How to reduce fuel consumption on a VAZ 2106 car

Outdated Zhiguli carburetor models are not economical. According to the passport characteristics, the VAZ 2106 car consumes 9–10 liters of A-92 gasoline per 100 km in the urban driving cycle. Real consumption, especially in winter, exceeds 11 liters. Since the price of fuel is constantly growing, the owner of the "six" faces a difficult task - to minimize fuel consumption by all available means.

Why does the VAZ 2106 increase gasoline consumption

The amount of fuel consumed by an internal combustion engine depends on many factors - technical and operational. All reasons can be divided into 2 groups:

1. Primary factors that significantly affect fuel consumption.
2. Minor nuances that individually slightly increase gasoline consumption.

Any problem related to the first group becomes immediately noticeable - the VAZ 2106 fuel tank is emptied before our very eyes. Secondary factors are not so pronounced - you need the simultaneous impact of several small problems for the motorist to pay attention to the increased consumption.

The primary reasons for increasing consumption by 10-50%:

• critical wear of the cylinder-piston group of the engine and cylinder head valves;
• malfunctions of fuel supply elements - a gasoline pump or a carburetor;
• malfunctions in the ignition system;
• driving with jammed brake pads;
• aggressive driving style, which implies frequent dynamic acceleration and braking;
• the use of low-quality gasoline with a low octane number;
• difficult operating conditions for a car - towing a trailer, transporting goods, driving on dirt and snowy roads.

When towing a large trailer, fuel costs increase by 30-50%

It is worth noting one malfunction that occurs on old cars - fuel leakage through a rotten gas tank or fuel line. Although the tank is hidden in the trunk and well protected from external influences, in some cases corrosion reaches the bottom of the tank due to the rusted through bottom.

Minor points that add 1-5% to the flow:

• insufficient tire pressure;
• winter driving with a cold engine;
• violation of the aerodynamics of the car - the installation of large mirrors, various flags, additional antennas and non-standard body kits;
• replacement of regular tires with a non-standard set of a larger size;
• malfunctions of the chassis and suspension, leading to an increase in friction and the selection of excess engine power;
• installation of powerful consumers of electricity that load the generator (additional headlights, speakers and subwoofers).

A large number of body kits and decorative exterior elements do not contribute to fuel economy, as they violate the aerodynamics of the "six"

Often, drivers go to increase consumption consciously. An example is the operation of the "six" in difficult conditions or the installation of electrical equipment. But for the sake of economy, you can deal with other causes - a variety of malfunctions and a "jerky" driving style.

More about electrical equipment VAZ-2106: https://bumper.guru/klassicheskie-modeli-vaz/elektrooborudovanie/elektroshema-vaz-2106.html

The "gluttony" of the car may increase due to tuning - an increase in engine displacement, the addition of turbocharging and other similar events. When, by replacing the crankshaft, I brought the displacement of the cylinders of the 21011 engine to 1,7 liters, the consumption increased by 10-15%. To make the "six" more economical, I had to install a more modern Solex carburetor (model DAAZ 2108) and a five-speed gearbox.

Installing a Solex carburetor from the VAZ 2108 allows you to more flexibly adjust the fuel supply on the "six" without losing acceleration dynamics

Diagnosis and elimination of technical problems

A serious increase in fuel consumption never occurs without a reason. The "culprit" is often detected by the following signs:

• a drop in engine power, a noticeable deterioration in traction and acceleration dynamics;
• the smell of gasoline in the car;
• idle failure;
• jerks and dips in the process of movement;
• the engine suddenly stalls while driving;
• at idle, the crankshaft speed "floats";
• from the wheels comes the smell of burnt pads, noise from increased friction.

These symptoms may indicate one or more technical problems. To save fuel, learn to quickly identify the source of the problem and quickly fix the problem - yourself or at a service station.

Cylinder piston and valve group

The natural wear of pistons and rings causes the following consequences:

1. A gap is formed between the walls of the cylinders and the pistons, where gases from the combustion chamber penetrate. Passing through the crankcase, the exhaust gases are sent through the ventilation system for afterburning, polluting the carburetor air jets and excessively enriching the fuel mixture.
   

   Gases penetrate through the gap around the worn piston, the compression of the combustible mixture worsens
2. The compression drops, the conditions for burning gasoline worsen. To develop the required power, the engine begins to consume more fuel, and the lion's share of unburned fuel is thrown out through the exhaust tract.
3. Engine oil enters the combustion chambers, exacerbating the situation. A layer of soot on the walls and electrodes causes the cylinder head to overheat.

Critical wear of the cylinder-piston group increases fuel consumption by 20-40%. Burnout of the valve leads to a complete failure of the cylinder and an increase in flow by 25%. When 2106 cylinders are turned off in the VAZ 2 engine, gasoline losses reach 50%, and the car practically “does not drive”.

