Opel Z10XE engine
Content
Such a little-known little cubature engine Opel Z10XE was installed only on the Opel Corsa or Aguila, which is the reason for the low popularity of the unit. However, the motor itself has balanced technical characteristics, allowing you to get an acceptable level of comfort even when driving a "subcompact car".
The history of the emergence of engines Opel Z10XE
The start of large-scale production began in the first half of 2000 and ended only in 2003. Over the entire period of production, many extra batches were made that were never sold and were sold by Opel literally in bulk - you can freely find a specific Opel Z10XE engine in our time, and at a relatively low cost.
At the beginning, this engine was developed for installation on the third generation of budget versions of the Opel Corsa, however, due to congestion in warehouses, the German brand also decided to install the Opel Z10XE Opel Agila engine.
Thanks to a program to optimize production at car assembly plants, the Opel Z10XE engine has a lot of structural similarities with the rest of the brand's 1-liter powertrains.
The engine belongs to the GM family 0 engine series, which, in addition to the Opel Z10XE, also includes Z10XEP, Z12XE, Z12XEP, Z14XE and Z14XEP. All engines from this series have a similar principle of operation and do not have differences in maintenance.
Specifications: what's special about the Opel Z10XE?
This power unit has an in-line 3-cylinder layout, where each cylinder has 4 valves. The engine is atmospheric, has a distributed fuel injection and a lightweight cylinder head made of aluminum.
| Power unit capacity, cc | 973 |
|---|---|
| Maximum power, hp | 58 |
| Maximum torque, N*m (kg*m) at rev. /min | 85 (9) to 3800 |
| Cylinder diameter, mm | 72.5 |
| Number of valves per cylinder | 4 |
| The piston stroke, mm | 78.6 |
| Compression ratio | 10.01.2019 |
| Timing drive | Chain |
| Phase regulator | No |
| Turbo boost | No |
The exhaust of the power unit complies with the Euro 4 environmental standard. Stable operation of the engine is observed only when filling AI-95 class fuel - when using gasoline with a lower octane rating, detonation may occur, like most 3-cylinder engines manufactured at the end of the 20th century. The average fuel consumption of the Opel Z10XE engine reaches 5.6 liters per hundred kilometers.
For reliable operation of the power unit design, the manufacturer recommends using 5W-30 class oil. In total, more than 3.0 oils will be required to fully replace the technical fluid. The average oil consumption per 1000 km of run is 650 ml - if the consumption is higher, then the engine must be sent for diagnostics, otherwise a sharp decrease in the operational life is possible.
In practice, the resource for the development of engine components is 250 km, however, with timely maintenance, the service life can be increased. The design of the engine provides for the possibility of a major overhaul, which, in view of the relative low cost of spare parts, will not damage the driver's budget. The average cost of a new Opel Z000XE contract engine is 10 rubles and may vary depending on the region of the country. The registration number of the motor is located on the top cover.
Weaknesses and design flaws: what to prepare for?
The relative simplicity of the engine design, it seemed, should favorably affect the reliability of the power unit, but the Opel Z10XE suffers from most of the problems of more "adult" engines. In particular, the most typical problems with this engine are:
- Failures in the electrical part of the equipment - this malfunction is characterized by a relatively poor quality of the power wiring, and may also indicate the failure of the ECU. In any case, replacing the engine wiring with a higher capacity option will have a positive effect on the motor resource - after any serious intervention in the engine design, it will not be superfluous to replace the cables;
- Timing chain break - on this motor, the chain has a resource of only 100 km, which will require at least 000 scheduled replacements for the entire operational life. If the timely change of the timing chain is neglected, very deplorable consequences are possible - for the Opel Z2XE, a break is fraught;
- Failure of the oil pump or thermostat - if the temperature sensor shows slightly high readings, and the engine starts to pour oil, then it's time to check the cooling system. The oil pump and thermostat in the Opel Z10XE are weak links in the design of the power unit.
It is also required to note the pickiness of the engine to the quality of the oil.
If you neglect the filling of budget trains, then it is possible to get a sharp decrease in the service life of hydraulic lifters.
Tuning: is it possible to upgrade the Opel Z10XE?
This motor can be customized or a power upgrade made, but in most cases it makes no sense. An atmospheric 3-cylinder one-liter engine can get an increase in power in the region of 15 horsepower, provided:
- Cold injection installations;
- Removing the standard catalyst;
- Flashing the electronic control unit.
Engine tuning is not economically feasible - upgrading to increase power by 15 horses will cost about half the contract engine. Thus, if you want to increase the power potential of the Opel Corsa or Aguila, it is better to install another engine of the GM family 0 engine series with a capacity of 1.0 or 1.2 liters. The cost is almost the same as that of the Opel Z10XE with modifications, but the reliability and resource of components production are higher.
The manufacturer is strictly not recommended to install an injection unit on the Opel Z10XE - such tuning the motor is extremely painful, up to complete unsuitability.
