Lada Kalina 1 repair: the most common car breakdowns

In the Lada Kalina car, malfunctions are a fairly common occurrence, as in all domestic cars of this brand. However, overall the Lada Kalina is a good car. A huge advantage of the car is the fact that it is quite inexpensive, therefore, affordable for most residents of Russia.

In addition, Lada Kalina is easy to repair, and spare parts for it are relatively cheap. And, naturally, this is one of the most popular cars produced in the Russian Federation. However, Lada Kalina has not only advantages, but also disadvantages. Thus, its capacity is unlikely to be enough to move any large cargo, and the build quality leaves much to be desired.

Lada Kalina has a rather sparse interior, so it is unlikely that the owner of a foreign car will be pleased to change to a domestic car. In addition, Lada Kalina cannot boast of originality and beauty of appearance, especially when compared with numerous foreign models. The disadvantages include frequent car breakdowns, although recently this factor has subsided.

It is difficult to say whether specialists and experts in the field of domestic mechanical engineering are right when they assure that Lada Kalina has made a significant step forward, but recently the company has begun to produce more worthy modifications that break down much less frequently than previous ones. However, as with any other car, breakdowns still happen, and in the most unexpected places.

Lada Kalina problems

Domestic cars have bottlenecks, and there are many of them. There is an insufficiently powerful engine, inconvenient controls, and low performance. But all such shortcomings are insignificant if you clearly know why the car is being purchased. For example, the Lada is not suitable for off-road use, but for the city it is simply wonderful. The same is true for the other components.

And yet, if we consider the shortcomings of the car, there is one significant and incorrigible one: the engine. There is nothing particularly bad or good about it. This is a common design for average cars that are in use by the majority of the population. However, the car’s engine tends to break down often.

For example, many Kalina owners complained that the engine stalled at the most unexpected moment, and then simply refused to start. Some were late for work only because the car stubbornly wouldn’t start after being left in the cold overnight. For many, trips in the summer resulted in the engine overheating and, consequently, stopping its operation. There are many examples of such a plan.

But all the above problems can be solved on your own. The main thing is to know how the car works and what steps to take if it breaks down.

Exterior

During almost 10 years of preparation for production, the design of the Lada Kalina was changed several times. Many car owners and experts note that in appearance the front part of the Kalina is vaguely reminiscent of the Volkswagen Golf, produced in the early 2000s. You shouldn’t expect any special refinements in Kalina’s appearance, but, in comparison with the previously produced VAZ classics, the new car has a truly modern design.

Cold engine won't start

If your car's engine does not start, you should know that this is due to reasons related to the temperature conditions of the device. This factor is stabilized quite simply and painlessly, and accordingly, weak points are easily eliminated.

First of all, the car may not start due to a cold engine that stubbornly refuses to warm up. As a rule, such a breakdown occurs during a long period of inactivity in the summer. In winter, everything happens much faster, because the temperature outside is minus.

Cross section of a 1.6i engine: 1 — oil pan drain plug; 2 — engine sump; 3 - crankshaft; 4 — oil filter; 5 - catalytic manifold; 6 — coolant pump; 7 - piston; 8 — oxygen concentration sensor; 9 — laying of the intake pipeline and exhaust manifold; 10 — inlet pipeline; 11 — nozzle; 12 — diagnostic fitting of the fuel rail; 13 - receiver; 14 — bracket for fastening the tip of the cable sheath; 15 — cylinder head cover; 16 — camshaft bearing housing; 17 - camshaft; 18 — crankcase ventilation system hose; 19 — valve pusher; 20 — cylinder head; 21 — bolt securing the head to the cylinder block; 22 - valve; 23 - candle; 24 — cylinder head gasket; 25 — upper compression ring; 26 — lower compression ring; 27 — oil scraper ring; 28 — piston pin; 29 — fitting for installing the oil level indicator; 30 — connecting rod; 31 - flywheel; 32 — cylinder block; 33 — oil pan gasket; 34 — oil level indicator; 35 - oil intake

In particular, the engine oil temperature is compared with the ambient temperature, which should not be the case. The weak points in this case are the coolants. The algorithm of actions for a cold engine is as follows.

