A modern car is literally packed with electronics, and the Lada Kalina is no exception in this sense. On the one hand, electronics make life much easier for the driver. On the other hand, it can also become a cause and source of headaches for the driver, since the abundance of electronics can seriously complicate troubleshooting. The most common electronics-related problem on Kalina is the inability to engage reverse gear. We will tell you why the transmission does not turn on and how to fix it in this article.
Locking fuse
On Kalina, to engage reverse gear, you need to lift the “button” of the gearshift knob towards you. After this, the solenoid will unlock and allow reverse gear to be engaged.
Scheme for Kalina.
Fuse - F21 in the main unit, rating - 10A . A intact fuse indicates that there is no voltage at the solenoid.
If the fuse is blown, a new one is installed, then the gearshift lever is moved to the reverse gear position. If the jumper burns out again, the problem must be looked for in a short circuit in the solenoid power supply path.
Reverse gear of Lada Kalina is not blocked
A break in the wire of the switch on the Lada Kalina car occurs quite often, this is due to the fact that the switch often changes its position, and accordingly, the wiring is not at rest. Checking whether the solenoid itself is working is quite simple; here you need to:
- Carefully pry off the gearshift lever housing with a screwdriver and lift it up;
- disconnect the plug located inside the console;
- take a metal paper clip and insert its ends into the connector going to the blocker;
- lower the cover and try to engage reverse gear.
If a fault appears, it means that everything is in order with the switch itself and the manual transmission, it’s all a matter of electrical wiring or poor contact of the plug. After such a diagnosis, the paperclip will need to be removed; driving constantly with the contacts closed on the connector is highly not recommended.
In some cases, a break is detected immediately after lifting the gearbox cover, but often the wires fall off in the area of the locking device solenoid. To carry out diagnostics, you should install the VAZ Kalina on a pit or a car lift and conduct a visual inspection. Most often, a break occurs in the immediate vicinity of the sensor, since this place is not protected by anything - dirt and moisture, crushed stone and pebbles fly from the road.
When the wiring is still in the factory braid, it is sometimes difficult to detect any damage. The contact may periodically disappear and then appear again, the defect turns out to be floating, in which case it is necessary to open the insulating protection.
It is also worth noting that such a defect is common on Kalina and is typical for this car; such a breakdown can occur even on a car with a relatively low mileage (40-50 thousand kilometers). The problem occurs because:
- the wires are too short, they should be made a few centimeters longer;
- The insulation is of poor quality and often cracks in the cold.
So, before looking for faults in the mechanical part, you need to check the electrical part.
Another malfunction is exactly the opposite of the one described above, in this case the locking does not work, and reverse gear is engaged in any case, regardless of whether the ring is raised or not. Driving a car without a gearbox lock is not very comfortable; there is a risk of ruining the gearbox (especially for beginners) by engaging reverse gear while driving instead of the lowering first gear. There are also several reasons for the problem:
- the button contacts inside the manual transmission handle are stuck;
- there is a short circuit in the wires going from the box to the lever;
- The solenoid is stuck.
Checking the condition of the push-button contacts of the blocker is quite simple: lift the cover of the gearshift lever and disconnect the plug. If the guess turned out to be correct, it will be impossible to turn on the ZH.
No voltage along the path from the solenoid to the gearbox
You need to lift the cover.
We lift the cover on the gearshift lever and see the feature.
If after closing the contacts the rear one turns on, the magnetic switch on the lever is faulty.
If there is no voltage at the contacts, check the wiring to the solenoid in the box.
The wiring running from the gearshift lever to the solenoid is located on the Lada Kalina near the left side member under the bottom. Because of this, it is affected by water , snow reagents from the roads also affect its condition .
To see the solenoid, you need to unscrew the wheel all the way.
The photo shows the solenoid contact connectors.
Long-term use of the car leads to rotting of the wire. The presence of voltage at the solenoid output is checked. If it is, then the wiring is broken, you need to inspect it for damage.
To check, we pull out the wiring into the engine compartment.
We replace the damaged wires with new ones and hide them in the corrugation.
After replacing the wiring with the name of the circuit - everything is normal!
Reverse lock solenoid burnt out
After the previous check, there may be a different result - there will be no voltage at the output. If the fuse is intact, it remains to ensure the integrity of the winding inside the solenoid.
For diagnostics, all wires are disconnected from the element and the voltage on them is checked. If so, the solenoid has burned out. Otherwise, the problem lies in the power supply in the area from the fuse to the lever.
A common problem is a broken solenoid plug when driving off-road.
This can be solved by installing a protective bracket made of thick metal.
Checking the functionality of the reverse gear solenoid in Kalina
There are several ways to check the performance of the solenoid. The simplest and does not require additional tools is to supply 12 V voltage to its terminals directly from the battery. When the contacts of a working solenoid are closed, a characteristic click is heard, indicating that the core is being drawn into the coil. In this case, the reverse gear is usually safely unlocked.
