How much oil is in the Lada Kalina gearbox

Timely replacement of transmission fluid in a car's gearbox will extend the life of your vehicle, improve performance and avoid a number of serious problems that can lead to serious damage or complete failure of the unit.

Over time, the oil in the box loses its original chemical and physical properties. Liquid used for a long time is not able to adequately cool the gears that heat up during friction, which leads to their rapid wear. In addition, driving the Kalina becomes less comfortable.

In this article we will tell you how to change the oil in a Kalina gearbox, how much fluid to fill, how to check the level, and also give useful tips and instructions.

When to change the gearbox oil for Lada Kalina

The documentation from the factory does not contain clear regulations for updating or completely replacing the transmission fluid. In this regard, many car owners believe that the volume filled at the factory will be enough to last the entire time the car is used. The result of this attitude is a quick visit to the service station for major repairs.

Experts disagree on how often the oil should be changed in the Lada Kalina gearbox, no matter the 2nd cable model or the old model. Some give as guidelines a mileage of 70-75 thousand km or 5 years of operation, others insist that the fluid will be enough for 120-150 thousand km.

Of course, the distance your car has traveled and how long ago it was purchased are not all the parameters that should be taken into account. If you are forced to often stand in traffic jams or drive at low speeds, the transmission fluid may become unusable even after a mileage of 40-50 thousand km.

Carry out diagnostics immediately if you begin to notice deviations in the operation of the gearbox (noise, hard shifting).

The best motor oil. does it exist?

For example, with the following “risk factors”:

Frequent driving on bad and dusty roads, including off-road
Operation in harsh climatic zones - with sudden changes in temperature (precipitation, cold snap - warming, dirt and slush, high humidity)
Regular driving at cruising speeds, high engine speeds, engine overheating
The driver makes mistakes when shifting gears, the transmission overheats

The above factors help to shorten the replacement interval, since the oil becomes unusable before the scheduled time. As a result, it turns out that the optimal frequency in such conditions is about 30 thousand kilometers. In any case, it is still advisable to regularly monitor the volume and condition of the oil.

Changing the oil in the gearbox of Lada Kalina 2nd generation: level measurement

There are two ways to measure how much transmission fluid is in the gearbox of your Lada Kalina:

Using a dipstick.
By completely draining.

Regardless of how exactly you are going to measure the oil level, the car engine must first be warmed up. At an air temperature of 20°C, you will have to drive for 10 minutes for the transmission fluid to warm up to 50-80°C.

The procedure for measuring the oil level with a dipstick:

Move out the air filter.
Find the dipstick (it's located to the left of the motor), pull it out and wipe it thoroughly.
Place the dipstick in place, wait a few seconds and remove it.
Determine the volume of oil in the Kalina gearbox using the oil trail.

The probe has two notches: “min” and “max”. If the level is below the minimum mark, you should change the oil in the Kalina box, both 8 and 16 valve. If the indicator approaches “min”, adding at least 200 grams will be necessary.

To measure the liquid level by completely draining it, you will need an inspection hole, as well as a funnel and an empty 4-liter container.

After installing the vehicle over a hole or overpass, perform the following operations:

Remove the air filter.
Unscrew the lower engine protective cover.
Open the drain cap and drain the oil (this process may take 30-40 minutes).

Upon completion of the draining procedure, evaluate the volume of oil in the Kalina box and its quality. The oil should be transparent and free of sediment and metallic inclusions. If the amount of fluid and its condition are normal, pour the oil back in.

Dark color and the presence of chips means that the gearbox requires flushing with special flushing oil. After this is completed, pour in new transmission fluid.