1. Pull the handle that controls the lock drive towards you, thus opening the hood.
2. Take an oil dipstick and check the fluid level in the engine. You should know that ideally the mark should be between o and “MIN”.
3. Check the engine cooling fluid level. Ideally it is half the capacity.
4. Carefully inspect the engine and the space under the hood. Often the problems lie there. Particular attention should be paid to gasoline and oil drips, as well as brake and cooling fluid leaks. Be sure to check the integrity of the electrical wiring.
5. Car malfunctions are more accurately identified when trying to start it, so without closing the hood, you need to get behind the wheel. If it’s raining or snowing outside, it’s best to cover the hood. Before this, you need to check the high-voltage wires on the spark plug coils, since very often faults lie precisely in them. Then you can turn on the ignition, having previously installed the key in it under the number “I”. This factor should lead to the operation of the device for supplying gasoline to the engine.
6. The ignition key is turned and the car engine starts. If the attempt is unsuccessful, then the fault lies deeper. In particular, in the starting system, ignition system or engine power supply. In any case, you need to check all options. The video shows all the manipulations. You can watch a video on this problem.

Prices and options

Lada Kalina was offered to customers in Standard, Norma, and Lux ​​trim levels. As it was on the assembly line, the list of basic and optional equipment on this car was constantly expanding. If initially air conditioning and parking sensors were available only in the luxury configuration, then later they were offered to be installed on the Norma configuration for an additional fee. Some versions of Kalina received a standard audio system and other options that provide driving comfort and improve the safety of the driver and passengers. For the first time on VAZ cars, power steering was already used as standard on Kalina, which made it much easier to control the car at low speeds.

The first generation Lada Kalina station wagon, which appeared in 2009, was very popular among buyers. This car, despite its small dimensions, had a spacious trunk, and the rear seats could be folded down, easily transporting large items in the cargo compartment. The Luxury trim received not only air conditioning and parking sensors, but also an airbag for the driver, as well as an anti-lock braking system. This modification was equipped with a powerful 1.6-liter engine, but only a manual transmission was available.

The cost of the first Lada Kalina was about 200 thousand rubles, and for top modifications they asked for 220-250 thousand rubles. Subsequently, the list of standard equipment only expanded, the price invariably increased, which rose to 300 thousand rubles. With such an initially low cost, the car was in good demand on the market, especially since its maintenance was not difficult, and most of the service work and repairs were carried out by car owners themselves.

Engine overheating, problems with the starting system

Cooling system: 1 — expansion tank; 2 — radiator outlet hose; 3 - inlet hose; 4 - radiator; 5 - steam removal hose; b — radiator supply hose; 7 — electric fan; 8 — electric fan casing; 9 — coolant temperature sensor; 10 — coolant temperature indicator sensor; 11 — throttle assembly; 12 — bracket for the coolant pump pipe; 13 — coolant pump; 14 — coolant pump pipe; 15 — heater radiator supply hose; 16 — heater radiator outlet hose; 17 — exhaust pipe; 18 — coolant pump pipe hose; 19 — thermostat housing

The engine may overheat due to boiling of the engine oil. To eliminate such a malfunction, you only need to start the starter. The motor control system itself will find the optimal way out of this situation.

However, this method cannot be called universal, so if the engine still does not start, then you need to check the above options. A video on this topic might help. You can recognize that the problem lies in the starter by its unnatural behavior. There are five main faults of this component.

