The Soviet and Russian all-terrain vehicle Lada Niva 4×4 is in high demand not only among domestic car enthusiasts, but also abroad. For over four decades, engineers at the Togliatti automobile plant have been working on the modernization and production of the model. The increased interest of motorists in the SUV is due not only to its excellent passing capabilities, but also to its all-metal body and all-wheel drive with a center differential. Previously, few cars could boast of such a design.
Compared to the Lada Niva, its main competitors were much heavier and more expensive. Cars have always been produced with a manual transmission: initially it was a 4-speed, and since 1995 a 5-speed manual transmission labeled VAZ-21214. Its only drawback is increased noise. When the new Chevrolet Niva began to be assembled in 2002, the manufacturer tried to make it less noisy. But car owners continued to complain, either about the howling of the transfer case or the hum of the manual transmission. Thus, the SUV was constantly modernized with one goal - to remove the howl and hum emanating from the transmission.
Causes of transmission noise
Why does the gearbox make strange noise? Perhaps every car owner has asked this question. The howling and hum is caused by inaccurate processing of the teeth of the transmission gears and the main pair. AvtoVAZ is well aware of this problem and gave official comments:
Current production equipment cannot cope with extraneous noise. Significant investments are needed to improve the machine park. With current factory equipment it is not possible to machine transmission gears with greater precision
Car owners solved the problem either within the warranty period or with their own hands. Today, a whole set of technical measures has been developed, by implementing which you can really achieve, if not an ideal result, then at least pleasant silence in the vehicle interior. Such measures include the installation of the RK subframe and silent RK handles. The problem is urgent, but today it can be solved.
Niva Chevrolet hum when driving and pressing the gas
: When accelerating and braking, the engine hums and even seems to vibrate slightly in the front (as if on Vli-5 on a cobblestone road. When you press on the gas, everything is fine. There is oil in the front axle and other places, I tried to jack up the front wheels and turn them and swaying - I didn’t detect any nasty sounds or backlashes. In connection with this, two questions: 1. What could it be? 2. If this is not urgently “treated”, then what is it fraught with (I’m going to go to the village for the holidays, and this 600 kilometers round trip).
Greetings, friends Shnivovody! Tell me how to solve the problem with the hum. When warming up, there is silence, as you start to drive, a hum appears and as you gain speed, it gets louder, as soon as you squeeze the clutch or roll into neutral, everything instantly disappears. What the hell? I'm referring to the gearbox input shaft bearings, but I'm not sure. I wanted to consult with more experienced ones))) thanks for the help in advance)))
Comments 23
The symptoms were exactly the same! My front gearbox shank nut came loose and the howling also intensified during acceleration.
Releaser, or true input shaft bearings
the release button buzzes when you press the clutch, don't confuse people
Well, maybe the box is still howling? I recently overhauled the Shnivy because it was howling a lot. But it’s not a fact that after the overhaul, it won’t start howling in a week)) Since the spare parts are sold out (
according to the description it looks like a gearbox, when under load a howling starts, when you turn on neutral the load is removed, just decide front or rear by removing the cardan and locking
Well, the gearbox has the same symptoms, it howls under load, but does not howl without load. There can be three options at once
On my Shnivy, the gearbox was howling like that, and there was noise in first gear. I took it to a friend for service, they replaced all the bearings, it became quieter, but with our spare parts, it’s not a fact that the noise went away for a long time. The bearings are widely sold.
My friend already has a million boxes, etc. I went through and installed different bearings, some of them last a long time, and for one guy, he went through and the bearings were enough for exactly a week. If only there were normal spare parts, everything would work well.
It will fall apart a lot, I will sell and buy something also off-road, but foreign. At least they make better quality spare parts
Forget. High-quality foreign spare parts ran out in 2000. The unkillable Japanese and comfortable Germans remained there. An example from life. On my Passat B3 I changed the entire chassis using spare parts from Ketai, my buddy installed everything original on the exact same B3 (I waited 2 weeks, but it was definitely original). Its price is 3-5 times more expensive, I went through the first replacement of the ball 65 with kopecks thousand, it lasted less than 40 thousand. (ball joint + front arm bushings + something else). Moreover, I travel to destinations mainly for fishing and hunting, the car was lifted + I had some trouble with the engine. My friend didn’t leave the asphalt at all, only the city highway. About another friend who bought a zero Mazzda zoom-zoom (I don’t know which model) and changed the gearbox three times and the engine once under warranty - I don’t even want to write. I returned the car and completely knocked out the money. The third one on Podzhary has a new one! The spring traveled 600 km and burst! changed - another 800 km and the same garbage. Are these quality parts?
