How to set the ignition on a VAZ 2101

The history of AvtoVAZ began with the production of the VAZ-2101 car, or popularly known as “Kopeyka”. This was the first of the family of cars to receive the designation “Classic”.

The Kopeyka used a contact ignition system, which is currently significantly outdated. But it had one positive point - installing the VAZ-2101 ignition was quite simple and did not require special equipment. And although the “Classic” has not been produced for a long time, there are still many cars with VAZ 2101-2106 markings traveling on the roads. Therefore, next we will consider how to adjust the ignition on a VAZ-2101. On other models of this family, this operation is performed similarly.

Article on the topic - Design of the ignition system of VAZ 2101 cars

The design and principle of operation of the ignition on a VAZ

The engines produced for these VAZ models differ only in volume, but have no structural differences. They are equipped with both contact and non-contact ignition systems.

The first case is when the contacts are opened mechanically, and in the second case a Hall sensor is used, with the help of which the moment a spark is supplied to the combustion chamber is determined.

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The gap between the electrodes is 0.7 mm, the thread is M10 standard. For installation you will need a 16 mm wrench. Sealed with a flat gasket. Both electrodes are made of nickel, there is no noise suppression. Flat seat model.

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Contact ignition

The system consists of: high voltage coil, contact group, distributor, distributor cover, vacuum and centrifugal regulators, resistance, spark plugs and wires.

The system works as follows. When the piston is at TDC, the coil windings open.
At this time, high voltage is directed from the distributor cover through the wires to the spark plugs, with the help of which a spark appears in the combustion chamber and, accordingly, the working mixture ignites.

As the engine speed increases, the advance angle undergoes changes, and the centrifugal regulator changes it to the required level.

In turn, the vacuum regulator changes the angle in proportion to the vacuum in the intake manifold. Thanks to this, the engine operates with the required power at any crankshaft speed.

TDC - Top Dead Center

Calculator for calculating the working volume of an internal combustion engine

Calculator for calculating the cylinder displacement of a car engine

Top dead center (aka TDC ) is the highest point at which the piston can be relative to the crankshaft axis. But since engines can have different designs and locations, the most correct definition would be that TDC is “the position of the piston in which any point of the piston is at the maximum distance from the axis of rotation of the crankshaft.”

While going through the working cycle, the piston hits TDC twice - at the end of the compression and exhaust strokes. By default, TDC is the piston position at the end of the compression stroke.

Signs of incorrect ignition on VAZ cars

Setting the ignition timing on a vehicle is necessary if the internal combustion engine is being repaired or the distributor is being dismantled. Also, during operation, it undergoes wear and tear, like any other engine systems, and accordingly the following signs of malfunction may appear:

The motor does not start or has interruptions in operation. Provided that the combustible mixture is supplied correctly, the malfunction may be an incorrect setting of the advance angle, slipping or stretching of the timing chain.
Poor acceleration and inelasticity of the engine. This means that the combustible mixture is not ignited at the required piston stroke position, which leads to a deterioration in the efficiency of the internal combustion engine.
High gas consumption. This effect occurs under conditions of late ignition. Part of the combustible mixture does not have time to burn and flies out into the exhaust manifold. In such cases, you can hear characteristic popping noises in the exhaust while the engine is running.

Hard work of the internal combustion engine. This occurs under conditions of early ignition, when the working mixture ignites when the piston position has not reached top dead center.

In such cases, you can hear a characteristic ringing sound in the engine. Such symptoms can lead to burnt out exhaust valves.

Required tools:

You can set the ignition on the first or fourth cylinder. On our website you can see a description of the ignition installation on the first cylinder.

A short, medium and long mark on the timing cover (gas distribution mechanism) shows the ignition moment of the VAZ 2106 .

Short mark with a leading angle of 10°.
Average - 5°.
Long - 0°.

The top dead center is indicated on the pulley rim; opposite TDC there is a special indentation on the pulley hub.

Instructions

There are several popular methods for setting the ignition angle on VAZ cars.

Installation with strobe

In this option, you do not need to remove the distributor and valve cover, and the installation time will not exceed five minutes.

Loosen the distributor nut, noting its initial placement in advance.
We connect the negative wire of the strobe to the ground of the car, and the “plus” wire to the coil and a special clamp to the wire of the first cylinder.
The light beam, strictly directed at the pulley, will accurately show the optimal location of the distributor.

By gradually turning the distributor, it is necessary to correctly align the marks on the crankshaft pulley and the marks on the front timing cover. We fix the distributor nut.

Installation by marks

The mark on the pulley number 4 is combined with the mark on the front cover. The values of the marks are as follows: 1-100 degrees, 2-50, 3-00. When installing the ignition. when the engine is running on 92 gasoline, the mark for 0 degrees is selected.

We set the ignition to the light bulb

Before starting the installation, you need to take a 12-volt light bulb and solder two wires to it. Then, using a wrench, turn the crankshaft to the TDC position of the piston of the 1st cylinder.

