The domestic Lada Granta remains one of the best-selling passenger cars in the Russian Federation. At the same time, the popularity of the model is actually growing from year to year: over the previous seven months of 2021, the manufacturer managed to sell over 203 thousand copies of the car, which is 2.2% higher than last year’s figures. Lada Granta attracts buyers due to its good equipment and variety of gearboxes. The car is offered to potential customers of dealerships not only with a manual transmission, but also with an automatic transmission and even a robot. In this article, we propose to consider the question of what gearboxes are installed on the Lada Granta (type, modification) and what is their degree of reliability.
Slightly updated interior
We have talked about the Granta salon more than once. There are not many changes in the updated version. The designers redesigned the instrument panel; as a result, the gearbox operation indication has moved and is now displayed above the fuel reserve scale. The shelf on the front panel on the passenger side disappeared from view. Now it is covered by the glove compartment lid. But for some reason the lid of the convenient drawer at the top of the panel is made of plastic in the wrong color, which causes slight irritation. A 12V socket took the place of the cigarette lighter.
There are also nice little things - three headrests in the back row, for example. They are not very high and do not interfere with the view to the rear through the interior mirror. There are hooks on the handles under the ceiling. There is a belt for the middle passenger with a well-thought-out fastening. True, it’s uncomfortable to sit in the back - the Granta remains a cramped car. Only a child or a miniature adult can fit behind the driver. There is a hum in the cabin, which, of course, is annoying. We can only hope that this is a feature of the Grant with its 98-horsepower engine.
Secrets of the exterior and interior
The Lada Granta model is presented to the public as a 5-seater sedan or as a 5-door hatchback. Now the car is built using advanced technologies and taking into account the shortcomings of the past that occurred in previous models. The developers did not ignore the needs of today's customers. When designing the Granta, not only domestic experience was used, but also global developments in the automotive industry. Specialists from different parts of the world were able to participate in the assembly process.
A well-known Japanese company was involved in the development of the automatic transmission. The premiere of this Lada Grant to the public took place in 2011, which received wide resonance not only in Russian but also in foreign media.
Let's move on to looking at this interesting and bold-looking model. To equip with comfort and safety options, the manufacturer has provided three configuration versions:
- "Standard";
- "Norm";
- "Luxury".
All the indicated variations deserve special attention and positive assessments. There is enough material on the Internet regarding the model, which greatly helps the future owner make a correct assessment of the consumer and technical aspects of the new car.
Lada Granta has a medium-sized and eccentrically tailored body. A sufficient number of sloping forms and distinctive lines distinguishes the promising model from its predecessors.
Here we can judge the comparability of the model with a cohort of well-known European projects, regardless of its construction, having a modest platform from Kalina. The donor model suffers from excessive brevity, lack of original features and grace. LADA Granta, on the contrary, looks advantageous thanks to its individual and bright style, although of course it is still far from being a luxury “European”. But these are only the first tentative steps of the creators on the path to the ideal product.
The photo of LADA Granta clearly shows the expressiveness of the exterior, which can be confirmed by the enlarged front optics. If Kalina has small and unattractive headlights, then Granta, thanks to the diamond-shaped design of the lighting equipment, is able to attract a lot of looks from amazed observers.
The barrel-shaped body shape, of which Kalina was a prominent representative, has sunk into oblivion. LADA Granta will now delight you with a fit body that radiates sportiness. All exterior elements have their own role, which together gives the car a unique silhouette. The skillful combination of dynamic appearance and consumer aspects appealed to millions of fans of the model. Interior design is characterized by the presence of soft and calm lines. The upholstery, made of plastic in gray tones, creates a measured and unobtrusive charm, which is perfect for all age categories.
Spacious trunk
The only victory that the manufacturer won over the space inside the Granta is related to the trunk. It's really big. The trunk opens with a button, like on Vesta. The walls behind the rear seats, like in a sedan, are no longer here. A very convenient rigid shelf that can be folded or removed altogether. A quality item, just like on foreign cars - no joke! Soft floor, full-size spare wheel. In general, nothing special, but you wouldn’t expect anything else from such a car. If you like to carry bulky luggage, Granta can help you. The car is guaranteed to fit, for example, a 170 cm long bathtub - tested from personal experience. The only confusing thing is that the trunk door is closed with a loop fastened with a self-tapping screw. It looks clumsy.
How good was the Granta's handling with automatic transmission?
Many beginners enthusiastically describe both the car's driving performance and ease of control. It is worth noting that for a novice driver, familiarity with an automatic transmission promises a quick gain of experience without possible harm to the car itself or its systems.
The ease of operation of the box and the clarity of command transmission were noted by more than 80% of inexperienced owners. The complaints concerned only the interior equipment and some shortcomings of the rear suspension.
