gap is .050". Obviously, do the job when the engine is cold.
I highly recommend using only double platinum plugs to replace the old ones. I don't know the science behind it but other plugs simply don't perform the same in this engine. The O.E. Delco 41-980 plugs are the best. They are literally NGK stamped plugs in a Delco box The downside is that they are only available from a GM dealership and they might even have to order them (at least around here) and they cost about $9 each. Good double platinum alternatives that are much easier to obtain would be Autolite APP605 ~$4/ea, Champion 7013 ~$4.50/ea, and NGK 7740 ~$9/ ea. I don't recommend the Bosch Platinum plugs because a lot of the local auto technicians don't like them and won't use them.
I hope this helps.
11-11-2004, 09:56 PM
