Priora engine 16 valves: technical characteristics

The release of the new VAZ 2170 Lada Priora model in 2007 is rightfully considered an undoubted achievement of the domestic automobile industry. The new car is able to compete on equal terms in its technical and operational characteristics with imported analogues of the same class and is a very attractive option in its price category.

Lada Priora engine review

General characteristics

Initially, the car was equipped with an 8-valve engine from the VAZ 2114, about which car enthusiasts in practice know all the characteristics, in particular, what kind of service life it has in different modes. Therefore, the first “Priors” did not receive rave reviews from customers.

Subsequently, the car was equipped with its own 16-valve unit modification 21126 with a displacement of 1.6 liters and a power of 98 horsepower, which made the VAZ 2170 truly competitive. Dynamic performance has been improved, emissions into the environment and fuel consumption have been reduced. Relatively recently, an updated version of the 21127 engine with a power of 106 hp appeared. which has been installed on Priora since 2013. Comparative characteristics of all three units are given in Table 1.

Table 1

Engine

Lada Priora has undergone changes several times, both externally and technically. The appearance, power plant and transmission changed.

Below is an example of engines that were installed on the VAZ 2170-72.

Engine 21116 (8 valves)

This engine was installed on the VAZ 2114 and Lada Kalina, and was later inherited by the Priora. The power of this internal combustion engine is 80 hp. with a volume of 1.6 liters, which is very small. Such an engine does not have good dynamics, and it is difficult for it to “drag” the body of the Priora.

Pros:

• Does not bend valves;
• Easy to maintain;
• Cheaper spare parts;

Minuses:

• Low power;
• Noisiness;

The installation of such an engine continued until 2022.

Engine 21126 (16 valves)

16 valve engine with more power and torque compared to 116. It is a modified model of the 124 engine. Its power is 98 hp. with a volume of 1.6 liters.

Pros:

• Great power;
• No noisy operation;

Minuses:

• Bend valves when the belt breaks;
• Expensive spare parts;

Engine 21127 (16 valves)

The modified 126 engine received the index 21127; the intake in this engine was changed, thereby increasing the power to 106 hp. with the same volume of 1.6 liters. They began to install a new cable gearbox for this engine.

Pros:

• High power;
• No noisy operation;

Minuses:

• Bend valves;
• Expensive spare parts;

Engine 21128 (16 valves)

This engine was specially designed for more powerful Lada cars with the “Super Auto” nameplate. The power of this engine has increased, as has its volume. The number of horsepower in the super car engine increased to 123, and the volume to 1.8 liters, which radically affected the dynamics of the car.

Pros:

• Good dynamics and high power;

Minuses:

• Bend valves;
• More expensive spare parts;

Updates and shortcomings

The table clearly shows how many horses the Priora had with the old power plant and how the power and torque changed as the update progressed. Here is a description of how the design features of the new units changed compared to the old ones:

1. The number of valves has increased, there are 4 of them for each cylinder. It's no secret what a positive impact this factor has on engine performance. The filling of the cylinder with the combustible mixture improves, the chamber is qualitatively emptied of combustion products (exhaust gases), the operation of the unit becomes more stable, power increases while fuel consumption decreases.
2. The compression ratio is increased by increasing the piston stroke. The new engine 21126 and 21127 now uses gasoline with a higher octane number, but at the same time the efficiency of fuel combustion increases, which has a positive effect on power. It’s impossible not to notice how the working volume of the Priora’s engine has increased thanks to the increased piston stroke.
3. In modification 21127, compared to 21126, the intake manifold was modified. How this affected the engine performance of the Priora can be seen in the table. Power increased by 8 hp. in addition, performance at low and medium speeds has improved.
4. The new engines on the Priora have better environmental performance and lower fuel consumption. This was achieved through such improvements as modernizing the crankcase ventilation system and reducing the weight of the piston group. Now crankcase gases are burned more intensively in the cylinders and the emission of harmful substances into the atmosphere has decreased.
5. Over the many years of operation of VAZ vehicles, a definite opinion has developed that the power units of Zhiguli cars do not last 150 thousand km until they are overhauled. Now, due to the use of new, higher quality components, the engine life has increased to at least 200 thousand km.

Despite the fact that the updated Priora engine is almost the most advanced domestic unit, it has its drawbacks. For example, when a timing belt breaks, the valves inevitably collide with the pistons and bend - this is its most serious drawback. How to eliminate it without waiting for trouble? It is necessary to replace the standard pistons with new ones, with special selections for the valves.

