Buick Lesabre (1986-2005) firing order — diagram & guide
Buick Lesabre firing order: Your engine's symphony conductor.
If we are talking about car models with the longest continuity on the US car market, Buick Lesabre surely reserves its spot. It’s been in production ever since the 1960s, and during that time a lot of durable Buick engines were used to power those models.
So, almost two decades after the discontinuation of this model, our team of automotive experts gather to discuss the Buick Lesabre (1986-2005) firing order. We feel like it’s the right time since a lot of the latest models have become old enough to require engine maintenance, and we are hoping you’ll be able to do it yourself with our help.
| LESABRE YEARS | ENGINE | FIRING ORDER |
|---|---|---|
| 6th Gen (1986-1991) | 3.0L V6 | 1-6-5-4-3-2 |
| 3.8L V6 | 1-6-5-4-3-2 | |
| 7th Gen (1992-1999) | 3.8L V6 | 1-6-5-4-3-2 |
| 8th Gen (2000-2005) | 3.8L V6 | 1-6-5-4-3-2 |
Sixth-generation Buick Lesabre (1986-1991) firing order
After years of being powered by famous Buick’s V8 engines, all the generation models from 1985 to 2006 were equipped with V6 engines. Precisely, there were two main engine options featured from the sixth-gen model all the way to the eighth-gen Lesabre, so let’s take a closer look at their firing orders:
Buick Lesabre 3.0L firing order
The 3.0-liter V6 engine was a base engine option for the Lesabre of this generation, so the Buick Lesabre 3.0L firing order is 1-6-5-4-3-2. However, the trick is to figure out the cylinder placement within the engine, since there were two types of this engine used in the Lesabre.
That means you’ll find cylinders 1, 3, and 5 on the passenger’s side and cylinders 2, 4, and 6 on the driver’s side in case your Lesabre has a longitudinal V6. However, there’s also a transverse version of this engine where the cylinders are laid out differently. In this case, the upper cylinder bank houses cylinders 2, 4, and 6, while the lower bank cylinders are 1, 3, and 5.
Buick Lesabre 3.8L firing order
For the higher trim model, the Buick Lesabre 3.8L firing order is 1-6-5-4-3-2, so the firing orders for these two engines match. However, this engine was mostly used longitudinally, so cylinders 1, 3, and 5 are on the passenger’s side, while cylinders 2, 4, and 6 are on the driver’s side located front to rear.
Seventh-generation Buick Lesabre (1992-1999) firing order
For the seventh-gen Lesabre, Buick only went with the 3.8-liter V6 engine as there were no other options offered from the year 1992. Once again, the firing order is 1-6-5-4-3-2, and this engine is the same engine used in the previous generation model so we already discussed its cylinder layout.
Eighth-generation Buick Lesabre (2000-2005) firing order
Finally, the eighth-gen Lesabre features the same 3.8-liter engine used in the previous few generations and once again the firing order is 1-6-5-4-3-2. The cylinder configuration is also the same so this engine is one of the longest-running engines ever used in the Lesabre.
Our take
The fact that Buick mostly used the same engine throughout two decades might make your job easier with the upkeep. So, make sure to use the correct firing pattern as we outlined in this guide and to approach each cylinder based on its position, and we are confident you won’t have any issues with misfiring from now on.