Lubricant replacement procedure

Changing the oil in the Kalina gearbox is performed in the following sequence:

First of all, you need to drive into the pit and secure the car using the handbrake.
Remove the dipstick from the manual transmission with which you checked the amount of transmission fluid.
Find the transmission drain plug under the bottom of the car and place a container for used oil under it.
Using a 17 mm wrench, unscrew the manual transmission drain plug. For convenience, you can remove the crankcase protection, but this is not necessary: the Lada Kalina is designed in such a way that you can drain the transmission fluid from the box without removing the crankcase protection.
As soon as you unscrew the drain plug, grease will flow out of it. Be careful: if the car is warm, it can be quite hot. You need to wait about a quarter of an hour until the transmission fluid has completely drained and stopped dripping.
Screw the drain plug back in.
Take a pre-prepared funnel with a hose and lower the hose into the filler hole (this is where you removed the dipstick from).
Using a funnel, pour oil into the Kalina box. First you need to pour a little more than 3 liters and check the level. If the amount of lubricant is below average, add a little more.
Reinstall the air filter and dipstick.

How and where to store transmission fluid

Before use, make sure that the oil has not yet expired. To do this, refer to the label on the container. To keep your gearbox fluid in optimal condition, you will need to follow these instructions:

Close the cap of the bottle or canister tightly. The product must be stored in airtight packaging.
Do not leave containers in the sun or direct light. A suitable place for storage would be a cellar, attic, garage, etc.
Check the expiration date.
Do not store lubricant containers in a room with temperatures above 24 degrees Celsius. Otherwise, the chemical elements of the oil may change and harm the box.
Do not allow excess moisture to get inside the liquid container.

What oil is better to fill in the Lada Kalina box?

AvtoVAZ equips vehicles with different gearboxes. The first generation Kalina is available with a manual transmission 1118 or 1119, the second generation - with a manual transmission 2180 or 2181. In addition, some Kalina 2 models have an automatic transmission; as a rule, manufacturers use automatic transmissions manufactured by Nissan.

How much oil to pour into the Kalina gearbox? The boxes differ in volume: the smallest will be in the manual transmission 2181 - 2.2 liters; the largest - up to 3.5 in manual transmissions 1118 and 1119.

At the factory, gearboxes of all types are filled with the same fluid: TNK TRANS KP mineral oil, produced by the Ryazan Oil Refinery. At the same time, the manufacturer does not insist on using this brand exclusively.

The most important factor is that the liquid performs the required functions:

protection of surfaces exposed to friction from wear and wedge;
reduction of shock load;
reduction of energy losses due to friction;
reduction of hum and vibration of gears.

To ensure the correct functioning of the Lada Kalina gearbox, the lubricating fluid must have the following parameters:

anti-corrosion and anti-wear properties;
increased oxidation stability;
excellent viscosity-temperature criteria;
compatibility with rubber gearbox parts;
low foaming;
stability of the chemical composition.

An indicator of the quality of the product will be its compliance with API standards (it must have a class of GL-4 or GL-4/5), as well as the viscosity standard SAE J 306. The latter regulates the optimal option for various temperature conditions.

Which oil is best for the Kalina gearbox? The Lada owner must independently choose a lubricant in accordance with the climatic characteristics of his region:

SAE 75W-80 and 75W-85 (from -40°C to +35°C).
SAE 75W-90 (-40°C to +45°C).
SAE 80W-85 (-26°C to +35°C).
SAE 80W-90 (-26°C to +45°C).
SAE 85W-90 (from -12°C to +45°C and above).

Useful tips

The first and most important recommendation is not to use mineral compounds when operating the car in low temperatures.

This type of oil tends to thicken, as a result of which the gearbox gears do not receive proper lubrication and lock up. This is due to the fact that the viscosity of the frozen composition does not allow them to work correctly.

It is advisable to use such a liquid only in areas with a constantly warm climate.

Advice

Periodically check the oil level in the box. It won't take too much time, but at the same time you will be sure that one of the most important components of your vehicle is working correctly. If you notice that the lubricant is leaving or leaking, immediately contact the service for diagnostics.

There are a large number of gearbox fluids on the market that meet the listed requirements. When choosing a specific oil, the owner of a Kalina car will be faced with the question: is the use of an expensive imported product justified or for a domestic vehicle the best option would be a cheaper Russian-made fluid.