1. The starter refuses to turn on. Repairing Kalina in this case comes down to eliminating the breakdown in broken contacts, a break or short circuit in the starter electrical circuits, or a malfunction of the element traction relay.
2. When you try to start the starter, you hear characteristic clicks that are repeated many times. In this case, it is necessary to start repairing the Lada with the traction relay, or more precisely, with its winding. The reasons may be a discharged battery or loose contact connections of the starter.
3. The starter starts but the armature does not work properly. The main reason is a dead battery. In addition, there may be contact failures or breakdowns of the starter traction relay. The culprit may also be simple contamination of the collector.
4. The starter and armature are functioning properly, but the flywheel refuses to operate. As a rule, the cause is a loose starter, broken teeth in the flywheel and lever, as well as the drive buffer spring.
5. The starter does not work after starting the engine. The reason lies in a malfunction of the starter freewheel or failure of the traction relay. In this case, it is necessary to immediately stop the engine to prevent its permanent breakdown. The experts in the video will tell you and show you what to do next.

It is very difficult to eliminate the above breakdowns on your own. It is best to contact a specialized service station, where they can quickly find and fix the problem.

In road conditions, you can only check the discharge of the battery using a voltmeter, and also pay attention to whether the contacts in the starter circuit are tightly tightened. The video will help you perform this action correctly.

Interior

The interior of the first generation Lada Kalina, although somewhat improved compared to its predecessors, is still frankly outdated, losing to its main competitors, including budget Europeans and Koreans. The quality of the plastic used in the finishing does not stand up to criticism; soon after the start of use, the interior panels creaked mercilessly, and it was almost impossible to get rid of such crickets. Buyers were offered several color options for velor trim, and in top versions it was possible to get cars with headrests in the rear row of seats.

Gearbox lever rattling

A characteristic disease of the Lada Kalina is a rattling sound in the area of ​​the gear shift lever, which can be heard especially well at engine speeds of about 3000. The cause of the extraneous sound is the bushing, which is slightly thicker than necessary, and therefore a gap is created in the connection. To eliminate the defect, do the following:

• remove the handle casing, it is secured with latches;

• Using two 13mm wrenches, unscrew the nut and bolt;

• remove the washers and bushings, the design looks like this;

• to eliminate rattling, the bushing (the one in the middle) can be slightly sharpened in width, or the joints can be coated with sealant;
• Having completed the action, we put everything back together. Sealant does not always help, but sharpening the bushing by 0.3 mm gives the desired effect.

Replacement of external CV joint of Lada Kalina

You can change the external “grenade” on a Kalina without a lift or pit, but the car must be placed on a level surface. We carry out the replacement as follows:

• first of all, we loosen and unscrew the hub nut - when the wheel is removed, it will be problematic to move it;
• loosen the wheel nuts, jack up the car, and remove the wheel. To prevent the car from rolling, it is necessary to put stops under the rear wheels, and in front next to the jack to secure it, place a support (for example, a wooden beam) under the threshold;
• unscrew the ball joint bolts from below (2 pcs.);

• pull the steering knuckle towards you and release the wheel drive;
• remove the clamps from the boot;

• move the boot closer to the gearbox, use a bronze or copper drift to knock out the outer CV joint;
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• we install the new part in place, fill the joint with grease, and secure the boot to the CV joint with new clamps;
• We assemble all the parts.

How does error P0172 manifest itself?

The air-fuel mixture can be over-rich for several reasons, depending on which the behavior of the car will change. So, with error P0172, the car may behave as follows:

• A cold engine will “choke” until it warms up completely;
• The engine will “choke” in a cold and warm state at idle, and the speed will begin to “float”;
• Fuel consumption will increase;
• The car will become less playful.

Symptoms of the P0172 code may occur together or separately from each other.

Elevator replacement

If the window lift cable on a Lada Kalina car has become unusable or the motor has burned out, the ESP must be changed. We carry out the replacement operation in the following order:

• dismantle the power window control unit;
• remove the door trim;

• to disconnect the window regulator from the glass, the latter must be raised all the way up;
• unscrew the four bolts that secure the glass to the ESP (two in the front and two in the back). The glass is held on by seals, but it can also be secured so that it does not fall down;
• unscrew the black metal strip (three screws);

• unscrew the eleven window regulator fasteners (10 bolts), disconnect the power plug from the electric motor;

• We begin to remove the power window from the rear, first removing one half of it;

• then we take out the front part along with the motor from the door cavity;

A burnt-out electric motor on a lift can be easily replaced. For this:

• unscrew the three studs on the mechanism body, then four more screws;

• dismantle the motor, holding the cable spool with your hand, install a new part;

• We mount the door window regulator, connect it to the glass guides, and put the trim in place.