Positive reviews from owners of the Lada Granta Automatic refer to the high reliability of the box. For example, many noted the impossibility of a transmission breakdown or engine problems due to incorrect actions or incorrect shifting.
And not only beginners, but also experienced drivers point out this feature. Even when the owners' control has been brought to automatic after many years of work, loss of attention is possible and, as a result, incorrect gear shifting. This is completely excluded in an automated box.
About 20% of owners did not like the slow gear shifting in the automated transmission. The smooth transition to the new driving mode does not attract all drivers: many expected a faster response from the control system.
Some owners, on the contrary, pointed to this feature as one of the advantages of the car. In particular, drivers are attracted by the smoothness of shifting without sudden jerks. And they don’t consider short delays a critical problem at all.
The good quality of the automatic transmission was also highlighted by the majority of buyers who managed to fully evaluate the car over a fairly long period of operation. Despite the high mileage, the transmission remained smooth and soft.
Practical operation at any time has become important for the owners: the box behaves well both in conditions of extreme heat and frost. Therefore, in almost all cases of Lada Granta, reviews from automatic transmission owners contain a positive description, indicating a long and reliable service life of the transmission.
Technical equipment
The main feature of the Grant with 1.6 liter engines is that they are “plug-inless”. The pistons are recessed so that if the belt breaks, the valves do not meet the piston. Paired with such an engine, the Grant is equipped with a simple and reliable 4-speed automatic transmission, specially adapted for this car. The selector has modes P, R, D, “1” and “2” with a prohibition of transition, respectively, above the first or second gear. There is a button to turn off overdrive. Top trim levels are equipped with heated front seats (albeit single-stage) and windshield heating. The ERA-GLONASS system has been installed.
What are the differences between a robot and an automatic machine?
Firstly, a robot is simpler, and therefore cheaper, than an automatic machine. At the same time, models with AMT consume almost the same amount of fuel as manual transmissions. However, the robot is not able to change speeds without losing power, whereas the automatic machine does this without losing traction.
As for the advantages and disadvantages of both ATM and automatic transmission, they are summarized in the table below:
| Options | AMT (robot box) | Jatco or automatic transmission |
| Additional price (RUB) | 25 thousand | 50 thousand |
| Consumption per hundred | Compare with manual transmission | 1 liter more than with manual transmission |
| Ground clearance, mm | Same as with manual transmission - 160 | Less than with manual transmission, namely 140 |
| Adaptability to repair procedures | Comparable to manual transmission | Repairs only in specialized workshops |
| Speed transitions | Feel it when accelerating | Invisible both during acceleration and deceleration |
| Manual mode | There is | absent |
| The presence of a function such as “kickdown” or a sharp increase in engine speed while simultaneously reducing the gearbox speed to increase traction effort | There is | There is |
| Riding style selection functions | The choice of road behavior can be made from two dozen different options | absent |
Lada Granta drawing conditions
Every year “Behind the Wheel” holds a Grand Prix, during which readers choose the best cars, in their opinion. Voting is now underway for cars released on the Russian market in 2021. To win one of three Lada Granta cars with a 98 hp engine. and automatic transmission, you need:
- vote for your favorite car of 2018. The voting form for the Grand Prix competition “Behind the Wheel” is available at this link.
The procedure will take you no more than 10 minutes. Voting will last until February 28! Each participant’s application form will be assigned a number, and we will determine the three winners of the new Grant in mid-March using a random number generator. Prize cars will be awarded in April. Good luck!
- All the details about the Grand Prix and the nominated cars are here.
- The general partner of the Behind the Wheel Grand Prix 2019 is ]Cordiant[/anchor].
Updated Lada Granta with a gun: test drive and giveaway of three cars!
Robotic gearbox
In 2015, the manufacturer decided to equip the car with a robotic gearbox. The robot is based on a VAZ-2180 manual transmission with an electromechanical drive , which was developed by German engineers from ZF. For a long time, representatives of AvtoVAZ negotiated with the Italian company Magneti Marelli, but the parties failed to reach an agreement, and the company’s representatives were completely satisfied with the proposal of the Germans. This is how a new box appeared called AMT VAZ-2182, based on the most successful domestic mechanics 2180.
The modification with a robot differs from a car with an automatic transmission in lower fuel consumption, increased dynamics and lower maintenance costs. But the robot turned out to be far from perfect. The disadvantages apply not only to a specific unit on the Lada Granta, but also to almost all single-disc manual transmissions: jolts, jerks, delays in shifting gears. In general, the robot sometimes behaves unpredictably, which somewhat aggravates the intensive use of the car. For example, when you press the gas pedal sharply, the transmission is in no hurry to shift from first gear to second. Although, with the transition to manual shift mode (the driver does not fully control the transmission), the robot behaves more predictably, so in this mode you can press the pedal harder.
