DIY car repair Niva 21213

In detail: do-it-yourself car repair Niva 21213 from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

VAZ-2121 "Niva" is a four-seater off-road passenger car. Produced by the Volzhsky Automobile Plant.

The VAZ-2121 "Niva" car is a design development of JSC "AVTOVAZ". Produced since 1977. This is a vehicle for off-road driving, traveling to hard-to-reach places, hunting and fishing trips. The folding rear seat allows you to place and carry a variety of goods. The tailgate floor-level connector provides convenient loading and unloading.

"Niva" is a cross-country vehicle with a permanent non-disconnectable drive of all wheels with a center differential lock and a transfer case with a lowering row. The car had a very progressive design, combining excellent off-road qualities with the comfort of a passenger car, and had practically no analogues at that time. It has been successfully exported to many countries. The car became one of the first representatives of the now so popular "parquet" SUVs.

Body - all-metal, load-bearing, three-door, equipped with seat belts. Front seats - with head restraints, adjustable in length and backrest tilt, recline forward. The rear seat folds down to increase the luggage compartment. On request, the car is equipped with an electrically heated rear window, a cleaner and a rear window washer.

Another feature of this unique machine was the use of passenger car assemblies. So, its engine was created on the basis of 2106, the gearbox and rear axle are also borrowed from this car. Despite this, the "Niva" has a cross-country ability, unique for such a machine.

Video (click to play).

The car was equipped with a 4-speed gearbox with synchronizers in forward gears, or a 5-speed gearbox. The transfer case is a two-stage one with a center differential with forced locking. The cardan drive consists of an intermediate cardan shaft and cardan shafts for driving the front and rear axles.

The front suspension is independent, on transverse swinging arms, with coil springs, hydraulic shock absorbers and an anti-roll bar. The rear suspension is dependent, with coil springs, hydraulic shock absorbers, four longitudinal and one transverse rods.

Since the start of production, modifications have been produced with an in-line four-cylinder carbureted gasoline engine with a volume of 1.6 liters. The modification 21211, which appeared later with a 1.3 liter engine, was not successful.

As a result of the modernization of 1993, a new model "Taiga" was born, which was assigned the index "VAZ-21213". This is a four-seater off-road passenger car with permanent non-disconnectable all-wheel drive. It's hard to believe that there are 16 years between these modifications. During these years, the plant made almost no changes to the design of the 2121. And the changes made in the 21213 model are more cosmetic than technical.

Externally, the new car is distinguished by a modified rear part of the body. 21213 has a "long" third door to the bumper and new taillights. It has become much easier to load anything into the luggage compartment. The lock disappeared from the back door, which was constantly clogged with dirt. It can only be opened from the salon. True, the location of the handle that opens the trunk under the elbow of the rear left passenger is difficult to call successful: you have to act “by touch”. The bumpers are now painted light gray, which is more practical than the old unpainted aluminum.

The cabin has a new panel, new seats, new facings.The instrument panel is the same as that of the VAZ-21083 model. Only now the glare from it illuminates the windshield at night. The new seats are also made in the image and likeness of the "eight". They are more comfortable and more modern than the previous ones. But the mechanism, which folds the backrest for the passage of the rear passenger and moves the seat forward, is not reliable - after fifty operations it fails, due to distortions that have appeared, the back does not want to get into place. The rear plastic panels creak and squeak from light pressure. But now there is a pocket in the sidewall next to the left rear passenger.

The engine has been updated too. The working volume is increased to 1700 cm. A contactless ignition system and a Solex carburetor are used. An invisible but very significant improvement is the new shape of the combustion chamber. Modification of the engine along with changes in the transmission allowed to significantly reduce fuel consumption.

The transmission of the new car has a five-speed gearbox and main gears with a gear ratio of 3.9. Reinforced crosspieces are used. Their size changed and grease fittings appeared. In the transfer case drive - CV joint. Its purpose is to reduce vibration and transmission noise.

The brake system uses a vacuum booster and a master cylinder from the "eight". The effort on the pedals has decreased, but the wheel now lies “upside down” and nothing can be put into it. In addition, the procedure for adjusting the steering gear has become incredibly complicated - now you can only crawl up to it with a crooked screwdriver. The exhaust system has new mufflers. Their bodies are not welded, but rolled, like those of the machines of the “eighth” family.

