# Does it matter what wires attach to plugs? (1987 Chevrolet Camaro) **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** chevrolet, camaro\ **Created:** [October 14, 2018, 11:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/does-it-matter-what-wires-attach-to-plugs-1987-chevrolet-camaro/126777 "2018-10-14T23:44:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![marytangell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@marytangell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/marytangell)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2018, 11:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/does-it-matter-what-wires-attach-to-plugs-1987-chevrolet-camaro/126777/1 "2018-10-14T23:44:39Z")
can the spark plug wires be attached incorrectly to the wrong spark plugs? ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2018, 11:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/does-it-matter-what-wires-attach-to-plugs-1987-chevrolet-camaro/126777/2 "2018-10-14T23:50:23Z")
Yes they can. They must be attached to the right plug in the right order, known as the “firing order” ---
**Author:** ![Yosemite](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/yosemite/32/643_2.png) [@Yosemite](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Yosemite)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 2:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/does-it-matter-what-wires-attach-to-plugs-1987-chevrolet-camaro/126777/3 "2018-10-15T14:24:32Z")
If you have already messed up the firing order, you can have any Parts store print out a firing order for you. Yosemite ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 2:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/does-it-matter-what-wires-attach-to-plugs-1987-chevrolet-camaro/126777/4 "2018-10-15T14:32:14Z")
If you’re wanting to do this kind of work on your 31-year-old car, you need to have a manual. Go to a parts store and see if they have a Hayes or Chiltons manual for your Camaro, or get one from Amazon. Is this a hobby car, or your daily driver? ---
**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 2:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/does-it-matter-what-wires-attach-to-plugs-1987-chevrolet-camaro/126777/5 "2018-10-15T14:42:54Z")
> [@marytangell](#): > > can the spark plug wires be attached incorrectly to the wrong spark plugs? Yes. How do I know? And on at least one car I remember, the distributor cap can be put on 180 degrees off. Unless I am very familiar with it, I mark the cap and its base, and each wire, before taking things off. ---
**Author:** ![Rainflurry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cab0a1/32.png) [@Rainflurry](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rainflurry)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 2:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/does-it-matter-what-wires-attach-to-plugs-1987-chevrolet-camaro/126777/6 "2018-10-15T14:46:57Z")
Try these. Not sure if you have a V6 or V8. ![87%20camaro%20v8](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/b/b369c3b6b16671283251e4cd53bb323cd910a39f.gif) ![camaro%20v6](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/7/7eb156913c93d4a2ab60ea8dbb31743c557be990.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 3:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/does-it-matter-what-wires-attach-to-plugs-1987-chevrolet-camaro/126777/7 "2018-10-15T15:19:45Z")
Per @Rainflurry 's diagrams. This applies ONLY if the rotor inside the distributor cap is actually pointing to the cap terminal labled #1 on his drawings at top dead center. If it isn’t, the car still won’t run. If you didn’t understand what I just posted, you need an actual mechanic to make this car run again. ---
**Author:** ![SteveCBT](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/stevecbt/32/3192_2.png) [@SteveCBT](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SteveCBT)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 6:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/does-it-matter-what-wires-attach-to-plugs-1987-chevrolet-camaro/126777/8 "2018-10-15T18:09:24Z")
In WWII Jeeps were constantly being taken by unauthorized folks. They did not have a key and if you wanted to ride instead of walk you hopped into a Jeep and took off. In a busy area very little chance of getting caught. To stop this, some folks would reverse 2 of the plug wires. If the Jeep did start, once you popped the clutch it would stall. Easy way to keep your Jeep from wandering off. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 7:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/does-it-matter-what-wires-attach-to-plugs-1987-chevrolet-camaro/126777/9 "2018-10-15T19:49:06Z")
> [@SteveCBT](#): > > To stop this, some folks would reverse 2 of the plug wires. If the Jeep did start, once you popped the clutch it would stall. Easy way to keep your Jeep from wandering off. Easier - to just remove the rotor. ---
**Author:** ![marytangell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@marytangell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/marytangell)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 4:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/does-it-matter-what-wires-attach-to-plugs-1987-chevrolet-camaro/126777/10 "2019-08-13T16:04:00Z")
thank you! I was trying to figure out the possible problems before i went to mechanic