What did they do with the Chevrolet Niva transmission?
When designing an SUV, AvtoVAZ engineers decided to stick to a traditional transmission design with a separate transfer case and a connection via an axle shaft to the gearbox. This led to the fact that the howling of the transfer case and gearbox began to haunt Chevrolet Niva owners. Combating vibrations and regularly balancing shafts is the most popular service that is used at service stations. The problem is not as acute as in the Lada Niva 4x4, if only because here instead of cardan shafts there are shafts with CV joints. To be fair, it should be said that vibrations, howling and hum do not always appear: for example, at a speed of 90 km/h an unpleasant vibration may appear, but with an increase in speed to 110-115 km/h it will completely disappear.
Thanks to the transfer case with double-row bearings for the output shafts, it was possible to further reduce noise. The transmission actually began to emit much less unnecessary sounds, and the vibration that was previously felt in the cabin has practically disappeared. The gearshift lever was modernized, which also contributed to the organization of proper silence inside the car. Along with these design changes, there were other equally significant ones:
- New clutch slave cylinder with improved rod. Now the problem with the appearance of corrosion on the cylinder mirror has been solved.
- Valeo clutch driven disc with torsional vibration damper. Thanks to the new disc with a damper, it was possible to get rid of the annoying rattling of the gearbox when it is switched to neutral.
- New SAAZ rear shock absorbers with extended covers that prevent dust and dirt from penetrating under the cover. Another important modernization is that the fastenings themselves have been improved.
- Improved ball and tie rod ends. The ball joints now have a ferrule on the top of the boot. The decision was justified - the tightness has increased.
The manufacturer listens to criticism and takes into account the wishes of drivers. For example, many were tired of the creaking of speaker grilles when frost set in.
Special tape was applied to the racks in the right places and the creaking disappeared. All these solutions have only one goal - to make the stay of the driver and passengers in the Chevrolet Niva cabin comfortable. If you look at the situation as a whole, the model requires a new transmission layout with a transfer case that would be mated to a manual transmission. But this is a serious intervention in the transmission and enormous financial costs.
Engine
It’s worth revealing the most important point right away: the unit installed on this SUV does not work at all. The Chevrolet Niva is designed for increased cross-country ability, but the power of the 80-liter 1.7 engine is not enough. Therefore, do not expect much agility from this car.
If you also turn on the air conditioning while driving, cyclists will begin to overtake you. In addition, this device significantly increases gasoline consumption.
Forget about maneuverability when overtaking, as this car doesn't like hard acceleration and resists.
In general, the power unit does not cause problems beyond routine maintenance. But it has one weak point - the crankshaft seals, which do not survive the 30 thousand km mark.
Permanent all-wheel drive is only appropriate on country roads.
How to check whether the gearbox is noisy or not
While the car is moving, extraneous sounds can be produced by absolutely any components and assemblies. They are often confused and automatically classified as transmission. Since the manual transmission is a gear mechanism, it is not possible to make it completely silent. To check whether the transmission is noisy or not, just follow these steps:
- Choose a section of road with smooth asphalt to eliminate unnecessary sounds emitted during rolling and reduce the level of resonant noise inside the car.
- Warm up the engine and other systems to normal operating temperature.
- Record the gear and speed of the vehicle at which the howling and hum is observed.
- Check the noise level when the engine is running at idle speed and in neutral gear.
How to create a favorable atmosphere in the salon yourself? One of the simple solutions is to soundproof the outputs of the gearshift knob and transfer case. Under the transfer case lever and gearbox there are two holes covered with anthers. By installing sound insulation in these places, it is easy to eliminate high-frequency noise that appears at a car speed of 110-115 km/h. In general, the Chevrolet Niva interior has good sound insulation when compared with the Lada Niva 4x4. But it’s best to work on the tunnel with the checkpoint separately. A high-quality floor sizing with a vibration damper would not hurt.