Automatic transmission diagnostic methods
To calculate the transmission problem, it is necessary to conduct computer diagnostics. Since this model of gearbox most often does not remember errors that occurred in it while using the car.
Service station specialists often use a trick to avoid having to go around with the owner looking for troubleshooting. They drive it onto the lift so that the wheels hang freely in the air and start the engine. And then they start looking for problems.
Electronic control system
The electronic control system rarely fails. If the firmware fails, then the technicians reflash the computer unit of the automatic transmission.
Mechanical and hydraulic part
The check occurs visually:
- If, when checking the oil, the owner found many black specks, this means that the friction linings have become unusable. Therefore, the sooner the car is sent to a service station, the lower the chance of a complete automatic transmission replacement.
- A jammed pan cover can damage the transmission's mechanical parts and cause oil loss.
- reading codes that appear on the dashboard. The explanation of fault codes is in the manual for this transmission model.
Review of the Lada Granta model in luxury configuration
The standard position of the car has a lot of advantages, among which it is worth noting the spaciousness of the trunk and the airbag for the driver; they are well discussed in the video. At the same time, the top-end configuration of the Lada is equipped with a large number of improvements regarding the appearance of the body, interior, safety, comfort and electrical equipment of the car, which is also shown in the presented video.
The 2013 Lux package has the following advanced improvements that are not available in the standard and norm positions:
- pre-tensioned seat belts;
- braking system ABS and BAS;
- black frame on the doors with moldings;
- side mirrors repainted to match the color of the car;
- electric window lifts on all doors;
- athermal glass;
- climate system with air conditioning;
- heated front seats;
- electric drive for adjusting side mirrors with built-in heater;
- improved on-board computer;
- integrated sound system;
- remote control of door locks and trunk lid.
Mechanical oil change
Changing the oil on manual transmission 2181 is carried out according to the instructions below.
- Unscrew the drain plug.
- Drain the oil into a container.
- Screw in the drain plug.
- Fill with fresh oil through the inspection hole.
Changing the oil on manual transmission 2190 differs from 2181. It is performed according to the algorithm below.
- Unscrew the drain plug.
- Drain the oil.
- Open the hood.
- Remove the air filter.
- Clean any dirt around the filler hole.
- Unscrew the dipstick.
- Add oil.
- Check the lubricant level.
- Reinstall the air filter.
The filling volumes of manual transmissions 2190 and 2181 are different.
Signs of a Jatco automatic transmission failure
Frequent malfunctions of the Jatco automatic transmission are:
- oxidation of solenoid contacts. The latter quickly fail if the owner ignores the advice on installing an external filter;
- violation of wire insulation. The electrical part of the automatic transmission is afraid of voltage surges and therefore the electrical board often burns along with the wires if it is not properly “lit” from the battery;
- rupture of wires and connecting clamps.
The hydraulic unit may also fail. This happens mainly due to the fact that when changing the oil, the pan was not cleaned of old transmission fluid or low-quality cheap oil was filled in.
Read
Do-it-yourself oil change and automatic transmission repair U340E/U341E
The main cause of oil leakage in a Jatco automatic transmission can be old rubber gaskets. Therefore, it is recommended to change oil seals and gaskets in a timely manner, preventing them from drying out or aging. Since this will cause the problem of low transmission fluid level. And oil starvation can damage the bushings.
List of necessary tools for changing oil in manual transmission
To change the oil in a manual transmission, the tools from the table below are required.
Table - Tools and materials required to change the oil in a manual transmission
| Tools and materials | Note |
| Ratchet | Narrow |
| Heads | "at 17", "at 19" |
| Key | "at 13", "at 17", "at 19" |
| Special tool for filling oil | Oil resistant syringe |
| Rags | To clean dirt |
Jatco box design
The design of the Jatco automatic transmission, like other transmissions, consists of:
- torque converter;
- planetary part;
- valve body
Torque converter
The torque converter is both the clutch and the fluid coupling of the Jatco box. It converts torque from the engine and transmits it to the input shaft.
Planetary gear
Planetary gear includes:
Read
Diagram, repair and design of automatic transmission 5HP19
- sun gear;
- satellites that are attached to the planetary carrier;
- clutch;
- band brake.
Clutches and steel discs
The automatic transmission's clutches and steel discs serve as elements for engaging the clutch and transmitting torque. Essentially, friction clutches are steel discs, only friction tape is glued onto them. Pressing against the steel discs, the clutches connect the two rotating shafts of the automatic transmission.
All this is controlled by a computer, and the hydraulic unit presses on the pistons of the drums, squeezing the clutches in shifts.
Hydraulic unit
The automatic transmission valve body of the 414 e model is reliable and rarely fails. Most often, the owner has to replace solenoids. They are a consumable element of the transmission.