While repairing the Zhiguli, I repeatedly came across cars that arrived on two cylinders - the rest were “dead”. The owners complained about the lack of power and the space consumption of gasoline. Diagnostics has always revealed 2 reasons - burnt valves or failure of the spark plug.

A burnt valve allows gases to pass in both directions, the pressure drops to zero and the cylinder completely fails.

How to check the motor for wear:

1. Pay attention to the color of the exhaust - oil waste gives a thick bluish smoke.
2. Disconnect the crankcase ventilation pipe from the air filter housing, start the engine. With worn compression rings, a blue exhaust will come out of the hose.
3. Check compression in all cylinders hot. The minimum allowable indicator is 8,5-9 bar.
4. If the pressure gauge shows a pressure in the cylinder of 1-3 bar, the valve (or several valves) has become unusable.

Thick bluish exhaust indicates engine oil waste and wear of the piston group

To finally make sure that the valve burns out, pour 10 ml of motor lubricant into the cylinder and repeat the compression test. If the pressure rises, change the rings and pistons, remains unchanged - throw away the valves.

Zero pressure gauge readings indicate cylinder leaks due to valve burnout

The wear of elements and the “voracity” of the engine are treated in the only way - by overhaul and replacement of unusable parts. The final verdict is made after disassembling the power unit - it may be possible to save money - change only the valves and rings.

Video: how to measure compression in VAZ 2106 cylinders

COMPRESSION MEASUREMENT VAZ 2106

Fuel supply system

Malfunctions of this group cause excessive fuel consumption of 10-30%, depending on the specific malfunction. The most common breakdowns:

• increased fuel level in the carburetor float chamber;
• clogged air jets (one of the reasons is described above);
• abrasion of throttle valves - gaps form along the edges, from where the engine sucks in fuel due to rarefaction;
• unqualified adjustment of the carburetor - violation of the settings of the support and fuel screws;
• air leakage on the flange of the intake manifold or on the axes of the throttle valves;
• breakage of the lower diaphragm of the fuel pump.

If the car interior smells of gasoline: https://bumper.guru/klassicheskie-modeli-vaz/poleznoe/zapah-benzina-v-salone.html

The last malfunction is the most insidious. The pump pumps fuel in 2 directions - to the carburetor and inside the engine crankcase through the drive rod. The oil liquefies, pressure drops, gasoline vapors fill the intake manifold and greatly enrich the mixture, consumption increases by 10-15%. How to detect: remove the breather tube with the engine running and gently sniff the gases. A sharp smell of fuel will immediately indicate a malfunction.

If there is gasoline in the crankcase, smoke with a pungent odor will come out of the removed pipe

I check the excessive consumption of gasoline by the carburetor as follows: I remove the air filter housing, start the engine and look inside the diffuser of the primary chamber. If the unit “overflows”, drops from the atomizer fall on the damper from above, the engine immediately reacts with a jump in speed. As the excess fuel burns off, the idle will return to normal until the next drop falls.

Another way to check the carburetor is to tighten the “quality” screw with the engine running. Turn the regulator with a screwdriver and count the turns - at the end the engine should stall. If the power unit continues to operate with a tightened screw, then the fuel enters the manifold directly. The carburetor must be removed, cleaned and adjusted.

If the engine of the "six" stalls safely, unscrew the screw back by the calculated number of revolutions

Do not try to save money by replacing standard carburetor jets with parts with a smaller flow area. The combustible mixture will become poor, the car will lose in dynamics and power. You will increase the consumption yourself - you will begin to press the accelerator pedal more intensively.

Another problem lies in the jets sold as part of repair kits for Ozone carburetors. Together with broken diaphragms, the owners put new jets - beautiful and shiny. Having special measuring gauges, I threw away a lot of such beauty for one reason: the diameter of the passage hole does not match the inscription (as a rule, the section is made larger). Never change regular jets - their real service life is 20-30 years.

Replacing the fuel pump diaphragm is not difficult:

1. Disconnect fuel hoses.
2. Unscrew the 2 fastening nuts with a 13 mm wrench.
   

   The Zhiguli gas pump is bolted to the flange on the left side of the engine (in the direction of travel)
3. Remove the pump from the studs and unscrew the housing with a screwdriver.
4. Install 3 new membranes, assemble the unit and attach to the motor flange, replacing the cardboard gasket.
   

   The VAZ 2106 gasoline pump has 3 membranes, they always change together

If the fuel pump has been pumping fuel into the crankcase for a long time, be sure to change the oil. I am familiar with cases when, in the summer, due to diluted lubricant, the crankshaft turned the plain bearings (otherwise, the liners). Repair is quite expensive - you need to buy new repair liners and grind the crankshaft journals.

Video: setting up the Ozone carburetor

Setting up the carburetor VAZ 2106

Ignition elements

Malfunctions in the sparking system also cause the power unit to consume excess fuel. Example: due to a misfire, a portion of the combustible mixture drawn into the combustion chamber by the piston completely flies into the pipe during the next cycle. There was no outbreak, no work done, gasoline wasted.

