Opel A16LET engine
Content
The German engineers of the Opel Corporation at one time developed and introduced into production a good Z16LET engine. But he, as it turned out, did not "fit" into the increased environmental requirements. As a result of refinement, it was replaced by a new power unit, the parameters of which corresponded to all the standards of the current time.
Description
The A16LET engine is an inline four-cylinder turbocharged petrol powertrain. Power was 180 hp. with a volume of 1,6 liters. Created and implemented in 2006. Mass "registration" received on cars Opel Astra.
The A16LET engine was installed on Opel cars:
The cylinder block is made of special cast iron. Main bearing caps are non-interchangeable (made assembled with the block). The cylinders are bored out in the body of the block.
The cylinder head is cast from aluminum alloy. It has two distributors. Inside the head are pressed-in seats and valve guides.
The camshafts have timing rotors made of ductile iron.
Crankshaft steel, forged.
The pistons are standard, with two compression and one oil scraper rings. The bottoms are lubricated with oil. This solution contributes to the solution of two important problems: reducing friction and removing heat from the piston body.
Combined lubrication system. Loaded parts are lubricated under pressure, the rest by spraying.
Closed crankcase ventilation system. It has no direct communication with the atmosphere. This contributes to the preservation of the lubricating properties of the oil and significantly reduces the emission of harmful combustion products into the atmosphere.
The variable valve timing system improves engine efficiency and at the same time helps to reduce the toxicity of exhaust gases.
The engine is equipped with a VIS system (variable intake manifold geometry). It is also designed to increase power, reduce fuel consumption and reduce the content of harmful substances in the exhaust. The engine is equipped with the Twin Port system, which saves more than 6% of gasoline.
The variable intake manifold system is installed only on turbocharged engines (aspirated engines use a variable length intake manifold system).
The fuel supply system is an injector with electronically controlled fuel injection.
Technical specifications
| Manufacturer | Plant Szentgotthard |
|---|---|
| Engine volume, cm³ | 1598 |
| Power, HP | 180 |
| Torque, Nm | 230 |
| Compression ratio | 8,8 |
| Cylinder block | cast iron |
| Cylinder head | aluminum |
| Number of cylinders | 4 |
| Cylinder diameter, mm | 79 |
| The order of the cylinders | 1-3-4-2 |
| The piston stroke, mm | 81,5 |
| Valves per cylinder | 4 (DOHC) |
| Hydraulic compensators | no |
| Turbocharging | turbine KKK K03 |
| Camshaft adjuster | DCVCP |
| Timing drive | belt |
| Fuel system | injector, port injection |
| Fuel | gasoline AI-95 |
| Spark plug | NGK ZFR6BP-G |
| Lubrication system, liter | 4,5 |
| Ecology norm | Euro 5 |
| Resource, outside. km | 250 |
Reliability, weaknesses, maintainability
In addition to the characteristics, there will be the most important factors, without which the idea of \uXNUMXb\uXNUMXbany ICE will not be completely objective.
Reliability
No one doubts the reliability of the engine. This is not only the opinion of the owners of cars with such a motor, but also the mechanics of car services. Most motorists in the reviews emphasize the "indestructibility" of the engine. At the same time, attention is paid to the fact that such a characteristic is true only with the proper attitude towards it.
Particular attention is recommended to be paid to reducing the timing of the next maintenance. The low quality of gasoline, even at state-owned gas stations, does not contribute to long-term and impeccable work. The lubrication system requires special attention. Replacing the grades (brands) of oil recommended by the manufacturer with cheaper analogues always leads to unpredictable consequences.
To increase the engine life, experienced motorists recommend changing the oil not after 15 thousand kilometers, but twice as often. The timing belt must be replaced after 150 thousand km. But it will be much more useful if this operation is performed earlier. This attitude to the engine creates the conditions for its more reliable, durable and flawless operation.
In general, the A16LET engine is not bad, if you pour good oil and monitor its level, fill in high-quality gasoline, do not drive too hard, then there will be no problems and the engine will last you a long time.
Feedback from the forum member Nikolai from Krasnoyarsk confirms what was said:
The reliability of the unit is also emphasized by the fact that two more modifications were created on its version - a sports one (A16LER) with a capacity of 192 hp, and a derated one (A16LEL), 150 hp, respectively.
Weak spots
Each motor has its weak points. They are also available in A16LET. Perhaps the most common is an oil leak from under the valve cover gasket. By the way, all Opel motors are subject to this disease. The fault is unpleasant, but not critical. Eliminated by tightening the cover fasteners or replacing the gasket.
The collapse of the pistons was repeatedly noted. Factory it is a defect or the result of improper operation of the engine is difficult to find out. But judging by a number of factors, namely, the problem affected an insignificant part of the engines, the malfunction occurred only in the first 100 thousand kilometers, preliminary conclusions can be drawn.
The most likely cause of piston failure is improper engine operation. Aggressive driving, poor quality of fuels and lubricants, untimely maintenance contribute to the occurrence of malfunctions that cause increased engine vibration. Together with detonation, it may well provoke not only the collapse of the pistons.
At the slightest overheating of the engine, cracks appeared around the valve seats. In this case, comments, as they say, are unnecessary. Overheating has not brought any benefit to any internal combustion engine. And keeping the level of antifreeze within the specified limits is not difficult. Of course, the thermostat can also fail, which will also lead to overheating. But after all, there is a thermometer and an overheating control light on the dashboard. So cracks in the cylinder head are a direct result of the motorist's inattention to the engine cooling system.
Maintainability
The engine has a high maintainability. Auto service mechanics emphasize its simplicity of the device and are happy to undertake repair work of any complexity. The cast-iron block allows you to bore the cylinders to the required dimensions, and the selection of pistons and other components does not cause any problems at all. All these nuances lead to fairly affordable restoration prices in comparison with other engines.
By the way, repairs can be made cheaper by using parts from dismantling. But in this case, the quality is called into question - used spare parts may have a depleted resource.
Overhaul of the engine is often carried out independently, with your own hands. If you have the tools and knowledge, it is not difficult to make it.
A short video about the overhaul.
More details can be found on YouTube, for example:
A lot of useful information on the repair, maintenance and operation of the engine is contained here. (It is enough to download the manual and all the necessary data will always be there).
The engine builders of the Opel concern created a reliable and durable A16LET engine, which showed good performance with timely maintenance and appropriate care. A pleasant aspect is the low material costs of its maintenance.