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In rare cases, when voltage is applied, the core may not fully retract into the coil, still preventing reverse gear from engaging. The click is still audible, so you can certainly verify the malfunction only visually by completely unscrewing the solenoid from the gearbox housing and applying voltage to its output. In this case, you must first drain the transmission oil.
You can also check the functionality of the solenoid without removing it from the car using a tester (ohmmeter). The resistance of the working solenoid should be 13 Ohms. If the solenoid is in order, you should check whether current is supplied to it by measuring the voltage at the terminal of the block connected to it, to which the red wire goes (it should be at least 12 V). The absence of voltage indicates an open circuit of the positive wire. If the voltage is normal, but there is no ground, the switch at the gearbox is faulty or there is a break in the ground (red-yellow) wire.
The need to replace the reverse gear lock solenoid in Kalina can be determined both using a multimeter (tester) and in practice. In the latter case, it is necessary to apply voltage to its contacts directly.
The reverse speed of the Lada Kalina gearbox depends on the wiring involved when it is turned on. Check the power button itself - its travel may not be enough to close the contacts on the connector that comes from it.
It happens that you use a car, no complaints. One day you leave your Kalina in the parking lot and, when you arrive after a while, you realize that you cannot leave because the reverse gear of the Kalina’s gearbox has disappeared.
Mechanical problems
When the electrics are checked, it's time to move on to the mechanics. The first step is to check the gear oil: level , viscosity , color . The liquid is changed if it does not meet the standards.
If there is no proper result, you need to check the elements of the box.
Gear box
Wear of the internal parts of the manual transmission is diagnosed when disassembling the unit. On the Lada Kalina in the “box” the following may break:
- synchronizer,
- rear bearing,
- reverse gear,
Chips on the reverse gear teeth.
- fork.
The decision to replace parts is made after the “opening”.
Clutch
Car enthusiasts often experience problems with the operation of the “box” after the clutch fails. A malfunction occurs when switching to any gear , sometimes the process is accompanied by a crashing noise.
If other possible faults are excluded, the clutch assembly is replaced.
Oil
The gearbox, just like the engine, contains oil. Its viscosity is thicker than motor oil. On domestic cars, the manufacturer recommends changing the fluid at least once every 60 thousand kilometers. If the reverse gear on the Lada Kalina does not engage, check the lubricant level in the box. If the mileage of the car is more than 60 thousand, drain the old fluid and use new one.
Reed switch malfunction
This part can also cause the reverse gear to simply stop engaging, but it breaks extremely rarely. You can check its functionality by removing the decorative casing from the interior and finding the connector for connecting to the lever.
You need to remove it (disassemble it) and mechanically close the contacts, for example, with a paper clip or just a piece of wire. If the speed starts to turn on, then the problem can be considered solved. It is recommended to leave the contacts closed for a while, but at the first opportunity, replace the reed switch with a Lada Kalina at the nearest service center.
By the way, the key difference between this malfunction is the absence of any reaction to an attempt to engage reverse gear. The Lada gearshift lever simply will not be “pressed” down. In Lada, the malfunction of the reed switch is most often associated with debris or rotted contacts.
We study the design of the VAZ-2181 gearbox
The force from the handle is transmitted to two gear selector levers (see figure). But these levers cannot move in any way - their trajectory is limited by the slots in the “3” grid. The pin "2" can be moved inside the slots, and the upper right part of the grille is closed with a latch "4".
Gear selection mechanism of LADA cable box
To open the latch, the following condition must be met: the car should not move forward even at low speed. Let's look at how blocking actually works:
- A stop is made;
- A certain amount of time passes;
- The lock is deactivated.
In order for the reverse gear to become fully unlocked, you need to wait less than a second after stopping the car. But it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to start moving on a slope while engaging reverse. But if the slope of the surface is directed backwards, the gear engages immediately.
For those with automatic
If your car has an automatic transmission. It will not hurt you to know the modes in which your machine can operate:
- P – For parking and starting the engine. Switching to this mode is possible only after the machine has completely stopped.
- R – To move backwards. Switching to this mode is also possible only after stopping the car and with the brake pedal pressed.
- N – Neutral. When the engine is completely disconnected from the gearbox.
- D – Moving forward without restrictions on gear shifting (the most commonly used operating mode of the automatic transmission).
- D3(S) – Low gears for climbing and braking engines on descents.
- D2 – Mode for difficult conditions (slippery or mountainous roads). Gears above second are not shifted, that is, only first and second gears are engaged.
- D1(L) - Movement occurs only in 1st gear, used off-road on mud, snow or ice, where you need to drive without changing the throttle, and also to overcome steep climbs.
