For owners of Lada Kalina, problems related to transmission are relevant. In most cases, they arise due to deterioration in the quality of the lubricating fluid. Also, with time and increasing mileage, there is a decrease in the amount of lubricant in the gearbox. All this brings inconvenience that drivers face.
All problems can be solved by changing the lubricant in the gearbox. But here a completely logical question arises. Which oil should I choose to add to the Lada Kalina gearbox? After all, the market is represented by a huge assortment, both in price categories and in chemical composition. Let's try to understand this in detail.
How to choose an oil
So what kind of oil should be poured into the gearbox of the Lada Kalina? It is simply impossible to give an unambiguous universal answer to this question. There are several criteria that you should pay attention to when choosing.
Mainly attention is paid to price, viscosity, chemical composition, as well as the popularity of the manufacturer’s brand. In fact, everything is not as complicated as it seems at first glance. However, when purchasing, you should pay special attention to the availability of GOST and product certification. This is very important, because if you purchase a product that does not have all this, you may encounter not only low quality oil, but also further deterioration of the transmission.
Changing the oil in a manual transmission - logbook Lada Kalina Universal Yagodka 2014 on DRIVE2
Good day. Because... That’s why I didn’t go to the dealer, but did it myself - I left the warranty. I don’t know what kind of oil was filled in from the factory. I asked OD when I asked and at the first time (3000 km) they gave me two options. Rosneft and something else, or or. I deal with the car myself, so it’s better to know what kind of slurry is in it. I bought semi-synthetic Neos 75v90, flushed. But I didn’t change it, I didn’t have enough time, and I decided to fill it with liquid molly semi-synthetic 75v90, I ordered it at the existential store. I waited.
Then it means that when changing the struts on the 9th wheel of a friend and the clutch release, they got oil from the box, they leaned heavily when they took it off. But I told him - let’s add some salt... This is where Maslr Enios came in handy)
The oil arrived, I made an agreement with a friend who has a garage. I arrived on Friday tired, I was stressed at work. I drained the oil - there were almost no chips, the color was brown. I started jacking up the right side so that I could put it on a support and hang it completely in front. The jack bent and the car rolled off. A friend trashed the car because I was wearing work clothes that I hadn’t washed since the 9k was repaired. They started to lift it, I told him that pull the handbrake again - yes, I set it fine... in vain I didn’t get out of the hole and checked it.
After that, I straightened the jack and placed the right side on a support. There is a piece of wood between the support and the body so as not to scratch it. The oil drained a little more.
I went to lift the left side.
P.S. I planned to flush through the speed sensor. The plan is 1. Hang it up. 2. Fill in the flush. 3. Spin in first gear for 10 minutes, stopping each wheel for 2 minutes in turn. 4. Drain. 5. Remove from supports and fill with oil. Again through the sensor. BUT…
I lifted the left side, placed a support under the threshold, but forgot the piece of wood in the trunk area. It stands on the right support and a jack, the second support is under the tire about 2 centimeters, but no, just put a piece of wood and lower it from the jack. When lifted, the car wobbled a little.
I get up and tell my friends - don’t sneeze, don’t breathe on the car, and don’t touch it with your hands. And I walk carefully towards the exit of the garage.
Well, what do you think? A friend with the words - yes, right now I’m obligated, but I’ll push him, he rests his hand on the rack that is above the headlight... the car rocked and... In general, there was a lot of swearing... To blow your shit... The jack falls to the left, the support on the right and the left one, which was not connected, flies off flies to the bottom...
If I stood closer to the entrance and fell, the right front wheel would definitely fall into the hole...
It broke through for me) the day was not going well and it was still evening. I told you not to touch it... I yelled and swore) I calmed down)
What transmission oils does AvtoVAZ recommend?
When you buy a brand new Lada Kalina, the transmission is already filled with oil. As a rule, this is what the manufacturer himself recommends. You can easily find it in almost any store. Magnum 300 lubricant from TNK is added to the Lada Kalina from the factory.
In fact, according to reviews from most car enthusiasts, this is not the best option. The oil deteriorates very quickly and has to be changed much more often than its analogues. That is why we present a list of the most popular gearbox lubricants among Lada Kalina owners:
- Liqui Moly;
- Castrol;
- Mobil;
- ZIC;
- Lukoil;
- TNK.
As you can see, most often they choose products from the most well-known and trusted manufacturers. The use of oil from TNK is justified in cases where the car is not used very often, or the mileage is less than 20 thousand kilometers over a long period of time. Therefore, we can objectively say that the product recommended by AvtoVAZ is not the most effective for the vast majority of drivers.
What happens if you don't change the oil on time?
As you know, the gearbox wears out over time under the influence of various climatic and road conditions. At the same time, over time, it is necessary to be more attentive to the maintenance of the gearbox - perhaps fill up the oil more often, since worn parts already need better lubrication. Untimely oil change is fraught with the following consequences:
- Failure of gears and shafts - this problem can arise after 150 thousand km, when the need arises for the first oil change. If this is not done, the used oil will lose its properties and will no longer be able to provide effective cooling and lubrication of parts. As a result, the shafts and gears will overheat due to increased friction, which will lead to premature wear
- Loss of chemical properties after 150-160 thousand kilometers can cause metal shavings to accumulate in the oil, which can damage not only gears, but also bearings
Selecting the viscosity of the transmission oil
When choosing oil for the Lada Kalina gearbox, it is important to focus on the viscosity of the purchased product. The following table will help with this:
| Viscosity grade | Minimum temperature | Maximum temperature |
| 75-80W | -40 | +35 |
| 75-85W | -40 | +35 |
| 75-90W | -40 | +45 |
| 80-85W | -26 | +35 |
| 80-90W | -26 | +45 |
| 85-90W | -12 | +45 or more |
We hope that, depending on the viscosity, you will be able to most accurately choose for yourself which oil is best to pour into the Lada Kalina gearbox.
