Checking the ignition coil and its circuits on VAZ 11183, VAZ 21116 and VAZ 11186 Lada Granta engines

Coil purpose

The main job of the ignition coil on a Grant vehicle is to generate a reliable and powerful spark at the plug that effectively ignites the fuel mixture in the combustion chamber. A huge voltage is generated in the coil, which can reach 40 kV, which is a lot, for example, in a regular household outlet there is only 220V.

The ignition coil is also called the ignition module; both names for this part will be correct.

Operational Aspects

Frequent cases when owners call for service are when the coil fails or does not function correctly. You can also diagnose the ignition module yourself. To do this you will need to acquire the appropriate equipment. One such diagnostic tool is a multimeter. It is used to measure the actual resistance value at the coil terminals in the 8-valve versions of the Lada Kalina, as well as in the 16-valve version. In order for the results of measuring actions to have maximum correctness, the procedure should be followed at least twice.

Damage to the ignition system can occur in any part of the circuit. This circumstance requires maximum care and attention during diagnostic procedures. The check begins with making sure that the winding is connected correctly to ground. Now let's diagnose the central terminal of the coil. We apply the positive contact of the device to it, and connect the negative contact with the vehicle ground. We look at the screen. If there is a symbol of infinity resistance, then this indicates the absence of a short circuit on this section of the circuit. From this information, the owner must conclude that the ignition module is working.

Now we connect the device with the terminals of the module located at the edges. A specific parameter on the screen indicates the presence of a malfunction inside the LADA Kalina ignition switch. If a defect is not found here either, then the next step will be to diagnose the secondary winding of the coil. We place the ignition module in front of us so that both contacts are facing us. We connect the diagnostic device with the terminals for the 4th and 1st cylinders. Having made sure that there is no malfunction (short circuit), we proceed to checking the circuit for the 2nd and 3rd cylinders. There should also be no short circuit here.

Wiring diagram

Many people wonder how to connect high-voltage wires; most often this question arises after replacing spark plugs. It is necessary to connect the wires in strict sequence, but if they are mixed up, the car may not operate correctly or may not start at all.

To connect the wires correctly, you need to know the cylinder counting order. On the Grant, the cylinders are counted from the timing belt from left to right, that is, the leftmost cylinder will be number one, and the rightmost cylinder will be number 4.

There are 4 pins on the coil, which are marked with numbers. Each number indicates a cylinder number. The wire of the first terminal should be connected to the spark plug of the first cylinder, etc.

Ignition switch and features of its replacement

The ZZ is secured with one screw and is located on the steering column on the right under the steering wheel. Its design includes a locking device and a contact group. They are interconnected, working synchronously, and are activated using the ignition key.

When diagnosing faults in the electrical circuit, it is necessary to check whether the contacts close correctly when the position of the key changes. If any irregularities in the operation of the ignition protection are detected, it should be replaced (the author of the video is Renault Repair).

The procedure for replacing the ZZ on the Lada Largus consists of the following steps:

1. Before work, disconnect the negative terminal from the battery to turn off the power supply to the car.
2. Next, remove the steering column casing.
3. At the next stage, by releasing the latch, we disconnect the connector with the wires of the contact group.
4. Then, inserting the key into the ignition switch and setting it to the first position, remove the 33 wires from the dashboard.
5. Next, unscrew the bolt that secures the ZZ.
6. Use a screwdriver to press out the latches and remove the 3Z from the housing.
7. We dismantle the faulty unit.
8. Having installed a new spare part, we assemble it in the reverse order.

Kit for Lada Largus
After replacement, we check the operation of the ignition lock by changing the position of the key.

Symptoms of a problem

It happens quite often that the ignition coil fails for one reason or another. Most often, coil failure is caused by moisture, and due to the low location of the part itself, moisture quite often gets on it.

Malfunctions:

• Two cylinders (1-4; 2-3) do not work at once;
• The car jerks and accelerates poorly;
• Difficulty starting the internal combustion engine;

If your car has such malfunctions, then most likely the ignition coil is faulty.