For the external market, a modification of the VAZ-21214 with central fuel injection was produced. In the "standard" version - VAZ-21214-00. This car is a design development of JSC "AVTOVAZ" with a permanent non-disconnectable drive of all wheels with a center differential lock and a transfer case with a lowering row.

The model range of JSC AVTOVAZ also included the temporarily produced transitional modification 21219 - a combination of the old body 2121 and the engine with transmission 21213. On request, the cars can be equipped with a 1.9-liter Peugeot diesel engine (VAZ-21215).

Despite the fact that the VAZ-21213 is considered one of the most successful developments of the Volga Automobile Plant, like all mechanisms, it is prone to breakdowns. Moreover, the more mileage a car has, the more actively it begins to break down - this is characteristic not only of the Niva, but also of all other representatives of the domestic auto industry. Therefore, a dilemma very quickly arises - to constantly contact service centers or to learn how to make repairs to VAZ 21213 with your own hands. With sufficient skills and "straight" hands, the latter is not so difficult to do as it seems - the main thing is to have all the necessary tools and accessories at hand.

The most common breakdowns and malfunctions

The most common malfunctions, after which a VAZ 21213 Niva repair is required, are:

  • Clogged carburetor;
  • Overheating of the engine;
  • Failure of timing chain tensioners and dampers;
  • Wear of the elastic coupling of the flush shaft;
  • Failure of the checkpoint;
  • Increased vibration;
  • Wear of CV joints anthers;
  • Oxidation of electrical wiring contacts;
  • Stove tap leak;
  • Body corrosion.

Some of the faults can be eliminated by yourself. For example, you can also clean the terminals from oxidation or install a new boot on the CV joint in your garage. With certain skills, you can also clean the radiator. But it is better to eliminate more serious problems with specialists - here you need certain knowledge, tools and equipment.

Image - DIY car repair Niva 21213

Engine problems - what you need to know

The main disease of the VAZ-21213 engine is the carburetor. When using low quality fuel - and this problem occurs regularly at our gas stations - the carburetor is constantly clogged.If fuel lines and filters are clogged, simply clean them and install new filters if necessary. But if you do not pay attention to this problem for a long time, then very soon the fuel pump will fail and then you will have to change it.

Another problem, and almost impossible to eliminate, is engine overheating. The reason for this is the unsuccessful design of the cooling system, or rather the blowing system. This is especially noticeable on engines that have undergone overhaul, since due to cylinder bore, the baffle becomes thinner and heat transfer increases. You can fight it only by upgrading the airflow system and installing either an additional fan, or replacing it with a more efficient one. But it is impossible not to pay attention to this problem - even novice motorists know what long-term engine overheating is fraught with.

Another problem that requires a VAZ 21213 repair is vibration. Its cause is the failure of one of the transmission elements. There may be several reasons for this:

  • Violation of the centering of the transfer case;
  • Souring of the propeller shaft cross;
  • Biting the SHRUS promval;
  • Wear of the elastic coupling of the flush shaft;
  • Failure of suspension elements.

As long as all transmission and chassis assemblies are adjusted, vibrations are invisible. But it is worth at least one of the parts to fail - it is immediately felt.

Among other things, the VAZ-21213 has a characteristic disease - a failure of the fifth gear gears. The fact is that this box is a modernized version of the old four-speed gearbox. There is a big flaw here - the ill-conceived design of the lubrication system leads to oil starvation of the fifth gears and they wear out much faster than others - literally after 30-40 thousand kilometers.

There is a joke that the Niva's body begins to rust even before it is bought. This is, of course, an exaggeration, but with the anti-corrosion treatment of metal it is simply a disaster - it really starts to rust very quickly, especially in those places where there is active contact with water: sills, rear door, bumper attachment points, fenders, and so on.

In order to delay the appearance of holes in the body to the maximum, it is necessary to carry out anti-corrosion treatment every year. Considering how we struggle with road icing in winter, the bottom can burn out in literally a year, if it is not processed.

Also, pay close attention to the drainage and ventilation holes - if they become clogged, then moisture and condensation begins to accumulate inside.

If you can repair the VAZ 21213 with your own hands, then reinforce the floor with an additional metal plate in the place where the distributor is attached - due to increased vibration, this area is subject to increased loads and can simply fall off.