Oil protects the gear shift mechanism from wear
In order to avoid resorting to radical measures for as long as possible, it is recommended to monitor the oil level in the Chevrolet Niva gearbox. A change in the color of the lubricant indicates troubles looming in the near future. Normal oil is transparent and viscous. When measuring the lubricant level, rub a drop of the substance with your fingers. This way you can touch and visually determine the condition of the oxol. The manufacturer recommends changing the oil in the car's gearbox every 45 thousand kilometers.
Changing the gearbox lubricant
To change the lubricant in a Chevrolet Niva gearbox you will need:
- key to 17;
- hex wrench 12;
- container for draining used oil.
- Procedures must be performed in a certain sequence.
Place the container under the drain hole of the Chevrolet Niva gearbox housing. To drain easily, unscrew the oil filler plug, then open the drain plug and wait until all the lubricant flows into the container. Clean the drain plug from dirt and screw it into the drain. Oxol, which includes various contaminants, will look like a cloudy dark liquid. Before you pour fresh oil into the box, you will have to rinse it.
Pour 0.9 liters of flushing lubricant into the corresponding hole in the crankcase and tighten the plug. Raise the rear wheels and start the engine in 1st gear. After a couple of minutes, turn off and drain the wash. Clean the drain plug from any dirt and tighten it.
Fill with 1.6 liters of fresh lubricant. It is convenient to add oil to the box with a syringe or a special device. Screw the oil filler plug into place. The lubricant from the Chevrolet Niva gearbox is easily drained when hot, after a trip.
When measuring the oil level after the car has traveled 45-50 thousand km, the owner may find that the lubricant disappears at an alarming rate after filling. At the same time, the gear shift mechanism makes a grinding noise when the Chevy Niva moves. This is due to wear of the secondary shaft oil seal. Through the gaps formed between it and the shaft, oil flows out of the box.
A decrease in lubrication level is fraught with increased wear and negatively affects the gear shift mechanism.
The gearbox of this car
To avoid unnecessary expenses, you need to replace a worn oil seal in a Chevrolet Niva. This is a difficult but necessary operation. To carry it out you need:
- key to 30;
- screwdriver;
- hammer;
- mandrel.
Remove the transmission flush shaft, remove the centering ring seal and unscrew the elastic coupling flange nut. Remove the ring, as well as the flange lock washer and the helicopter itself. The oil seal is now visible between the gearbox rear cover housing and the shaft. It must be removed using a screwdriver. Lubricate the new oil seal with sealant and press it into place by tapping the mandrel with a hammer. You can use an old oil seal as a mandrel. Reassemble the mechanism by performing all steps in reverse order. Add oil.
Howl and hum from the transmission on Lada Niva: we figure out what the problem is and how to fix it
The domestic small-class SUV Lada Niva, or Lada 4×4, or simply VAZ-2121 has been produced by the Tolyatti automobile plant for more than four decades. The model is in high demand not only among Russian car enthusiasts, but also among drivers in many other countries. The increased interest in the car is due to its uniqueness: an all-metal body instead of a classic frame structure, all-wheel drive with a center differential. Previously, few cars could boast of such a design, and those that were produced with such a transmission scheme were, as a rule, much heavier, larger and several times more expensive.
Front and rear driveshafts
Connect the transfer case and gearboxes. On older models, they come with crosspieces, which cause vibrations at high speeds, especially when play appears in them. If you replace them with CV joints that are installed on the car after restyling, you can forget about the problem.
Front and rear gearboxes
Both units are designed according to the same principle - they have a differential, they transmit rotation to the wheels. The rear axle is designed according to the “classic” type, comes with axle shafts and has reinforced components. The front gearbox is connected to the hub by drive shafts on which outer and inner CV joints are installed.
Frequent malfunctions are leakage of the shank oil seal, its play due to a loose nut or a failed spacer sleeve. On the rear gearbox there is wear on the axle shaft seals, on the front gearbox there is rupture of the CV joint boots.