The remaining shortcomings are not so significant and they are usually associated with some kind of defect that can still be found on domestic cars. This could be increased noise from the operation of hydraulic compensators (often found on VAZ cars), an unexpectedly burnt gasket under the cylinder head, or floating idle speed. Or some unit of the attached equipment fails:

• a drop in fuel pressure in the system leads to difficulty starting the Priora engine and loss of its power;
• sensor malfunctions;
• air leaks in the fuel tract through the pipes;
• problems with the injector throttle valve.

Design Features

All internal combustion engines on Priora operate at a temperature of 95 degrees. They are able to withstand such high degrees thanks to a special alloy of the cylinder head, which does not deform when heated to high temperatures.

However, if it’s hot outside, the engine quickly heats up and in traffic jams it starts to push and stall. Operating a power device at temperatures above 110 degrees is dangerous for it. The lifespan is reduced, rubbing parts wear out quickly.

Crank mechanism

The engine pistons are made of an alloy of aluminum and silicon. This ensures their high wear resistance and temperature resistance. The head of each piston is cylindrical with a flat bottom. The skirt is oval in cross section and barrel-shaped in longitudinal section.

To improve and speed up the running-in of the mechanism, the entire surface of the piston is coated with tin. And compression rings are cast from cast iron. The outer surface of the upper ring, which is adjacent to the cylinder, is coated with chrome plating. This increases the lifespan of the ring.

The height of the compression rings is 2 mm, and the height of the oil scraper ring is 4.9 mm. The piston pins are made of low alloy steel. They are selected for the pistons with minimal clearance. This is necessary to prevent your fingers from knocking while working.

timing belt

The timing belt of the Priora car is made of a durable belt. Many car owners say that it is the gas distribution mechanism that is the problem with Priora engines. At 100 thousand kilometers you may find cracks on the timing belt or light chips in the rubber. This means that he is living his last kilometers. When replacing a belt, it is best to change the entire gas distribution mechanism. Namely, sprockets, a crankshaft toothed pulley with a washer, sometimes replace the generator belt.

The belts that are installed in engines on Lada Priora have 137 teeth. If one wears out, slippage begins, and sometimes the belt can hit the valves. As a result of the break, it hits the valves with 100% accuracy and bends them.

Therefore, experienced mechanics recommend putting the car in for preventive maintenance every 12 months or 100,000 kilometers. Thus, the car owner will avoid major engine repairs or complete replacement.

Systems

The closed liquid cooling system on the Priora allows the engine to cool better on hot days or when idling in traffic jams. It effectively removes heat and prevents the Priora from overheating even at temperatures of plus fifty Celsius.

The power supply system on the car is injection. Carburetor systems are already a thing of the past. Now the fuel is injected into the combustion chamber at a certain angle, oil and air are supplied and then everything is mixed. Such innovations ensured stable operation of the motor.

Similar article Technical characteristics and maintenance of the 603 Mercedes engine

The upgraded crankcase ventilation system does not allow large amounts of exhaust gases to be released into the atmosphere. The reduction and modernization of the connecting rod and piston group reduced the amount of gasoline consumed by the Priora engine.

Let's look at the list of cars on which these engines were installed.

Recommendations for improvement

For the first time, it was decided to increase the power of the new Priora 21126 engine at the factory in order to create a sports modification of it. Camshafts with increased lift, a lightweight connecting rod and piston group were installed, and the intake and exhaust tracts were modified. This is how the first domestic sports unit appeared, which was put into production, and they began to install it on the Lada Granta Sport model.

The technical characteristics of the engine are as follows: engine power from the Priora has increased to 118 hp. torque - up to 154 Nm at 4700 rpm, fuel consumption also increased to 7.8 liters per 100 km with a combined driving cycle. We will give a number of recommendations on how to independently increase the power of Priora engines:

1. The simplest and most affordable way is to install a zero-resistance exhaust tract. The essence of its work is to reduce the resistance of the path, as a result of which some of the power spent on overcoming this resistance will be released and become useful.
2. The same operating principle applies to the zero-resistance intake tract. Installing the receiver and throttle body to 56 mm will allow the power unit to “breathe” more freely, and your Lada Priora will become several horsepower more powerful.
3. Deeper tuning - new camshafts with a sports configuration, allowing the intake and exhaust valves to open more. This will give a noticeable increase in the agility of the car, especially in city conditions.
4. Replacing the standard valves and connecting rod-piston group with a lightweight one will again release some of the useful energy of the unit and add it to the main power. Here you can kill two birds with one stone: install pistons with recesses, thereby eliminating the possibility of them “meeting” with the valves when the timing belt breaks.
5. We should not forget about CHIP tuning. After major changes in the engine configuration, its operating mode will definitely improve, and in order to optimize it and adjust fuel consumption, you need to do a flashing.

