How to upgrade a mediocre Lada Largus station wagon to a top version for little money?
Chip tuning Largus Cross - small adjustments for grandiose changes
Despite its complex design and a huge number of new products in the field of automotive electronics, everyone can perform chip tuning of the Largus engine with their own hands. All you need is a little patience, computer hardware and licensed software. The latter includes:
- Combiloader loader, updated to the latest version;
- Firmware purchased strictly from the official website. For chip tuning the Lada Largus Cross, the Bosch 7.9.7 utility or the latest version January 7.2 is perfect;
- editor for configuring and calibrating firmware;
Programs and equipment for chip tuning Lada Largus
As for the equipment, for effective work on flashing the engine ECU, you need a K-Line adapter and a laptop exclusively with Windows XP. Other software will not find the firmware, which is why you will not be able to even start chip tuning.
Having all the equipment available, you can get to work. First you need to find the Lada Largus ECU. It is located behind the rear lid of the glove compartment in the station wagon. We disconnect the shield, connect the adapter and turn on the car ignition. Next, we proceed to install the programs.
First in line are the loader and editor. After their successful installation, we begin to work with the firmware. To do this, install it on your computer, indicating the final location address in the previously installed bootloader. When the latter finds the firmware, you need to configure it. In the “Settings” window you will find a lot of graphs that will help you choose the optimal characteristics for your station wagon.
Lada Largus ECU firmware
Having calibrated the firmware to your liking, turn on the ignition and proceed to the most important stage of chip tuning - installing the firmware on the engine ECU. To do this, click on the “Run” window and wait for the utility installation to complete. Once the download line reaches the end and you see the “Download Complete” window, turn the ignition back on and close the installer. Next, close the bootloader and editor and turn off the ignition. After this, disconnect the adapter from the laptop and ECU.
At the last stage, you can check the operation of your car. Provided that the characteristics are properly calibrated and chip tuning is performed correctly, you will immediately notice an improvement in car dynamics, a reduction in fuel consumption by about 20%! and more stable operation of the engine and transmission.
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Change your car without losing its true identity
Maintenance work is an intervention that requires care and professionalism. The well-thought-out design of the Lada Largus Cross already contains decent characteristics. However, if you have a need to change the design of your car, be sure to use the services of certified workers.
Technical tuning is precisely the area of activity that must be reflected in the technical passport of the unit, be it chip tuning or changing the ground clearance. According to clause 12.5 of the current Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, any changes made to the design of a car bring it under the definition of a vehicle with a malfunction or a condition under which its operation is prohibited. Look for the standards for vehicles in the unified GOST requirements.
Regarding the interior of the car, I would like to note the thoughtful approach to its interior and the high quality of execution of the idea, which can only be supplemented with a few minor interesting accessories. You can also install them yourself.
Among the minuses, we can still highlight the standard head unit, which does not amaze with its capabilities (the eternal problem of all “native” radios). So the ShGU from Daewoo, supplied in the kit, received a lot of criticism. If the question arises of replacing the radio, then you should pay attention to options with a “pin-to-pin” connection, this will allow you to install it yourself without disturbing the standard wiring. Otherwise, the cross modification of the Lada Largus is endowed with a functional, bright, dynamic interior, which has nothing special to add.
Next up is the appearance. Visual effects such as airbrushing (according to standards, it should occupy no more than 30% of the surface) and glass tinting (up to 70% of the light transmittance of the front windows and 75% for the windshield should be maintained) can be done at your discretion. It makes no sense to replace high-quality factory body kits and linings. The appearance of the stately, powerful Lada Largus Cross can only suffer from such changes.
Remembering that this is a crossover, you understand that it is wiser to supplement the design with functional elements, for example, an air rack or a towbar (you may need to make additional marks in the data sheet depending on the type of device chosen). Change your car wisely without losing its true identity.
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Technical improvements
Here I will express my personal opinion. I do not take the position that technical tuning should be done with your own hands. Self-adjustment, engine overhaul or some other similar manipulations often lead to dire consequences.
