Lada/VAZ-2108/ -09/ -099 operation, maintenance and repair manual

Considering the current opportunities in terms of purchasing spare parts, materials, tools, as well as the relative simplicity of the design of the VAZ 2109 car, doing body repairs yourself is far from the most difficult task. Many perform body work on their own, not inferior in quality to specialized workshops.

The task is to return quality

Weak spots

What weak points does the body of the domestic nine have? Let's try to find out.

If rotten or deformed elements of the car body are detected, they must be removed and appropriate measures taken to restore the integrity of these areas.

The most vulnerable areas of the VAZ 2109 body include:

• Front floor, reinforced sills, doors, fenders and rear underbody;
• The hood has relative endurance, but over time it begins to lose its former properties. The area above the battery is especially affected. This is where Nine owners most often notice the formation of rust;
• A noticeable problem that many drivers face is the fuel tank floor;
• Optics reflectors and a muffler also cannot boast of a long life without the appearance of signs of rust.

Corrosion is obvious

Corrosion is the main enemy of almost all domestic cars. Although anti-corrosion coatings are done quite well, time, weather conditions and the characteristics of our roads kill everything, rust actively begins to eat the metal and this problem must be dealt with.

Dealing with problems in general terms

To get rid of the problem of rust formation on the body, you need to do some work. On your own or with the help of specialists, decide for yourself.

1. Disassemble the engine compartment, drain the coolant and remove the radiator.
2. Remove all doors.
3. If there is an amplifier (TV) in front, then it will also have to be disassembled.
4. Using a grinder, all damaged areas are cut off;
5. If the wings or panels are rusty, they will have to be cut off.
6. If holes or holes have formed due to corrosion, they can be welded or patches can be used.
7. It is recommended to additionally cover areas that are not highly resistant to corrosion with metal inserts.
8. Experts advise strengthening mudguards with additional inserts and then securing them with spot welding.
9. New body parts that are installed in place of rusted ones must be adjusted in accordance with the standards.
10. After processing, the wings and sills are secured with screws, bolts and welding.
11. Restoring the geometry of the body is a mandatory activity, on which most of the time is spent. To do this, you will need a bench machine on which the machine is fixed and adjusted in accordance with the norms of the control points.
12. The next stage is welding a new floor, if required as a result of assessing the condition of the body. When restoring the floor, patches, connectors and amplifiers are used. At the final stage, the floor is covered with anti-corrosion compounds.
13. It is easier to purchase new arches than to try to restore old ones. They can be coated with resin and waste oil mixed together. This mixture is excellent at resisting rust. Just do not use this composition to treat the bottom under any circumstances.

During body repairs, it is often necessary to jack up the car. If the jacking areas are rusty, use a support beam to lift the car.

Holes, rust

Often, the body is repaired independently if small areas are damaged, dents or holes are formed due to the effects of rust. In addition to correcting the geometry, painting and polishing are performed.

More serious deformations and damage caused by collisions and road accidents necessarily require contacting specialized workshops. Here, focusing on control points and using professional equipment, you can restore the body as correctly as possible without disturbing its geometry, maintaining rigidity and other factory parameters. Sometimes they can even be improved.

How much will the repair cost?

Restoring the worn out bottom of a “nine” or “eight” costs a significant amount - from 5 to 29 thousand rubles. The price of overcooking in car services varies depending on several points taken into account by the craftsmen:

• size of damage, depth of corrosion;
• possibility of carrying out repair work;
• difficulty of recovery;
• order fulfillment time;
• car service pricing policy;
• place of work.

The cost of overcooking the bottom of 2109 when purchasing the cheapest repair kit will be 5–8 thousand rubles. Purchasing consumables in specialized auto stores will cost 11–12 thousand rubles. For the work of a service technician, you will have to pay from 20 to 30 thousand rubles, depending on the assessment of the damage, the volume performed, and the complexity of the restoration.

Checkpoints

Measuring the distances between body control points is the most common way to check the condition of a car. After taking measurements, you need to check them with the passport data.

The check is performed as follows:

• Dimensions are checked diagonally;
• The current condition of the machine racks is checked;
• The roof is examined visually, the dimensions of the diagonals of the roof itself and the door frame are checked;
• Increased attention is paid to measurements of the rear and front window frames;
• A visual inspection of the entire body is carried out from various angles in order to determine the presence of gaps and bulges that differ from the required parameters.

Brief history of the VAZ 2108

The model began its history back in 1971, long before production began. For a long time, workers at the Volzhsky plant created only prototypes, until the technical specifications were approved by the government in 1978. Despite this, the model itself went into production only in 1984 and did not leave the assembly line until 2003.