Recommendations are given taking into account that the power plant is in good technical condition. If this is not the case, when tuning it is worth replacing worn parts and oil in order to get the desired effect from the changes. As a result of the above measures, the Lada Priora will receive an additional 20-30 hp. without reducing the resource.

How many horses can Priora have in addition to this? Quite a lot, there are capabilities and components to increase the power ultimately to 400 hp. This is due to a radical modification of the power plant: boring the cylinders, grinding the cylinder head, replacing the injectors and fuel pump with more efficient ones, installing four throttle valves and a turbocharger.

We should not forget about modernizing the brake system. Such tuning will give excellent results in terms of power, but the engine life will be significantly reduced, and fuel consumption, on the contrary, will increase significantly.

Engines Lada Priora 8 valves

VAZ 21114 – 80 hp
120 Nm This power unit was inherited from the Lada Priora from the previous VAZ 2110 model and was installed only on sedans or hatchbacks in the simplest Standard configuration. Such an engine is rare, since already in 2011 it gave way to the 21116 engine.

VAZ 21116 – 87 hp 140 Nm

There were relatively many design changes in the updated 8-valve unit: a lightweight piston from Federal Mogul, an intake manifold with an electronic throttle, a particularly durable Gates belt with a service life of 200,000 km and an automatic tensioner. The downside is that there are no recesses in the pistons and now the valve bends when the belt breaks.

Sedan 2007 – 2015 1.6 l 21114 manual gearbox51.6 l 21116 manual gearbox5

Rules for long-term use

Surely every Priora owner wants to operate his car without unnecessary unexpected costs and is thinking about how to increase the car’s service life. To do this you need to follow a few simple rules:

1. The power unit of the VAZ 2170, even without various improvements, has sufficient potential for “spirited” driving. But in order to save it and extend its life, such driving should be avoided. Smooth acceleration and maintaining a stable speed not only on the highway, but also in the city will help extend the life of the engine and save fuel and your own money. The maximum permissible speed on the highway should be no higher than 120 km/h, the optimal speed is 100-110 km/h, and it is important to maintain stability.
2. It is important to timely replace consumables, that is, oils in units, filters, spark plugs, high voltage wires, generator and timing belts, and coolant. The interval between engine oil changes depends on its quality and chemical base. Mineral-based oils should be changed more often, synthetic oils less often. You should never determine the quality of motor oil by its color. If it has acquired a black tint, this does not mean that the oil is bad - it means that an excessive amount of combustion product deposits is formed in the engine. First of all, you need to find the source of the carbon deposits and eliminate it, and then change the oil.

• The new engine must be properly broken in, and then the oil must be changed, following the manufacturer's instructions. When running in, avoid increased loads, sudden movements of the accelerator pedal, and do not exceed the speed specified in the instructions.
• Always monitor the engine coolant temperature, check the operation of the electric cooling fan, thermostat and temperature sensor. Overheating is the main enemy of the piston group; every time the temperature is exceeded, it wears out intensely, and the life of the unit is sharply reduced.

“Lada Priora” is a modern high-speed domestic car that will bring its owner a lot of positive impressions and driving pleasure, provided that the engine is cared for and properly modified and operated.

Lada Priora engines 16 valves

VAZ 21126 – 98 hp
145 Nm In the Norma and Lux ​​trim levels, a 16-valve internal combustion engine was installed, and it was immediately a modernized series with a lightweight piston from Federal Mogul and a durable belt from Gates Rubber Company. Another advantage is hydraulic compensators, which save you from adjusting the valves. This is the most popular Priora unit; it was installed from the very beginning until almost the end of production.

VAZ 21127 – 106 hp 148 Nm

The 2013 update brought a new engine with a variable-length intake manifold. It was with this engine that completely new gearboxes appeared: the manual VAZ 2180 with a cable drive, as well as the VAZ 2182 robot, created on its basis.

Station wagon 2009 – 2015 1.6 l 21126 manual gearbox51.6 l 21127 manual gearbox5

Which power unit is better to choose?

If we summarize all the above features, then the following becomes clear:

1. An engine with 8 valves is easier to maintain, cheaper to repair, works better on low-quality fuel and oil, and is well suited for installing gas equipment. At the same time, such an engine consumes more fuel, produces less power, is more vibration-loaded and noisier.
2. A power unit with 16 valves allows for better dynamics, it is more powerful, consumes less fuel, and does not vibrate as much. In parallel with this, the requirements for the quality of fuel and lubricants are increasing, and the costs of maintenance and repairs are increasing.