We place the marks opposite each other on the crankshaft pulley and the front cover.
Remove the distributor cover so that the distributor is in the position of the first cylinder.
We attach one of the wires from the light bulb to the ground of the car, and the second to the low-voltage wire inside the distributor.
Turn on the ignition. If the ignition is installed correctly, the light will not light up.
Otherwise, we install the distributor in such a position that the light does not light (i.e., the contacts are open).

When using this installation method, the light bulb can be replaced with a multimeter.

Installation by ear

Warm up the engine to operating temperature. Then loosen the nut securing the distributor. Slowly turn the distributor to the right and left until the engine operates optimally at idle without unnecessary knocking or detonation. Tighten the distributor fastening nut.

Spark plug malfunctions and their diagnosis

The main parameter is the gap between the spark plug and the electrodes, so you need to know what is acceptable. This parameter differs depending on whether an injector or a carburetor is used in the power system. In addition, the manufacturer sets its own standards for various types of engines. Usually the gap is in the range of 0.5-1 mm and, if it differs from the norm, it must be adjusted.

We removed the carburetor from a VAZ 2107, ran through the entire fuel system, and the engine still does not pull? Oddly enough, the symptoms of ignition problems are very similar to fuel system problems. You can even sin on the injector, its pump is installed in the tank, if the engine does not pick up speed. And the reason will not be in the pump, but in the high-voltage wires, which have dried out over time, and the current leakage has increased many times over.

Contactless ignition system for VAZ

When installing such an ignition, the engine starts better when cold, there is no need to adjust the gap on the contacts, the spark will be more powerful, the service life of the spark plugs will increase and, moreover, it is more reliable in contrast to the contact one.

As in the case of contact ignition, we align the marks and the piston of the first cylinder to the TDC position.
We remove the old contact distributor, having first removed the negative terminal of the battery. We install contactless.
Next, using a strobe light, we set the required ignition timing.

What happens if the TDC is installed incorrectly

When the piston of the first cylinder is correctly positioned at TDC on the compression stroke, the valves of that cylinder are fully closed. At this time, the second and third cylinders are at BDC (bottom dead center) and their valves are fully open.

Therefore, if the TDC is set incorrectly, the valve timing will be disrupted and the engine will not operate properly. If the violation is severe, the car will not start. If the piston is installed with a slight deviation from TDC, the engine will operate unstable: its power decreases, knocking, vibration, increased fuel consumption, accelerated wear of the elements of the cylinder-piston group and poor response to the gas pedal appear.

Photo instructions on how to set the ignition on a VAZ

Spark plug malfunctions and their diagnosis

Establishment of UZSK

This type of adjustment is used when the car has a classic or transistor ignition system. If a thyristor system is installed, the size of the UZSK will not be important.

To adjust the ignition system, you need to remove the distributor cover. With a classic ignition system, immediately before tuning, it is better to clean the contacts of the distributor; to do this, you need to remove the formed bump from one of the contacts. After cleaning is completed, you need to check whether the contacts are tightly seated. If the need remains, you can adjust the UZSK by pressing the fixed contact.

After this, the crankshaft must be turned so that the distance between the contacts is maximum. Unscrew the screw that secures the contact group on the bearing and insert a cable about 0.4 mm thick. It is necessary to choose a position so that the cable moves with little difficulty. This position must be secured by tightening the screw. You should try to control the size of the gap by placing a cable with a smaller and larger diameter between the contacts. A cable that is thicker should not pass through, but a cable that is somewhat thinner should slip through without difficulty.

In order to give movement to the crankshaft, it is necessary to use a special key. If you do not have such a key, you need to put the car in fourth gear and push the car. Using a starter for this purpose is problematic, since it will be difficult to achieve the required angle of rotation.

The required UZSK reading will be given by the resulting gap between the contacts of the distributor. The main thing to remember is that it is the angle that is important, not the gap itself. It is recommended to check the adjustment by measuring the angle. To do this, use a special device - a tachometer. To take measurements, you need to assemble the distributor, connect the tachometer and start the car. The tachometer is set to the UZSK measurement mode. The dimensions of the UZSK should not exceed the figures recommended by the manufacturer; if the figures are larger or smaller, the adjustment must be repeated.

How to replace the starter relay

A common problem on carburetor engines is the failure of the starter relay. When the key is turned in the lock, a click is heard, but the relay does not respond. Replacing a relay is not such a difficult task.

Remove the starter from it. Unscrew the 2 bolts that secure it. Tilt it to the right and remove it by turning the back wall. Unscrew the nuts that secure the relay and starter. Remove the terminal by turning it to the side. Remove the relay, first unscrew the bolts. Install the new relay in the same way, only the actions will be in the opposite direction. When replacing this important part, the VAZ-2107 car will last for a long time. As you can see, the procedure is simple, and you can do it yourself.

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S12 spark plugs provide good performance. The technologies used operate under worse conditions than the intended purpose of budget devices. A distinctive feature is uninterrupted operation when installing gas equipment on a car.

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Advantages and disadvantages

Possibility of installation on cars with LPG. Reasonable price. Starting the engine at low air temperatures. Application of innovative technologies in manufacturing.

Low reliability due to manufacturing defects