Yes, there are many videos where masters show and tell how to make this or that thing. But they are professionals for whom everything they do is a familiar daily activity. When amateur beginners take on the job, just based on the video, I feel scared for this car.
I recommend even chip tuning, which has become even more popular in 2021, at car repair shops and workshops that specialize in this.
In terms of chip tuning, the Lada Largus is quite good. But only if your goal is not to turn a station wagon into a racing car.
If you do chip tuning correctly, then the car will:
- consume less fuel;
- demonstrate better acceleration dynamics;
- get off the ground faster;
- pick up speed evenly without jerking;
- work stably at idle speed.
That is, the modification improves dynamics and at the same time reduces consumption. Just keep in mind that the service life of the piston group in engines with 8 and 16 valves is usually reduced due to this. Although reviews from owners indicate that Largus adapts well to changes as a result of chip tuning.
Well, that's enough about Largus. Now a little about the Cross version.
Ignition switch illumination
Illumination of the ignition switch is a rather convenient “feature” when the car is frequently used at night in poorly or unlit places.
To modify the ignition switch and install the backlight, a minimum of parts are required, and all the work, including the connection, takes about an hour.
After some simple manipulations with the ignition switch, you will not experience any difficulties when using the car in the dark.
To work you need:
- LED of small diameter, for example, 2.5–3 mm;
- resistance 1–1.5 kOhm;
- the wire.
To install the backlight, you need to remove the lock cover. It is removed together with the immobilizer antenna, and then remove the top cover of the casing.
At the second stage, the LED is installed inside the lock housing. To ensure uniform illumination, small slits can be made in the housing, after which the casing is assembled and installed in place. The wires coming from the LED are pulled to the CEBCS unit and connected to the white connector. To connect the wires, you can use gray or white wires - this is a “minus”. For “plus”, either of the two red wires is used.
Connecting to the CEBKS unit allows you to get the lighting to work similar to turning on the interior lamp - it lights up when the Lada Largus is disarmed, when the doors are opened, and goes out either after the doors are closed or after the ignition is turned on.
Tuning options
Here we are not dealing with crossovers and SUVs in their pure form, as was the case with the UAZ Patriot and the more expensive Pajero Sport. Therefore, I don’t see any point in focusing on off-road tuning. A station wagon remains a station wagon.
I can hardly list all the innovations available for Largus. Therefore, we will divide the improvements into 3 main categories:
- external;
- internal;
- technical.
Don't try to make a racing car out of Largus. This is not the case. Here is a family car, which would be much better equipped with the following characteristics:
- dynamism;
- efficiency;
- style;
- increased comfort.
How to achieve this? We'll figure it out step by step. Much depends on how much effort and money you are willing to invest in the car. Some get by with minimal changes, others change the van beyond recognition in order to stand out clearly against the background of the gray stream of standard Largus and more.
Let's start with the interior, then gradually move on to the body and finish it all with technical modifications available to most car owners that do not require large financial investments.
Decide in advance whether you will do everything yourself, or simply collect information and options for ordering work from a tuning studio. This is important, because not everything can be implemented on your own without special equipment and professional tools.
I’ll tell you the most current options, and then everyone will make a decision for themselves.
Salon
To modernize the interior, all kinds of accessories are available that can be purchased in Yekaterinburg, Minsk, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kyiv, somewhere in Kazakhstan, etc. If there are problems with stores in your city, an online store is always available.
What can be changed inside the car? Let's go through the main points.
- Seats. They are not of the highest quality and do not provide sufficient comfort. Lateral support leaves much to be desired. Budget tuning involves purchasing covers, but they won’t really change the structure of the seats. You can alter the interior by adding bolsters and changing the design a little. For drastic measures, completely remove the old seats and replace them with sports chairs;
How to tune the interior of a domestic Lada Largus?
Let's take a closer look at tuning the gear knob in the Lada Largus. This activity is quite simple, but requires extreme care and scrupulousness. Otherwise, you risk being left without the pen itself. The thing is that you need to make holes in it into which the wires will be pulled.