Exceptions

For example, in some older Lada Priora models with a 16-valve engine, car owners will not find stamped numbers in the usual place. This is prevented by the characteristic features of the car. Therefore, the manufacturer recommends looking in the following places when trying to compare the stamped motor code with the documentation:

• right wing front;
• at the bottom of the body;
• in the cabin, to the left of the driver's seat.

If it is not found in these places, then you need to look for it in the old ones. It is better to immediately find out the VIN code of the engine from the selling car owner, so as not to have problems with the traffic police later. It is necessary for the seller to show where the number is located and help in checking it with the code that is written in the documents.

Where is the engine identification number on the Priora?

The engine code is found using these three means:

• lighting device;
• car passport;
• vehicle operating instructions.

The Vin code of a car from the VAZ manufacturer can be located in several standard places, regardless of the modification of the car or the number of valves:

• on the cylinder on both sides or on one;
• near the hole where the amount of engine lubrication is checked;
• where the engine is connected to the automatic or manual transmission;
• at the base of the corrector.

Sometimes the motor coding may be located in a different place. But this rarely happens.

Engine number on 16 valve

The engine number of 16 valves on a Priora can be viewed by first removing the air filter housing. Disconnect the corrugation. Using a mirror, the car owner will see two rows of numbers. Since the coding is located on the cylinder block below the thermostat housing.

The most basic malfunctions of the 126 engine

Let's move on to the malfunctions and shortcomings, what to do if the Priora engine is running rough, sometimes flushing the injectors solves the problem, it may be the spark plugs or the ignition coil, but the usual thing in this case is to measure the compression in order to eliminate the problem of valve burnout. But the cheapest option is to go to a service center for diagnostics.

Another common problem is when the engine speed of the Priora 21126 fluctuates and the engine runs unevenly, a common disease of VAZ sixteen valves, your mass air flow sensor is dead! Not dead? Then clean the throttle valve, there is a possibility that the TPS (throttle position sensor) needs to be replaced, perhaps the IAC (idle air regulator) has arrived. What to do if the car does not warm up to operating temperature, perhaps there is a problem with the thermostat or the frost is too severe, then you will have to put cardboard on the radiator grill. Regarding overheating and warming up, is it necessary to warm up the engine? Answer: it definitely won’t get worse, warm it up for 2-3 minutes and everything will be fine. Let's return to the jambs and problems of engines, your Priora engine does not start, the problem may be in the battery, starter, ignition coil, spark plugs, fuel pump, fuel filter or fuel pressure regulator. The next problem is that the Priora engine is noisy and knocking, this occurs on all Lada engines. The problem is in the hydraulic compensators; the connecting rod and main bearings can knock (this is already serious) or the pistons themselves. You feel vibration in the Priora engine, the problem is in the high-voltage wires or in the IAC, perhaps the injectors are dirty.

, 1 (2007)

Lada Priora engine problems

The main malfunctions of all 1.6-liter engines are similar and we have summarized them in one table:

— weak electrics: unreliable sensors, electronic throttle glitches, and so on

— a thermostat that often sticks, which results in overheating and gasket breakdown

- oil leaks, with it getting into the spark plug wells, onto the timing belt and other places

— timing belt break due to wear, roller wedge or pump, which is fatal for the internal combustion engine

Why we love and don’t love the 126 Priora engine

Factors affecting the service life of the VAZ 2170

According to the manufacturer, the ICE 21126 with sixteen valves has a stable operation duration of 200 thousand kilometers. After a certain mileage it is necessary to carry out major repairs. Taking good care of the VAZ 2170, proper maintenance (MOT) and timely replacement of damaged components and parts will lead to a long service life of the vehicle.

Reasons affecting the service life of the power unit:

1. Engine overheating. Elevated temperatures of a running engine negatively affect the overall service life of the motor. Maintaining the operating temperature of the power unit elements at a constant level significantly extends its operating time.
2. Fuel. The vehicle's owner's manual contains detailed information about the recommended brand of gasoline. Filling the 16-valve Priora engine with fuel must be of proven quality.
3. Machine oils. Which oil is best to fill, its brand and how much lubricant is needed is indicated in the accompanying documentation for the car. The 126 sixteen valve engine accepts semi-synthetic and synthetic motor oils most well. A complete oil change should be carried out annually or after a mileage of 15 thousand kilometers.

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