Lada Granta with Kalina headlights

Lada Granta is a budget front-wheel drive car that was developed by the Volzhsky Automobile Plant in 2011. The optics of the vehicle have changed significantly compared to previous models of this brand. This applies to both the types of devices used and their design, as well as adjustment methods. It is important for the owners of this car to learn about all the nuances of the headlights so that the operation of the Lada Granta is long-lasting and correct.

Installation of bumper and headlights from Kalina 2 to Grant and vice versa

It’s no secret that most of the technical solutions of Grants migrated to Kalina, and the body and interior of these cars have a lot in common.
If you think that the appearance of Kalina 2 is more modern, then you can borrow some of the parts for Granta from this model! What makes the front of the Kalina 2 more attractive? The hood, fenders and fog lights of these two cars are no different and have the same catalog number (hood 21900-8402010-00, fenders 21900-8403010-00, 21900-8403011-00). The only differences are in the bumper and headlights.

You will need: Kalina 2 bumper (part number 2192-28030152) and left (number 21920-3711011-00) and right headlight unit (number 21920-3711010-00).

When installing the bumper and headlights from Kalina 2 on the Grant, no modifications are required. There will be inconsistencies only when connecting:

head optics (headlights have different connectors, so you will have to buy chips and connect them according to the diagram);
electric headlight leveler (depending on the configuration, you may need a headlight leveler control unit from Kalina 2 (21920-3709590-00), and connect according to the diagram).

It is worth noting that now, after turning on the high beam, the low beam will go out. To correct this shortcoming, the design will have to be modified. The result is a Lada Kalina 2 sedan! Such tuning may be of interest to traffic police officers or when passing a state technical inspection. All installed parts comply with all standards, so there should be no problems.

You can install similar headlights and a bumper from Granta on Kalina 2. It turns out Granta station wagon or hatchback.

How do you evaluate this crossing of two Lada cars? Which option do you prefer? Don’t forget about upgrading the interior, for example, covering the interior decorative trims with vinyl film.

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How to deal with foggy headlights

To prevent the glass from fogging up from the inside, it must be completely sealed. Violation of the seal occurs due to cracks in the glass itself, the case or damage to the sealant. All these faults can be eliminated only by replacing the product, but there is another problem - clogged drainage pipes.

Any headlight is equipped with drainage tubes that help eliminate moisture that has somehow entered the housing, for example, due to temperature changes. If the drainage is dirty, then the moisture will not be discharged into the atmosphere, but will settle in the form of fogging on the inside of the glass.

The best way to get rid of it is to remove the product and dry it well, blowing it with compressed air and heating it with a hairdryer.

From Kalina to Granta. A little history

Kalina-1 is the last domestic car that was not affected by the savings program that the French brought to AvtoVAZ in 2009.
Granta is the first domestic car produced under the French-Japanese alliance. Taking Kalina-1 as a basis and making it cheaper, Grant was released, designed to replace the utilitarian classics and the “chisel” family.
Granta FL, which appeared in the second half of 2022, is another variation of Granta, in some places it has become worse, in others it has become better.
Kalina-2 was made on the basis of Granta 1; although it was “richer” in equipment, it was still deprived of the joys for which Kalina-1 was famous.

Having in the luxury some exclusive options that were not present in Kalina 1 (cruise control, seat height adjustment) - Kalina-2 looked like a kind of compromise between Granta and Kalina 1. There was no dashboard with navigation and detailed BC, eco-leather on there were no seats, the well-structured door plastic was removed, the bumper reinforcement was removed, the metal in the rear seat cushions was removed.

Car comparison

Kalina 1, year of manufacture 2012, (penultimate year of manufacture of the 1st generation), 1 owner, mileage 68,000 km. Kalina in 2012 cost me 290 thousand rubles.
Granta 1, year of manufacture 2022, (last year of manufacture of the first generation) 3 owners, mileage 42,000 km. The price for the new first-generation Grant, in this configuration, at the beginning of production varied from 270 to 410 thousand rubles. In 2022, the cost of a car with this configuration almost reached 600 thousand rubles. A friend bought a car for 260 thousand, with 32 thousand mileage, not in the best condition.

Let's go over those moments that immediately catch your eye, both inside and outside the cars. Both cars are in entry-level trim levels, which makes comparison easier.

The front clearance of both cars is the same (normal, high), the windows are athermal, and the level of sound noise from the engine is the same. although it’s strange, in general it should be quieter on the 186th engine on the Grant.

Action plan

Summarizing all of the above, we organize the sequence of actions as follows:

We choose the method of setting up the lighting fixtures (by ourselves, by a service station);
We prepare the car, check the tire pressure (2.0 / 2.2 MPa), place the Lada Granta at a distance of three meters from the wall (notional obstacle), remove the plug from the back of the headlight;
We draw the diagram according to GOST, parallel and perpendicular lines;
We compare the light beam with actual points on the wall;
We carry out adjustments using hydraulic correctors.

New Lada: Changing the oil in the Lada Granta engine

Why is Granta better than Kalina?

Has daytime running lights
The sun visors stay in any position and are more pleasant to the touch.
There is a trunk activator already from the factory. On Kalina 1 the wiring was installed, there was a place for the activator and a button in the key.
An engine with a lightweight ShPG is positioned as faster, but less reliable.
The stove doesn't have a bad reputation for leaking.
The gearbox is cable, and has easier gear shifting. The Kalinovsky lever mechanism is more reliable and also does not suffer from shifting difficulties, although it was difficult for a friend out of habit to engage second gear in my car.
The minimum equipment includes a driver's airbag and ABS. Although I would hardly regard the latter as an advantage - braking on any surface other than dry asphalt will be worse...
The dashboard has a seat belt indicator and a squeak when starting to drive if the driver is not fastened.
Added display of vehicle electrical voltage.
There is space for a 2-DIN radio in the panel.
The suspension has been improved! Wheels no longer fall into small holes, as when the suspension breaks down. A well-known jamb, after which Kalinovody installed Grant suspension.
Stove. But not how it heats, but the design itself. Due to excessive pressure in the system, the heater radiator may begin to leak over time (the expansion tank cap wears out quickly, so they need to be changed frequently).