How to change the oil in the Kalina gearbox and how much oil needs to be filled
The amount of working fluid poured into the Lada Kalina gearbox will be from 3.3 to 4 liters. Before replacement, you need to stock up on the following tools: wrench 17, jack, funnel with tube, gearbox oil, waste fluid container, rags.
Changing the oil in a Kalina box yourself is done as follows:
- warm up the transmission (drive 5-10 km) to ensure uniform distribution of fluid throughout the box;
- lift the right side of the car with a jack and fix its position;
- provide access to the gearbox drain plug (left flange), if there is crankcase protection, dismantle it;
After cleaning the surface of the box with a rag and a metal brush, use a 17 key to unscrew the drain plug of the box and drain the waste liquid into a container (this will take 10-15 minutes).;
- wipe the neck with a rag and tighten the cap;
- dismantle the air filter and the intake pipe by disconnecting the terminal from the mass air flow sensor and unscrewing the clamp securing the crankcase gas pipe and the throttle;
- pull out the oil level dipstick in the box and, using a funnel, pour new lubricant into the gearbox;
- Having checked the tightness of the drain plug for leaks, we install protection, if any;
- Having lowered the car from the jack, add the remaining fluid and check the level with a dipstick (the level mark should correspond to the “maximum” level);
- We install the previously removed elements in the reverse order.
We also recommend reading the article on how to change the low beam bulb on a Lada Kalina. From this article you will learn how to replace a low beam bulb on a Kalina, as well as what needs to be taken into account separately as part of this procedure.
Checking the oil level:
- Having placed the car on a pit or a lift, remove the air filter;
- remove the dipstick from the crankcase to check the oil level;
- Having cleared the dipstick rod of oil, install it all the way, then take it back and check the level and quality (Min and Max marks);
- After making sure that the oil level is normal, put the dipstick back and install the air filter in place.
Which gear oil composition to choose?
On the Russian market, transmission oils are divided into three types according to their chemical composition:
- synthetic;
- semi-synthetic;
- mineral.
From the factory, as we have already said, Magnum 300 from TNK is poured. In terms of its composition, it belongs to mineral liquids. But less than 5% of Lada Kalina owners use this type.
The most preferred type of lubricant is semi-synthetic. This type is chosen by 50% of drivers, and we recommend it. And 45% of car owners buy fully synthetic fluids. What kind of oil you put into your manual transmission depends entirely on you.
Tools
While working, you will need some tools and materials.
- key for 8 and 10;
- spanner or wrench for 17 and 19;
- crosshead screwdriver;
- container for waste liquid (for example, a 5-liter bottle with a cut out side);
- plunger syringe or medical bulb (for manual transmission);
- hose for filling fluid (for automatic transmission);
- funnel for the hose;
- gloves;
- transmission oil, according to the gearbox.
If you do not have any tool or device, you can use improvised means.
Which manufacturer should you prefer?
Another important factor in choosing the best gear oil for Lada Kalina is the manufacturer’s brand. The modern market is saturated with a large selection of products. It is popular and in great demand brands that offer high-quality and high-quality products. In practice, the vast majority of lubricating fluids offered are cheaper analogues of truly good oils. Always check the availability of GOST when purchasing. If it is not there, then most likely this liquid will not help. It's better to pay a little more and get quality lubricant.
We present to you a list of the most purchased oils for the Lada Kalina gearbox:
- ZIC (29.7% of buyers)
- Shell (14.1% of buyers)
- Liqui Moly (13.4% of buyers)
- Lukoil (12.4% of buyers)
- Castrol (5.5% of buyers)
- Mobil (4.2% of buyers)
Also, manufacturers TNK and Rosneft are almost on a par with Mobile. All presented brands produce products with different chemical compositions. Among them there are synthetic and semi-synthetic oils. Mineral fluids are produced by a small number of manufacturers, since they are not in great demand and are suitable for drivers in extremely rare cases due to their fragility.
What kind of oil should be poured into the Lada Kalina manual transmission
Original
The manual transmission of a Lada Kalina car requires semi-synthetic oil Lukoil TM-4 75W-90 GL-4. Mostly in winter you can use oil with a viscosity of SAE 70W, 75W, 80W or 85W, and in summer SAE 90, 140 or 250 is recommended. For year-round use, it is better to choose an all-season oil with a viscosity of SAE 75W-80, 80W-85, 85W-90, 75W- 90 or 80W-90.
Unoriginal
For a manual transmission of a Lada Kalina car, any gear oil with the characteristics 75W-90 is suitable. For cars of recent years of production, you can choose semi-synthetic oil, and for older models - mineral oil. It has a thicker consistency, which means there is less chance of leaks in the presence of microcracks or gaps between contact pairs. Among other parameters, it is important to pay attention to oil with API-GL-4 approval, which provides a sufficient amount of useful additives for a manual transmission. For example, suitable oils include TNK Trans KP Super 75W-90, Translux TM 4-12 75W-85, Kinetic 80W-85, Shell Spirax S5 ATE 75W-90.
What to choose for Kalina
If you still find it difficult to determine what kind of oil to pour into the Lada Kalina gearbox, then feel free to choose the products of one of the above manufacturers. So you definitely can't go wrong. The highest quality ones are ZIC and Liqui Moly. Also, you should not take mineral oils if you drive often. It is best to take semi-synthetic or synthetic. This is the most durable option for those who regularly use the car for a long time.
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:
The connector is usually colored blue or red
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.