The answer from experts is clear: foreign-made oil is much more effective. By using the Hessol product, made in Germany, you will receive:

Noticeable noise reduction.
High precision and softness of the box operation.
Significant increase in gearbox life.

You can often come across the opinion that the factory fluid should be replaced with an imported one immediately after purchasing a Lada car. This is due to the unsatisfactory performance of the manual transmission, which was noted by the owners of the Kalina, released in 2022. Having received a large number of complaints, AvtoVAZ sent the gearbox for revision and, starting in the summer of 2022, a number of gearbox deficiencies were eliminated.

In practice, refusal to use European-made oil is associated with price. Car enthusiasts note that they would opt for imported fluids if they could afford it. The conclusion suggests itself: the ideal oil for the Kalina gearbox would be a high-quality imported product that would be significantly cheaper than its competitors.

This is exactly the policy that the German company Hessol adheres to. All liquids of this brand are produced in Germany and meet the most demanding requirements. At the same time, the price of the brand’s products is lower than that of other brands produced in Germany.

Lada Kalina is perfect for automatic and manual transmissions:

Hessol SAE 75W-90 GL 5 / GL 4.
Hessol SAE 80W-90 GL 4.

We recommend using the first option for heavy loads on the box if you use the car for business purposes. In case of less intensive use, a good solution would be to use SAE 80W-90 GL 4.

Purchase oil only from authorized centers. When buying transmission fluid in the markets or through advertisements, you risk encountering a counterfeit and seriously damaging your car.

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The design of the Kalina-2 family of cars uses a cable gearbox, produced by AvtoVAZ since 2013. A feature of the manual transmission, designated as VAZ-2181, is the following: a diagnostic probe is not provided in its design. The inspection and diagnostic hole is located on the side and not on the top side of the crankcase, which will not add convenience when changing the oil. How to perform this operation, that is, how to replace the manual transmission fluid, is discussed further.

The engine air filter should not interfere

The air filter box in Granta and Kalina-2 cars is secured with three rubber stops. It will not be difficult to dismantle them, but first you will need to disconnect all the connectors attached to the box from the outside. You will also need to remove the adsorber valve. And only then, without fear of damaging anything, the plastic box is taken to the side.

The cylinder to which the corrugation is attached is the mass air flow sensor module. This module has one connector. Disconnect it, and it is better to leave the clamp holding the corrugation in its original form.

The result of all the work done looks like this:

The filter box is simply folded back

The steps mentioned above are listed here in order:

Disconnect the negative terminal of the battery;
Disconnect the clip “1” that holds the power wire and disconnect the connector “2” of the mass air flow sensor (Fig. 1);
Dismantle the canister purge valve. Disconnect the connector with the wires, then use a flat screwdriver to press the spring on the side and remove the module itself from the grooves (Fig. 2);
All stops holding the box can be easily removed from the slots (Fig. 3).

The connector that needs to be disconnected in “step 2” will not be available in configurations with motor 21127.

Changing transmission oil

The design of the cable transmission includes a drain plug, which is typical for all manual transmissions. The control and filler hole here is closed with a separate plug, but you can fill liquid into the crankcase not only through it.

A reverse switch is attached to the top of the unit body (see figure). And if this part can be unscrewed, then the replacement will be easier than according to the standard AvtoVAZ manual.

Cable gearbox VAZ

In the figure the numbers indicate:

Reverse switch;
Drain plug. It is accessible from the bottom. The screw is unscrewed with a 17 key;
Control filler plug. You need to unscrew it by placing the key on the battery side. A 17mm flat wrench will do if its handle is not too long.

In reality, the details listed here look like this:

Both of these screws are easy to unscrew

There is no need to unscrew the control plug trying to get to it from the bottom of the car. As a last resort, you can perform the operation together using additional lighting.