Video about body and engine repair VAZ 21213

All off-road enthusiasts purchase all-wheel drive off-road vehicles to overcome various obstacles. Four-wheel drive is a system for distributing speed and power along two axles of the vehicle. Cars equipped with all-wheel drive have permanent all-wheel drive or plug-in. To ensure the transmission of angular speed to all wheels, a transfer case is installed in cars of this type. There will be a further article about her.

Image - DIY car repair Niva 21213

Almost every novice auto mechanic can repair the razdatka

The transfer case is the mechanism that distributes the torque from the engine to the drive mechanisms, that is, the differentials. Most often, the transfer case is used in off-road cars, as well as in some sports cars, which increases their stability on the road.

In SUVs, the transfer case performs the following functions:

  1. Distributes the moment between the axles, which ensures the best cross-country ability of the car, and in this way the full potential of the engine is realized. The possibility of such a phenomenon as power circulation is automatically eliminated.
  2. Increases torque to the drive wheels by using a downshift, this helps drivers overcome serious off-road obstacles.
  3. Provides a stable position and movement of the car at low speed when all the torque is involved.

Image - DIY car repair Niva 21213

Transfer cases can be divided into several types:

Niva has excellent off-road potential, and that is why it becomes an indispensable assistant when going out into the wilderness. But, as with any car with a domestic SUV, problems can also occur.

Image - DIY car repair Niva 21213

Like any mechanism, the dispenser also fails, and by the following symptoms it can be easily determined:

  1. Delays when turning on the front axle, turning it off abruptly. This situation can only happen in the case of early modifications with a demultiplier. All Niva cars have permanent four-wheel drive, but many craftsmen upgrade their cars, after which they have the opportunity to turn off the front axle.
  2. Constant overheating under load. A possible reason will be a low oil level, if the reason is in it, then the oil must be added, if not, then this is caused by increased friction of the parts.
  3. Increased oil consumption for the gearbox. The reason is any leakage due to wear of the oil seals, loose crankcase bolts, or simply not completely tightened the drain plug.
  4. Looseness of the transfer case and gearbox mountings. Leads to strong vibrations in the passenger compartment. May be associated with fastening mechanisms or centering the transfer case.
  5. Vibrations can also be caused by damaged transmission mounts, this issue is solved by simply replacing broken parts.
  6. Looseness of the flange bolts, as well as its wear. It is solved by replacing or tightening the bolts, in the worst case - by purchasing an intermediate shaft. This breakdown leads to noise and vibration at first only when starting from a place of a car, later it turns into a constant hum at a speed of over 80 kilometers per hour.
  7. Seized propeller shaft joints. Breakage occurs due to the drying out of the elements; in order to eliminate it, you will have to renew the lubricant with the help of a syringe. If the re-injection did not help, then you will have to replace the whole part.
  8. Similarly, the CV joint can jam, this is either due to a lack of lubrication, or due to deformation. In case of severe wear, you will have to buy the entire intermediate shaft, if it was only a grease - you can simply replace it.
  9. Cardan backlash is solved by replacing.
  10. Differential wear can lead to noise and crackling when cornering, only replacing the differential will correct this cause.
  11. Satellites and their obstructed movement often become a possible cause of cornering noise. This is due to burrs, which can be removed with a file.
  12. Often, it is not the transfer case itself that fails, but the lever, rod and fork, which impede full control of the unit. Also, these parts can simply stick, for this they must be cleaned of dirt or, in case of severe wear, replaced.

Image - DIY car repair Niva 21213

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There is nothing complicated in removing and repairing the demultiplier, this procedure can be carried out by any person who has the right tool. The main difficulty of this car is that the transfer case is not attached directly to the checkpoint itself, like in modern SUVs, in Niva they are connected by means of intermediate shafts.

The dismantling of the unit itself is quite simple; for this, the car is driven into the inspection pit. All levers in the passenger compartment are set to neutral. Then the plastic cover is removed from the tunnel and all covers and handles are removed. Then the hatch is unscrewed, which opens access to the distributor. The speedometer sensor is also removed, after which the driveshafts are disconnected. At the end, it remains to unscrew several fasteners of the box itself, and then remove it.After the mechanism is removed, you can proceed to disassemble it for further replacement of worn parts. In general, the installation is carried out in the reverse order, but it is worth paying attention to centering the transfer case with the gearbox, that is, it is necessary to convince the flange of the gearbox drive shaft to be connected to the transfer case intermediate shaft, after which you can tighten the mounting bolts of the range itself.