How to Reduce Fuel Consumption on a Niva • Key Points

Gasoline consumption on Niva 21213 carburetor

There are many ways to reduce gasoline consumption on a VAZ-21213:

• Keep the fuel system clean and clean the jets regularly;
• If the car is not used for off-road travel, you can replace the jets (air jets with a larger cross-section, fuel jets with a smaller cross-section). This will reduce fuel consumption, but at the same time reduce power;
• Adjust the valves. This procedure must be carried out regularly;
• Calibrate the ignition. It is recommended to set it earlier, especially if AI-95 is used. Considering that there is almost no difference with the AI-92 in terms of price, you can easily reduce consumption by at least 1-1.5 liters per hundred. In addition, the use of gasoline with a higher octane number reduces contamination of the fuel system, filters, and so on;
• Check your tire pressure regularly. A decrease in pressure leads to a slight but increase in gasoline consumption, since the contact patch with the surface increases and the engine has to expend more effort;
• Check the condition of the spark plugs and jumpers. When using AI-80, it is strongly recommended to change spark plugs every 10,000 km; when using gasoline with a higher octane number, this can be done after 15,000 km;
• Monitor the condition of the trampler, runners, and so on;
• The additional body kit increases the aerodynamic drag, which is already very high in the Niva. A regular roof rack is at least +0.5 liters to consumption;
• Driving style is a very important factor. If you constantly “rush” from a stop and drive aggressively, no tricks will help reduce the “appetite” of the engine, no matter how hard you try.
• You can use the Fuel Shark Economizer

In 1977, on the assembly lines of the Volzhsky Automobile Plant, they began assembling a domestic all-terrain vehicle, known as Niva, Lada 4X4, VAZ 2121. A small-class SUV with permanent all-wheel drive and a monocoque body was originally intended for rural residents of all republics and regions of the USSR. But the car turned out to be so good that over more than three decades of its production, out of 1 million 800 thousand copies, almost a third were sold abroad.

Normal fuel consumption 2123

The domestic SUV was developed on the basis of the classic Niva 2121, which traveled along the roads of the former USSR. Back then, gasoline was cheap and efficiency was not a primary goal.

Engineers sought to create a passable and maintainable car.

When releasing the modern Chevrolet Niva, significant changes were made to the fuel and air supply system. The car received an electronic control unit. This provided a more “moderate appetite” for the SUV. With a mixed cycle, 10.2 liters of fuel were consumed.

These are minimum values; in practice, the consumption is slightly higher:

• mixed cycle - 12 l;
• on the highway – 9-10 l;
• within the city - up to 13-14 liters.

Experts believe that fuel consumption for the 1.7 engine is slightly too high. This is due to the fact that the car is all-wheel drive: two gearboxes are constantly running on it. To rotate their gears, the power unit makes additional efforts. However, there are more advantages than disadvantages: this gives maximum cross-country ability with a slight overrun of 5-10%.

It has been established that when refueling 92 and 95 gasoline, the consumption is different. With a high octane number, the car's appetites are more moderate. However, according to critics, AI-92 is counterfeited less often.

Technical condition of the car. Specifications

Malfunctions of the brake system They are different, let's consider those that lead to incomplete release of the calipers, when the so-called jamming occurs. I liked the cross-country ability and inexpensive maintenance, low cost of spare parts, but the dynamic characteristics of the Niva, for that kind of money, leave much to be desired, and the interior is a bit cramped for me.

Highlights Technical side

• aggressive driving style on any type of road;
• refueling with fuel with insufficient octane number;
• driving with a roof rack installed and other elements that impair the aerodynamics of the body;
• intervention in the design of a car for the purpose of tuning;
• improper maintenance and care of the machine.

Dynamic characteristics • In this case, the performance can be reduced by replacing the automatic transmission with a manual one.

1.20. Fuel economy

“Full throttle” or warming up the engine at idle speed increases engine wear and increases fuel consumption.

After starting the engine, immediately move away. Warm up the engine at medium engine speeds.