Replacing the ignition module with a new one

After checking the wires, no defects were found and it was decided to change the ignition module, since nothing more reasonable came to mind. In order not to waste money, they first decided to remove it from my car and check whether it was the problem. Now, a few technical details for those who will carry out similar operations, I’ll tell you what tools you will need:

1. Hexagon 5 either regular or in the form of a bit attachment
2. If you use a bit with a hexagon attachment, then it is most convenient to unscrew it using a ratchet rather than a regular wrench, since there is very little space near the module and it is very inconvenient to unscrew without a ratchet

It is not recommended to remove bolts with a ratchet, as you can damage the tool, and such a thing costs at least 400 rubles (in my case, with a Jonnesway ratchet). It’s not a cheap pleasure, but you can’t live without it.

First of all, we remove the wires from the spark plugs, and you can also immediately remove them from the module itself, then disconnect the power plug that goes to the module. It sits on a latch, which works very simply, we just click on it and pull it towards ourselves. After this, you can begin to unscrew the bolts securing the ignition module on our Grant.

Then we remove the faulty module and put a new one in its place, and do not forget to put on the wires in accordance with the cylinder numbers, which are indicated on the ignition unit housing. And one more piece of advice, it is better to disconnect the battery while performing data work, in order to avoid troubles with the electrical wiring.

As it turned out later, the malfunction was precisely in the module, since after installation from my car, everything became normal and no more breakdowns in the engine were observed. We bought him a new one and installed it in literally half an hour without any technicians or service!

Examination

The ignition coil can be checked in two ways: using a diagnostic tool and using a multimeter.

The diagnostic device provides 100% information about the condition of the part, but this method is not always affordable for many Grant owners. Therefore, many people check the coil using a conventional multimeter.

Checking the coil with a multimeter

The video below details how to test an ignition coil using a multimeter.

Self-diagnosis of the module

You can check the module in the following ways:

1. Checking for weight. To carry out the test you will need a multimeter. The tester should be set to resistance measurement mode. One probe of the tester must be connected to pin 15, and the second one must be shorted to the housing. If the unit is working properly, the resistance should tend to infinity.
2. Checking the primary windings of the short circuit. The primary windings are checked for breaks using a tester. To check, you need to connect the probes of the meter to the outer contacts on the short circuit. If the resistance tends to infinity, this indicates the presence of a break in one of the windings.
3. Checking secondary windings. Since there are two windings, the test is carried out in two stages. First you need to check the short-circuit winding of cylinders 1 and 4. To do this, the multimeter probes must be placed in the appropriate terminals. A resistance of about 5.4 kOhm is considered normal. If the resistance tends to infinity, then there is a break in the winding. The short-circuit winding of cylinders 2 and 3 is checked in the same way.

Checking short circuit with a tester

In case of malfunction, the ignition module is replaced with a new one.

Repair

Finding a new ignition coil today is not particularly difficult. In order to repair a broken bobbin, it is not at all necessary to buy the entire reel. Auto parts stores sell quite a lot of repair kits, among which you can easily choose an option for your car.

Note. When selecting a bobbin repair kit, you should pay attention to the number of motor valves.

On the other hand, in remote areas of the Russian Federation, sellers are in no hurry to sell spare parts in the form of repair kits, preferring to sell assembled reels, which is beneficial for them in all respects.

One repair kit costs no more than 150 rubles. This also includes the spark plug well insulator and seal. If the car engine is 4-cylinder, then you need to take 4 repair kits at once.

Review of manufacturers, article numbers of coils for 8 (16) valve Lada Granta

*prices are current as of November 7, 2018.

Another online store selling spare parts for the ignition system:

List of online stores selling reels (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kyiv regions)

Brand tour

A significant number of OEM reels are in fact produced by the companies that will be listed. This does not mean that there is no point in taking the original. Rather, you gain time by almost immediately selecting the spare part you need, installing it and getting back on the road.

Of the expensive goods, it is worth paying attention to those that are in boxes with the names of the following companies : Valeo (France), Beru (Germany), Magneti Marelli (Italy). The quality of the coils from these companies is very high, but the price, as they say, is steep.

Coils from these companies are very popular: Bosch (Germany), NGK (Japan), Tesla (Czech Republic).

A budget solution can be reels from the Czech company Profit, as well as the well-known Danish JP Group. They will have to be replaced more often than more expensive devices, but even in this case their purchase will be profitable.