Why is Kalina better than Granta?

Steering wheel. The power steering is more informative and sharp, and turns off at high speeds. There is no empty zero, like on Grant.

There are normal mudguards from the factory, and not smaller ones, like on the Grant, they protect the sills from baldness, and the rear ones throw less dirt at those walking behind.
The headlights shine much better due to separate low and high beam sectors and round reflectors that better distribute the light flux. Also, when you turn on the high beam, the low beam does not turn off, since the bulb sockets are in different sections.
Kalina has an electric headlight range control system versus a mechanical one on Grant.
The rear-view mirrors are large, and not reduced for the sake of design.
Seals on all fixed windows on the outside. Also, seals at the bottom of the door keep the thresholds clean.
The number is on the trunk lid, not on the bumper. The room throws less dirt. You can hide it from the cameras by lifting the rear trunk, the shape on the body is more expensive to make - than on a plastic bumper.

Light in general: rear reflectors are in the bumper, TWO reverse lights, stop lights in a separate section from the dimensions, 8 LARGE LEDs for an additional brake light versus 6 for the Granta. In general, the reliability of all the light bulbs, not a single light bulb has burned out on its own in 9 years. On Grant, 1 license plate light and one low beam no longer work.
The door stops are located in the door handles, and not on the thresholds or in the door opening (as in Vesta, Kalina 2, Priors and Logans).
Adjustable instrument panel and symbol illumination.
A courtesy lamp for the glove compartment and interior with smooth fading and two separate lights in addition to the main one - driver's/co-driver's.
Front passenger mirror in the visor.
Central locking with remote control and security mode, a button in the cabin and a trunk cylinder button, which can be kept either locked or unlocked (on Grant 1 there is just a hole where by turning the key you immediately open the trunk)
Standard key with security/locking and unlocking mode.
Soft plastic door upholstery, there is fabric upholstery on all doors.
There is a height adjustment of the seat belts, as well as a third belt for the middle rear passenger.
Three rear headrests versus 2 for Granta. The front head restraints are adjustable in angle.
On the back row of seats there are straps for belts, latches for belt cylinders, where they can be attached when there are no passengers, the seat reclines in a proportion of 60 to 40
The rear seat cushion has a metal base, which protects against sharp or heavy objects flying forward.

Engaging reverse gear is accompanied by a sound signal.
Pointer, more accurate fuel and coolant temperature gauges.
The ShPG engine does not bend the valve when the belt breaks (for Granta 1, not FL).
The panel looks original, without the ugly round air deflectors from Renault, the light panel absorbs the heat, and the dark one looks more expensive than the panels that were used in Kalina 2 and Grant. This panel has more details and there is a shelf under the glove compartment.
Trunk! Let's remember the Kalina sedan? In the basic configuration, it had noise-reducing cladding and the hinges did not eat up the volume of space - there were gas stops that fit neatly into the opening when closing. On Grant, because of this, they increased the depth of the trunk and the length of the car, thereby worsening the maneuverability of the car, and they were too lazy to make the trim and normal hinges, like on station wagons and hatches. Gas struts were installed on the Kalina sedan.

Replacing standard lighting

In order to replace headlights or carry out repairs, you need to prepare accordingly. The vehicle owner will only need 8 mm and 10 mm socket wrenches. The process of removing the headlight is as follows:

Initially, you should disconnect the negative terminal from the battery.
In order to gain access to the lower mounting of optical instruments, you need to remove the lower bumper.
It is necessary to disconnect the turn signal lamp clips. You also need to remove the running lights of the Lada Grant.
The main light cover should be removed by turning it counterclockwise. After this, you can gain access to the inner surface of the headlight.
Remove the wire retainer from both the low beam and high beam lamps.
The headlight hydraulic corrector must be removed counterclockwise.
Using a wrench, unscrew the 4 mounting bolts.
After completing all of the above steps, you can remove the burnt out lamp by replacing it with a new one.

While disconnecting optical devices, they must be held. This should be done to prevent them from falling and being damaged.

The rear lamps can be removed and replaced much more easily than the front lamps. This is due to the fact that they are accessed through the trunk of the car. As a result, there is no need to remove the bumper. Removing and replacing lamps in the rear headlights is as follows:

The luggage compartment trim needs to be removed. The bases of the instrument lamps will become visible under it.
To unscrew you will need an 8 mm wrench.
Another fastener needs to be pressed out without using tools. This can be done by hand.
The taillight connector can also be removed without the use of keys.
Having pryed the headlight, it should be bent. After this, you can completely remove the device.
To replace the lamp you need to unscrew the base.

After all these steps, the work must be done in the reverse order to install the headlight unit in its original place.

Summary. What are cars equally good at?

Result: 24 - 12 in favor of Kalina. Kalina wins with a 50% margin.

If we remember the Grants of the first years of production, then even the “norm” configurations were inferior to the basic Kalina-1. There were no athermal windows, no rear headrest, no 60:40 folding rear seat, there was not even audio preparation, etc. You can go on and on about little things a lot.

I think it will become clear to many why many Kalinovods do not switch from these cars to other Ladas, which after Kalina 1 have already been produced under the French and have been reduced in price in many ways.

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