The restless nature of driving contributes to a significant increase in fuel consumption.

Avoid unnecessary acceleration and braking.

Drive in last gear as often as possible; when driving in the city, you can often engage 4th gear already at a speed of 50 km/h.

At speeds from 50 to 80 km/h, consumption in 4th gear is approximately 25% less fuel than in 3rd gear.

At speeds from 70 to 90 km/h, fuel consumption in 5th gear is approximately 15% less than in 4th gear.

Shift to the next gear as early as possible, and to the lower one only when the engine no longer runs perfectly.

The engine also consumes fuel when idling.

Already during stops of more than 1 minute, it makes sense to stop the engine. Five minutes of engine idling corresponds to one kilometer of travel.

Forced idle mode

During forced idle mode, the fuel supply is automatically switched off, e.g. when driving downhill or when braking.

During this mode, do not “accelerate” or disengage the clutch so that the fuel shut-off system works to reduce fuel consumption.

Shift gears in a timely manner

High engine speeds increase wear on vehicle components and fuel consumption.

Do not increase the rotation speed to high values. Too high a speed in individual gears or stages increases wear on vehicle components and fuel consumption.

Tachometer control helps save fuel. In each gear, try to drive the car at low engine speeds (approx. between 2000 and 3000 rpm) and at a uniform speed.

The higher the speed, the higher the fuel consumption. When driving at full throttle, you consume a lot of fuel.

A slight release of the accelerator pedal results in significant fuel savings without a significant reduction in speed. If you drive at only 3/4 of the maximum speed, you save, without significant loss of time, up to 50% of fuel.

Tire pressure

Due to an increase in rolling resistance, lower air pressure in tires leads to increased costs due to increased fuel consumption and increased tire wear.

The inclusion of additional power consumers increases fuel consumption.

Additional consumers (air conditioning, heated rear window, additional headlights, etc.) should be turned off if their operation is not required.

Automatic transmission

Full throttle, kickdown, selecting sport mode and excessive manual gear shifting lead to a sharp increase in fuel consumption.

After selecting d, the gearbox operates in economy mode. You can almost always drive in stage d; when you gently press the accelerator pedal, an early shift into gears occurs with economical consumption.

Roof rack, ski holders

Roof racks and ski holders can increase fuel consumption by approximately 1 l/100 km due to increased air resistance.

It is recommended to remove them when not in use.

How to reduce consumption? • Technical side

• tuned cars (and Nivas are especially often weighted) consume more fuel,
• the upper (even empty) trunk increases consumption by 0.5 l/100 km,

Reasons for increased consumption • This automatically means that fuel is wasted.

Problems and solution

It may surprise you, but even open windows increase fuel consumption, especially in city conditions. It’s quite simple to explain: the aerodynamic properties of the car are somewhat reduced, which is why the air resistance in the Niva’s cabin increases, as a result of which the need for fuel is much greater.

• reducing the friction force in the engine will reduce fuel consumption;
• this is not difficult to do: you just need to regularly lubricate the parts with engine oil;
• the oil must be of high quality, otherwise there will be no effect;
• It is better to use high viscosity motor oil;
• increasing the pressure in Niva tires will reduce gasoline costs;
• the same laws of physics apply here: pumped by no more than 0.3 atm. tires will help reduce speed and friction with the road.

One of the best developments of the domestic automobile industry, Niva, came off the VAZ assembly line in 1977 and is still in stable demand. According to the modern classification, this car belongs to the crossovers, since it has a monocoque body, but in terms of cross-country ability it is not inferior to any “purebred” frame SUV. At the same time, the fuel consumption of the Niva is much lower than that of a car with similar functionality. Among its advantages are:

1. highest cross-country ability;
2. maintainability;
3. affordable price;
4. reliable carburetor and injection engines;
5. all-wheel drive transmission.

Adviсe

Driving style greatly affects the Niva's consumption. Drive your car as calmly as possible. The difference will be obvious.

The auto frame located at the top should be removed (in case of non-use). You can park halfway between your destinations. This way you will save fuel and take a walk in the fresh air.