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In order to carry out these actions, first we remove the handle itself and get rid of the casing. This is quite simple to do; you need to unscrew several screws that are hidden under plastic tabs. When the handle remains in its original form without casing, we proceed to attaching four LEDs.
The wires from them need to be inserted into the holes; we drill holes in the handle at a certain angle. This is where you show all your caution and restraint. After the holes are ready, we hide the wires in them. The next step is connecting the connectors. Before connecting them, do we assemble the handle and pass the wire through the resistor? which has a positive polarity, and at the output we have a current of 20 mA.
Use sealant for more secure fastenings, this way you will protect yourself from doing double work. Now it's time to connect the microswitches. In this case, we need the switch itself so that when the lock is closed, the backlight goes out and only works when the headlights or side lights are on.
To achieve this effect, it is necessary to ensure its stable operation. We take a wire, which must be multi-core, and attach it to the free end of the microswitch, then use zip ties to attach its free end to the lock rod. Next, wrap the loose wire with electrical tape. That's all, the gear knob illumination is ready.
Tuning the Lada Largus can consist not only of reworking and improving the interior, but also of changing the suspension, clutch, and engine as a whole. Alloy wheels are often installed on it. All this only adds sophistication and comfort to this car.
Lada Largus Cross - a new crossover and a surprise for domestic car enthusiasts
It is often difficult to predict how successful a vehicle will be that has not yet entered the general market, but is simply presented at an international motor show. But the Lada Largus Cross is a highly anticipated appearance, which at the same time became a surprise for lovers of domestic technology. Less than two years have passed since VAZ presented its new Lada Largus based on the Logan station wagon, which has gone down in history, when the model added the word Cross to its name and promised new emotions from the trip.
So far there is not enough video on the Internet to understand the changes in the Lada Largus Cross, but some criticism from experts has already followed. Let's look at the available facts about the new generation of Russian crossovers.
Car design – a container for major changes
The new Cross hides the most important differences from the regular version of the Lada Largus in its design. One of the first VAZ crossovers actually remains a simple station wagon, but rises somewhat above the ground. This will make it easier for the car to avoid a variety of troubles along the way, and also gain more confidence in driving. Crossover owners will like such changes, but they are not enough to give the car a new name.
If you evaluate the photo from the showroom of the new product called Cross, you can see some obvious differences from the basic version of the station wagon:
• linings on the doors and engine crankcase protection will remind drivers that it is the Lada Largus Cross in front of them;
• the crossover will visually receive an order of magnitude greater ground clearance, but this is not discussed in the description of technical characteristics;
• Lada Largus in the new Cross design will also have new 16-inch wheels.
But the most important addition will be the price. It will increase by at least 20 thousand rubles, but so far there is no official data on prices for the Lada Largus in the crossover body. It will be possible to conduct a full test drive and read more detailed information about the design and technical characteristics of the Lada Largus Cross in October of this year.
Even then, the new car promises to appear at official dealers.
What will affect the actual sales of cars in the new body?
No amount of beautiful test drives on video or in magazines will be a reason to buy a new crossover. Our people are accustomed not to looking at photos, but to reading real reviews of car buyers in order to learn from the mistakes of others. Lada Largus in the Cross variation can become a popular car, because there are a number of reasons that will push it to real popularity:
• the high ground clearance of the Cross version can be a solution to the eternal problems of the Russian driver; • large wheels will provide improved comfort, and there is a lot of space under the arches of the Lada Largus - you can install 18-inch wheels; • the mere fact that the car is in the crossover segment can attract attention to the new product; • all inventions of the domestic automobile industry are popular at the very beginning.
It is extremely important for the manufacturer to maintain the specific interest of the buyer until the car is released, to create an intrigue that will make the Lada Largus in the Cross body much more attractive to the dealership showroom visitor.
There is no other way to influence the reviews of real customers other than producing a quality car. Considering that a good reliable French engine will remain under the hood, Lada Largus has every chance to pass the tests of complex test drives by experts and gain trust in the market.
Let's sum it up
A car that has not yet gone on sale is difficult to discuss.