The special features of the VAZ 2108 include one type of body – a 3-door hatchback. The front-wheel drive car could be equipped with one of 5 types of engines ranging from 1.1 to 1.5 liters. As for the gearbox, the car was equipped with either a 4- or 5-speed gearbox.

For the VAZ 2108 model, the repair manual was created so simple that each owner could independently diagnose many breakdowns and fix them without outside help.

Bumpers

It is sometimes necessary to remove the front and rear bumpers to replace them or repair other body elements. Dismantling does not require special skills, so even a beginner can cope with this task

The only difference when removing the front bumper compared to the rear one is that the plastic fender liners will need to be additionally removed in front.

Otherwise, the dismantling and repair procedure is performed as follows:

• There are nuts on the side that hold the bumper to the body. They need to be unscrewed. Mostly on most VAZ 2109 there are 2 of these fasteners on each side;
• Now find the front bumper mounting nuts and remove them;
• When unscrewing the front fasteners, be sure to hold the bumper, otherwise it may fall and be damaged;
• If you remove the front bumper, then remove the fender liners. All removal work is completed;

Dismantling process

• Carefully examine the condition of the bumpers visually. If there are deformations or damage, these areas can be straightened;
• Old peeling paint and traces of rust can be easily cleaned using 200-400 grit sandpaper;
• If the bumper is made of plastic, all damage is repaired using special putty;
• The holes on the plastic bumper are covered with plastic elements from old bumpers or other elements that have suitable dimensions, thickness, and strength;
• Using a soldering iron with a power of 40-60 W, you can weld plastic elements.

Failure to maintain clearances

Connection of bumper elements

To fasten the elements of a damaged plastic bumper, you can use four methods.

1. Melt the plastic of the bumper and additional inserts. The seam width should be about 15 millimeters. And the depth of the soldering depends on the thickness of the body element.
2. Parallel seams. Wire or nails without heads can help here. These fasteners are soldered on the reverse side. A fairly reliable connection option.
3. Flexible copper wire. A more complex, but also more effective method. The connection is made according to the principle of the second method, then the wire is soldered from the inside with a snake or zigzag. Some people also solder it from the front side.
4. Lattice. The most reliable and durable option. Using a mesh or a piece of decorative radiator grille, the elements of the plastic body are fastened together.

Body repair is a rather complex and sometimes labor-intensive process. Based on video lessons and instructions, you can complete a number of tasks. But for complex damage, it is better to turn to professionals.

Thresholds for VAZ 2109 from profile pipe

Hello everyone who follows my B.Z. and everyone who inhabits this site. I didn’t write anything for a long time, and there was absolutely no time to do anything with the car. But now I had some free time and I continued to work on the car.

How to make thresholds for a VAZ 2109 from a profile pipe

Hello everyone and those who follow my B.Z. I'm starting to change the thresholds. After looking at the threshold and everything else in the store, I came to the conclusion that it was all complete crap... I decided to make it from the profile. I went to the metal rolling base and bought 6m of profile pipe measuring 100x100x3 mm. I sat and smoked and decided to completely cut out everything we had on the car. And everything is rotten.

The entire threshold and amplifier were completely cut out. After measuring the pipe, I realized that the doors would not close if the pipe was installed instead of the amplifier. Well, the idea to make houses immediately came to mind. The thresholds are not finished yet, so don’t judge too harshly.

3) High fuel consumption

When the engine is running efficiently, it burns fuel at a rate that helps in fuel efficiency (fuel economy). However, some parts of the fuel system, such as fuel filters, air filters, mass air flow sensor and oxygen sensors (lamb probe), become dirty and wear out over time.

If they are not replaced, this will cause the engine to use more fuel than usual. Again, a proactive attitude towards regular car maintenance will save you from the headaches caused by increased fuel consumption due to improper engine operation.

Recommendations for caring for equipment

Modern models from the brands Bernina, Veritas, Jaguar, Singer, etc. are equipped with great functionality. And during operation, do not neglect the instructions and maintenance of the unit. It is better to prevent any damage than to deal with it. In order for the equipment to serve for a long time, it is necessary to follow the manufacturers' recommendations.

• Do not store the unit in a room with high humidity, this will lead to rusting of individual parts.
• After each use, it is necessary to clean the unit from dust, fabric lint, thread fragments, etc.
• All moving parts should be lubricated at least once every three months.
• For oiling, only recommended grades of technical oil should be used. Expired formulations should not be used.

These simple recommendations will increase the life of your device and make working with it enjoyable.