Under what conditions does P0172 occur?

In order for the electronic control unit to diagnose error P0172 and transmit information about it to the driver, it must receive information from a number of sensors. The conditions for displaying a message about over-enrichment of the air-fuel mixture are as follows:

1. The engine is started;
2. Fuel is supplied with feedback from the lambda probe;

The ECU receives information from the following sensors:

• Coolant;
• MAP sensor (absolute pressure);
• Camshaft position;
• Crankshaft position;
• Intake air temperatures;
• Throttle position.

In the test cycle, the average combined early and long term fuel trim values ​​are less than 33% for 3 minutes (or more) of the 7 minutes.

Error P0172, what should I do?

Consider whether the software settings have been changed. It is quite possible that after “light chip tuning” from a well-known fuel systems engineer throughout the cooperative and reflashing the controller, the engine can operate correctly for some time. However, there is a good chance that the operating sensor ratings are incompatible with the new settings. Therefore, fuel supply will be carried out incorrectly.

Malfunctions in the operation of the injection system are also possible after replacing the oxygen sensor, or any of the sensors that are related to the engine power system.

If the malfunction occurs “by itself”, and all the problems listed above do not concern this motor, it is necessary to conduct high-quality computer diagnostics of the engine.

Standards of air in the fuel mixture

Fuel mixture composition diagram

The average engine requires approximately 15 kg of air and one kilogram of gasoline for normal operation. If this proportion is shifted towards air, then the mixture is considered lean, if on the contrary - rich.

Of course, in different operating modes the proportions of air and fuel may be different and they must be fully controlled by electronics using several sensors. Thus, with a lean mixture, fuel consumption will be slightly lower than the rated value, but the engine characteristics will not correspond to the nominal ones.

With an over-enriched mixture, fuel consumption can increase significantly, and in addition, several other dangerous moments arise.

What to do if P0172 Combustion Too Rich Occurs

To determine the causes of the error, you need to check the information that the diagnostic scanner transmits when simulating the conditions for the error. If you can’t immediately identify the problem, you need to act according to the following scenario:

The mass air flow sensor is checked for chips, damage, oxidation, and loss of contact;

It is necessary to diagnose the connection at the air inlet and at the exhaust manifold, checking for air leaks;

The ignition marks are checked.

After identifying and correcting the malfunction that led to the P0172 error, it is necessary to reset the fuel trim. This is required to reset the long-term adjustment.

Replacing the water pump Lada Kalina

On an 8-valve VAZ-21114 engine, the average service life of the water pump is about 70-100 thousand km, and if it starts to make noise or leak, it must be replaced. It should be noted that on all models 2108-15, Lada Priora and Kalina with an 8-valve internal combustion engine, the pump is changed according to the same principle.

The water pump is replaced as follows:

• drain the antifreeze from the cooling system;
• remove the plastic timing belt cover;
• if the timing belt does not need to be changed, then we do not remove the crankshaft pulley; accordingly, there is no need to dismantle the right wheel;
• set a mark on the camshaft - it should coincide with the ebb on the rear timing case;
• loosen the tension roller, remove the belt from the camshaft;
• unscrew the three pump mounting bolts using a hexagon and remove the pump;
• put the new pump in place, put on the belt, tighten it with a tension roller, check the alignment of the marks on the crankshaft; there is a mark on the flywheel under the rubber plug of the gearbox housing;

• fill in antifreeze, start the engine, check if the antifreeze is leaking and if the pump is noisy. If everything is in order, put the timing case back in place.