To burn off soot deposited in the engine, it is advisable to drive at higher speeds every week The most suitable place for this is the track, where you can accelerate and overtake to your advantage.

In some cars, the automatic transmission is limited to the highest gear, fourth. Some drivers turn it on bypassing the “D” position, but this is incorrect; this approach does not contribute to fuel economy.

Warming up

When comparing the results, it will become clear to you whether the Niva’s consumption is decreasing or increasing, whether your car is in good condition and whether there is enough water in your tank. The injector on 21214 has the following operating scheme: from the vehicle components, a number of sensors receive data on air flow, crankshaft movement, coolant temperature, engine detonation, fuel consumption, voltage in the on-board network, etc.

VAZ 2131

If the owner of a Chevrolet Niva wants to reduce gasoline consumption, it is recommended to save money on warming up the engine, especially often this procedure is carried out in winter or after prolonged rainfall. But most importantly, thanks to a five-speed manual transmission and axle gearboxes with a 3.9 final drive, in combination with a more powerful engine, the manufacturer managed to slightly reduce the Niva’s fuel consumption to.

Chip tuning of VAZ 21214 engine

Chip tuning of power units of VAZ 21214 (21213) modifications is practically ineffective. The reason for this is the atmospheric design of the engines. Mechanical tuning will help more here. Chip tuning will help improve the engine sound, handling, and the ride will become a little smoother. But anyone who doesn’t mind the time and wants to bring the Niva car system to perfection can conduct an experiment. Chip tuning is done using a laptop, a special connector to which the injector and programs are connected. She needs special attention. It is advisable to use proven high-quality assemblies. In this case, you should first study their parameters and operating instructions.

To make the layout of the Niva car look like a domestic all-terrain vehicle produced by VAZ, emphasis should be placed on mechanical tuning of the engine, air intake and exhaust systems. Do not forget about installing additional equipment, such as a turbo pistons snorkel and an excess pressure relief valve.

Improving a car using chip tuning does not give a significant result, but it can significantly increase fuel consumption. Almost all cars from the VAZ classic family are more suitable for mechanical engine tuning.

Source

Real Numbers Highlights

• Additional costs for installation and maintenance of gas equipment.
• Reducing the usable volume of the trunk.
• Slight increase in vehicle weight.

Normal fuel consumption 2123 • Objective difficulties of fuel economy on the Niva-Chevrolet.

Improvement No. 3. Installing the grille on the air intake

When disassembling the heater, a large number of tree leaves and insect remains were found in the air intake casing and in the honeycombs of the heater radiator grille, which also reduced the efficiency of the heater. Therefore, after cleaning and flushing the heater core, I took measures to prevent the radiator from clogging.

To do this, I bent a wire frame to the size of the air intake inlet, covered it with a nylon mesh with a 1x1 mm cell, and installed it at the bottom of the rubber seal of the air intake inlet. It was perfectly fixed there in the fold, like an accordion, without additional fastening.

All work to modify the heater took me about 4 hours of time and did not cost a penny of additional costs. Unfortunately, during work I didn’t think to take a photo, but from the attached drawing and picture everything should be clear. I'm happy with the result, now the stove heats better.

Petrol

What to do if fuel consumption is higher than rated? If the car consumes more fuel and does not correspond to the nominal value indicated in the table, this means there is a malfunction. Experienced service center technicians will tell you how serious it is and how it can be eliminated. In some cases, tuning makes it possible to further optimize fuel consumption, but this is usually achieved by lightening the body structure or by replacing the engine. Professional automotive technicians can provide specific recommendations.

Why does Chevy Niva consume more fuel?

For 600 thousand rubles you will not buy a WHOLE imported SUV, of course you can prove with foam at the mouth that you can take an 80 or 1000 cruiser, but buying is one thing, but few people have thought about the fact that you still need to pour money into such a car less than 500 thousand rubles for her to travel. Therefore, those comrades who say that the engine dies after 60 thousand, alas, but this is due to improper operation of the engine, you need to warm up the engine, no matter who writes that you can ride on a cold one, REMEMBER, the laws of thermodynamics, MANAGERS will not bypass, physics cannot be deceived.

