what it is? Pros and cons. Difference from a used motor
Sooner or later, any car owner is faced with the need to overhaul the engine. Overhaul of the engine includes the replacement or repair of the cylinder-piston system. The repair consists in the fact that the inner surface of the sleeves is polished, and instead of the old pistons, new ones are installed - repair ones.
An overhaul may also include grinding the crankshaft, replacing valves, camshafts, and other engine components. It is clear that no one will do all these works for free, so the driver will have to prepare a tidy sum to buy the necessary spare parts and pay the minders.
There is also an alternative:
- buying a new engine will cost much more, but you will be sure that the car goes another 150-200 thousand km;
- installing a used motor is a dubious undertaking, but attractive due to its low cost;
- installing a contract engine is a relatively new practice that not all Russian drivers are familiar with.
What is a contract engine? Is it worth it to install? Do I need to get permission from the traffic police to install a contract engine and re-register a vehicle? We will try to answer these questions on our automotive portal Vodi.su.
A contract engine is a power unit, in full working order, which was removed from a car that was operated outside of Russia and delivered to the Russian Federation in compliance with customs regulations and legal requirements. There are all supporting documents for such a motor, as well as warranty obligations.
Do not confuse contract spare parts with those that were removed from cars brought to Russia specifically for car dismantling. Such spare parts, one might say, are illegal, because the car is brought into the territory of our country for operation in assembled form, but instead it is dismantled and sold for spare parts.
The contract engine was removed from the car abroad. If necessary, it was brought to a fully operational condition. Usually, the accompanying documents indicate a list of work done on the unit.
Benefits of a contract engine
If you want to install this type of power unit on your car, you must know in advance about all the pros and cons of this solution.
Pros:
- operated in the USA, EU countries, Japan or South Korea;
- worked on high-quality fuel and oil;
- service maintenance took place at official service stations of dealers;
- removed before the vehicle was fully serviced.
We have already written on Vodi.su about the quality of roads in the West and how carefully car owners treat their vehicles. So, the same Germans, for example, change cars long before the mileage is about 200-300 thousand. On average, the mileage of European cars from the first owner is 60-100 thousand km.
If the contract engine is installed on a truck with a semi-trailer, then the Europeans or the Japanese are very careful about their vehicles. Accordingly, you get a practically new engine, which, of course, will be much better than the domestic counterpart, and will last much longer than the unit after a major overhaul. True, it will cost more than a major overhaul, but the difference will not be so significant.
Disadvantages of a contract engine
The main disadvantage is the engine, no matter how you twist it, but still used. Although minders carefully check it at the stand and abroad, and then here in Russia, the risk still remains that they overlooked some kind of breakdown.
You need to be especially careful when buying engines older than 6-10 years and those brought from the USA - the carelessness of Americans is well known to everyone and they do not always treat their cars with care.
Since the motorist is well aware that he is buying not a new, but a used power unit, he must be prepared for various surprises. Therefore, it is recommended to think about all the points in advance.
Do I need to register a contract engine with the traffic police?
As you know, when registering with the traffic police, the expert checks only the chassis and body numbers. The engine number can be erased over time and it will be problematic to see it. In addition, the number of the power unit is not indicated in the STS, but only in the data sheet. And the registration certificate, as you know, does not apply to those documents that the driver is required to present to the traffic police inspectors.
Nevertheless, the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation contains Article 326, according to which it is forbidden to sell or operate a car with a knowingly fake engine number. In addition, when passing MOT, it is also necessary to present all documents for the car.
Thus, it is not necessary to register with the traffic police, but you must have a customs declaration on hand confirming the legal origin of this power unit.
There is one more thing - if the contract engine is of the same brand as the old engine, then you do not need to obtain permission to install it. If the series does not correspond to the design features of your vehicle, then you must obtain the appropriate permission from the traffic police.
As can be seen from the above, a contract engine is a profitable alternative to buying a new power unit. However, its purchase must be approached deliberately, weighing the pros and cons.
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