The procedure for changing gearbox oil will look standard:

First, the control plug is not completely unscrewed;
Unscrew the drain plug, placing a free container under it;
The used oil is drained and the plug is tightened;
After unscrewing the filler plug, replace the oil, then install all the parts in place.

According to reviews, the VAZ-2181 box holds 2300 ml of transmission fluid. C, and the recommended replacement interval is 75,000 km.

Advice: before replacing, it is recommended to warm up the old oil. It will be enough to drive the car for about 2-3 km, trying to vary the engine speed.

Oil leaks and breakdowns

The first thing a novice motorist needs to remember is that it is very difficult to repair a gearbox on your own. This transmission unit has a rather complex design, and any mistake in repair can lead to an accident (and additional waste of money, time and nerves). But the main points regarding gearbox repair are still worth listing. At least in order not to pay at a car service center for incorrectly done repairs.

But it’s worth understanding the signs and causes of breakdowns in the Lada Kalina manual transmission, and the main methods for eliminating them :

Noise and knocking heard from the gearbox. If a successful combination of circumstances occurs, the problem here will be the exhausted life of the lubricating fluid . A more unpleasant option is worn out bearings or gears . In the described case, only replacing parts will help. And it is not recommended to change it yourself - only with the help of a professional and under his direct supervision.
Gears are switched with some difficulty . In the described case, the problem is incomplete disengagement of the clutch (the disc does not release completely), deformation of the gear shift drive rod, wear of the plastic parts of the shift mechanism, or loosening of the screw fastenings of the lever. The last two cases are the most common. Failures are corrected as follows:

If you have problems with the clutch disc, there is only one recommendation - contact a specialist (self-repair is impossible without special tools and skills);
if the rods are deformed (their appearance is shown in the service book), they must either be straightened (leveled to the required level) or replaced entirely by purchasing spare parts in advance;
Breakages of plastic parts are corrected by replacing them. But you should take into account that replacing certain parts takes a lot of time and is impossible without the help of an AvtoVAZ car repair specialist;
loose fasteners can be corrected most easily - you need to screw in the screws and bolts that hold the mechanism in the desired position. Standard wrenches and screwdrivers are used here. But it is recommended to purchase the appropriate set in advance, since the fasteners in the mechanism are of different sizes and for different tools.

Spontaneous switching of the lever to the neutral position . Here the problem lies either in the oil, or in worn-out parts or incorrect adjustment of the gear shift mechanism. And self-repair in the described cases is impossible: you will have to turn to professionals.

Separately, it is worth describing the problem with oil leakage in the manual transmission in the Lada Kalina. There are two likely sources of the problem: sealant damage or oil seal wear, or a crack in the transmission housing. The second case is less common, but in this case it is often necessary to change the entire manual transmission (and this is a considerable expense). And if the sealant is damaged or the seals are worn, the box is pulled out, disassembled (with certain technical knowledge, even a beginner can do this), and either the gaskets are changed or a new sealant is applied.

There is an additional reason for oil leakage - loosening of the gearbox mounts. It can be solved by simply tightening the bolts. And if resolved in a timely manner, it can be eliminated easily and without any problems.

Methods that are not recommended

Liquid can be poured into the crankcase of box 2181 through a separate hole, which is closed by the reverse switch. The part in question will be clearly visible if you open the hood and remove the filter box:

Dismantling this part is not easy. First, disconnect the connector, and to loosen the fastening, you will need a special socket wrench with a high head. The key size is 22mm hex.

You can gain access to the internal volume of the gearbox in another way, which is not discussed here. Together with engines 21126 and 21127, a speed sensor is used, mounted on the top of the box casing. It will be easy to dismantle this unit, but after reinstallation the tightness is broken.

The oil level in the gearbox is controlled as follows: the standard filler plug must be unscrewed, and as soon as the liquid begins to leak out onto the casing, topping up is stopped. It is advisable that the car be installed on a level surface. And it’s even better if the body is tilted to the right - excess transmission fluid has never hurt anyone.