Dynamic characteristics

As follows from the data provided by the manufacturer, for the Niva-Chevrolet SUV, fuel consumption per 100 km on the highway is about 9 liters, in the city - about 14, in the combined cycle - about 11 liters.

Of course, engineers are trying in every possible way to reduce consumption. General Motors even made modifications to the engine. By lightening the connecting rods and pistons and reworking the cylinder block, the Niva turned out to be a little quieter, but it was not possible to reduce appetites. The motor is hopelessly outdated.

There is a way to reduce consumption, but it is not constructive. You just need to change your car. In 2015, engineers completely redesigned the Chevy Niva and now it has more dynamics, and maybe even lower fuel consumption.

Exhaust system tuning

Modifying the exhaust system with the right approach will help increase engine power. Installing advanced, sporty versions of the intake and exhaust manifolds (the latter are also called spiders) will optimize the process of air supply and exhaust gas removal. Thanks to this, the efficiency and partly the power of the power unit increases.

This effect can be enhanced by installing a muffler resonator. It streamlines the removal of exhaust gases and gives the engine a melodious sound, thanks to its design features.

Separately, we can highlight the installation of a snorkel on the VAZ 21214 (21213). This is a pipe that allows you to avoid water hammer when the car passes water obstacles. The consequence of this is deformation of the connecting rods and damage to the block structure. Water enters the power unit through the air intake system, so the optimal solution for a Niva car would be to vent it onto the roof. This must be done if the car is preparing to participate in competitions or drive in extreme off-road conditions.

Fuel consumption according to the passport and real

The level of gasoline consumption on the highway is significantly lower, this is due to the fact that on the highway you do not have to stop at intersections, brake for pedestrians, or go around potholes every couple of meters. Parameters VAZ-2129 VAZ-2129-01 VAZ-2130 VAZ-2131 VAZ-21312 VAZ-2131-01 VAZ-21312-01 Engine VAZ-21213 VAZ-21213 VAZ-21213 VAZ-21213 VAZ-2130 VAZ-212 13 VAZ-2130 Gasoline consumption per 100 km when driving in top gear, no more, l at a speed of 90 km h 10.3 10.3 10.3 9.1 9.3 9.1 9.3 at a speed of 120 km h 11.8 11 .8 11.8 12.1 12.3 12.1 12.3 during the urban traffic cycle 12.3 12.3 12.3 11.1 11.9 11.1 11.9.

Turbocharged Niva engine

One of the effective ways to add power to an engine is to install a turbine or compressor.
This allows you to increase the volume of air entering the power unit. Here you can go in three ways: The most rational is the last method. The reason is the structurally simple design of the turbine, where the supercharger and turbine impellers are located on the same shaft. The drive for the latter is exhaust gases. This determines the efficient use of energy from combustion products. The level of engine efficiency also increases due to the lack of connection between the crankshaft and the turbine shaft. The disadvantage of turbocharging is the delayed reaction of the power unit to the addition of gas. This is explained by the fact that the impeller needs time to accelerate and create excess pressure in the system. Therefore, at low speeds the turbine is ineffective. But when picking up speed, its work is very noticeable.

When turbocharging a VAZ 21214 (21213) engine, it is imperative to install an excess pressure relief valve. Otherwise, compressed air will begin to look for a way out and destroy joints, seals, and pipes. Even the impeller, turbine axle and throttle valve can be damaged.

How to reduce gasoline consumption on a Chevrolet Niva: Technical specifications

• Condition of the road surface. On broken asphalt, country roads, mud, snow or sand, the car needs more fuel.
• Condition of the engine, ignition and fuel system. Weak compression, clogged injector and other problems worsen engine efficiency.
• Incorrect wheel alignment angles, insufficient tire pressure. These factors increase rolling resistance, resulting in more fuel consumption.