Common ignition system problems that cause excessive fuel consumption:

1. The failure of the candle leads to cylinder failure - plus 25% to fuel consumption.
2. A breakdown in the insulation of high-voltage wires reduces the power of the spark, the air-fuel mixture does not burn out completely. The remains are pushed into the exhaust manifold, where they can burn out without any benefit to the engine (pops are heard in the pipe).
3. Sparking worsens due to malfunctions of distributor parts - breakdown of the cover, burnout of the contact group, bearing wear.
   

   The mechanical contact group must be periodically cleaned and adjusted to a gap of 0,4 mm
4. When the diaphragm of the vacuum unit fails or the springs of the centrifugal regulator weaken, the ignition timing decreases. The spark is supplied late, the engine power drops, the consumption of the combustible mixture increases by 5-10%.

I find a non-working candle with the old "old-fashioned" method. I start the engine, put on a dielectric glove and, one by one, remove the cradles from the contacts of the candles. If the crankshaft speed drops at the moment of shutdown, the element is OK, I proceed to the next cylinder.

You should not remove the armored wire with your bare hands - put on a glove or use pliers

The best way to diagnose for an inexperienced driver is to replace the distributor or high-voltage cables. If there is no spare distributor in the garage, clean or change the contact group - the spare part is inexpensive. Bearing play is checked manually by rocking the turntable up and down. Diagnose the integrity of the vacuum block membrane by drawing air through the tube leading to the carburetor.

General tips for car operation

To minimize the influence of secondary factors and achieve real fuel savings, follow a number of simple rules:

1. Fill with gasoline with an octane rating of at least 92 according to the manufacturer's recommendations. If you accidentally come across low-quality fuel, try to drain it from the tank and refuel with normal gasoline.
2. Maintain the recommended tire pressure of 1,8-2 atm depending on the load.
   

   Air pressure should be checked at least once a week
3. During the cold season, warm up the power unit before driving. The algorithm is as follows: start the engine, let it run for 2-5 minutes (depending on the air temperature), then start to drive slowly in lower gears.
4. Do not delay with the repair of the chassis, follow the procedure for adjusting the camber angles - toe-in of the front wheels.
5. When installing wider tires, change the stamped wheels to alloy wheels. In this way, it will be possible to compensate for the increase in the weight of the wheels and improve the appearance of the “classic”.
   

   Installing alloy wheels instead of steel allows you to lighten the wheels by a dozen kilograms
6. Do not hang the car with unnecessary external elements that increase the aerodynamic resistance of the environment. If you are a fan of styling, pick up a beautiful and at the same time streamlined front body kit, dismantle the old bumper.

Unlike modern cars, where the filling pipe is equipped with a grid, emptying the six tank is much easier. Insert the hose into the neck, lower it into the container and direct the fuel into the spare canister by suction.

Air resistance has a significant effect on engine fuel consumption. If we compare the movement at 60 and 120 km / h, then the aerodynamic resistance increases 6 times, and the speed - only 2 times. Therefore, the triangular side windows installed on the front doors of all Zhiguli add 2-3% to the consumption in the open state.

Find out if it is possible to fill a full tank of a car: https://bumper.guru/klassicheskie-modeli-vaz/poleznoe/pochemu-nelzya-zapravlyat-polnyy-bak-benzina.html

Video: how to save gas in simple ways

How to reduce FUEL CONSUMPTION?!

Economic driving skills

Drivers are taught how to drive properly in a driving school. When operating the domestic "classic" VAZ 2106, a number of points must be taken into account:

1. The first gear of the car is quite "short". Strongly spin the engine is not worth it, started off - go to second gear.
2. Frequent sharp accelerations and stops are a real scourge for any car, along with excessive consumption of gasoline, the wear of parts and assemblies accelerates. Move more calmly, try to stop less, use the inertia (rollback) of the car.
3. Maintain your cruising speed on the highway at all times. The optimal value for the "six" with a four-speed gearbox is 80 km / h, with a five-speed box - 90 km / h.
4. When coasting downhill, do not turn off the speed - brake with the engine and watch the tachometer. When the needle drops below 1800 rpm, shift into neutral or low gear.
5. In a city traffic jam, do not turn off the engine for nothing. If the idle time does not exceed 3-4 minutes, stopping and starting the engine will "eat" more fuel than idling.

Moving along busy city streets, experienced drivers follow the signals of distant traffic lights. If you see a green light in the distance, there is no hurry - until you get there, you will fall under a red one. And vice versa, having noticed a red signal, it is better to accelerate and drive under the green one. The described tactic allows the motorist to stop less in front of traffic lights and in this way save fuel.

Against the backdrop of rising fuel prices, driving obsolete cars becomes doubly expensive. The "six" must be constantly monitored and repaired in time, so as not to pay extra money for gasoline. Aggressive driving is not at all compatible with the carburetor “classics”, where the power of the power unit does not exceed 80 hp. With.