The Niva car or VAZ-2121 is one of the most successful developments of domestic engineers. Having begun mass production in 1977, the car was in demand not only in the USSR, and then in Russia, but also abroad. In some countries, fan clubs of this model have even been created. The first Nivas were equipped with a three-door body and a carburetor engine with an output of 80 hp.
They rolled off the assembly line with virtually no changes in design and technical characteristics until 1993. In 1994, car enthusiasts saw a modified body and an 82.8-horsepower engine. The car was named VAZ-21213 Niva. Then the Niva VAZ-21214 appeared, on which, starting in 2002, injection power units began to be installed. In 2006, the name Niva officially ceased to exist. The car, until 2021, was called “LADA 4×4”, and now it is “Lada Niva Legend”.
From the very moment of its creation, until today, the Lada-Niva has been distinguished by the extreme degree of reliability of all components and assemblies. It is not for nothing that a huge number of these cars continue to travel on roads and off-roads, despite the fact that they came off the assembly line several decades ago. But, which is quite natural, the older the car, the more breakdowns there are. Along with the transmission, engine and body, failures of motion control systems occur, which include the speed control system.
In the article we will look at the reasons why the speedometer on the Niva does not work, using the VAZ-21213 and VAZ-21214 as an example, since these cars are the most typical and widespread representatives of the family of Tolyatti SUVs. But first, briefly about the structure of the speedometer itself and the principle of its operation.
Speedometer
The basis of the speedometer design is:
- speed sensor;
- electronic control unit;
- display.
The speed sensor receives indirect information about the speed of the vehicle, which is removed from the drive located in the transfer case. This is typical only for Niva. In other cars, the gear drive of the speedometer is installed on the output shaft of the box or on the drive of the front left wheel.
The sensor, converting the drive speed into electrical impulses (using the resulting Hall effect), transmits them to the electronic unit, which processes the signal and sends it to the display. The latter shows on its screen what the current speed of the car is. Data can be presented as numbers or a scale on digital displays, or indicated by a moving arrow pointing to the values on a graduated scale on analogue indicators.
For your information. The electronic unit, receiving and processing information, sends it not only to the speedometer display, but also to the fuel supply system. The higher the speed, the more fuel will flow into the engine. It is also interesting that the program contains an algorithm that prevents the electric power steering from operating when the speed sensor is faulty.
About the sensor
The speed sensor in a Niva car is designed not only to indicate the speed of the car, but also for other actions that you most likely had no idea about.
DSA is involved in the formation of the fuel mixture necessary to maintain higher speeds when driving a car with neutral gear engaged. If you are coasting your car, you can replace that the idle speed is slightly higher than when the car is stationary.
Another function is to provide vehicle speed readings to the electric power steering. As the speed of the car increases, the force of rotation of the steering wheel increases, this is necessary for clearer and more accurate maneuvering of the car.
In older versions of cars, the DSA was replaced with a cable; with the arrival of the new Niva 21213, this process became electronic. Below, the article describes in detail the signs of a sensor malfunction, its price, testing methods and replacement.
Why does the speedometer not work?
There may be several reasons why the speedometer on the Niva suddenly stopped working.
Let's list the main ones:
- The malfunction may have occurred due to a broken speed sensor.
- Secondly, the car wiring is damaged or the contact in the electrical circuit is broken.
- The third reason, sometimes, is the speedometer needle getting stuck in a certain position.
- A problem with the electronics of the control unit can also cause a speedometer malfunction.
- Incorrect installation of speed control system parts after they have been replaced or removed.
Causes of speedometer malfunction
If the speedometer stops working, troubleshooting is carried out in several directions. The following failures may be the cause of failure:
- Speed sensor failure;
- Damage to electrical wiring;
- Oxidation of “mass” contacts;
- Malfunction of the speedometer itself;
- ECU malfunction;
- Incorrect installation of the instrument panel after removal.
A diagnostic sign of fuse F19 failure is:
- Failure of the entire instrument panel;
- Diagnostic unit failure;
- Failure of the automatic door locking system;
- Reverse lamp failure.
Before replacing the fuse, it is recommended to find out and eliminate the cause of its combustion. In most cases, this happens when there is a short circuit in the electrical wiring system of a VAZ-2110 or VAZ-2114 car.
The reason is the sensor
In principle, this is one of the few speedometer malfunctions that you can try to find and fix yourself. Not counting the jammed arrow and the torn cable. All other problems, including those with the electronic control unit and digital display, are best resolved at specialized service stations.
The first sign of a speed controller failure will be the speedometer stopping or its readings being incorrect. But the fact that the speedometer has stopped working due to the speed sensor can be determined by other signs:
- The engine constantly stalls when idling. This does not depend on whether the car is standing or rolling.
- The car cannot accelerate due to loss of power.
- Fuel consumption in all driving modes has increased sharply.
The reason that a faulty sensor affects engine performance so much is that it is included not only in the speedometer circuitry, but also in other systems.
You can check the functionality of this device using a voltmeter. It is more convenient to do this if you remove the sensor. But you can check it in its original place, without dismantling it. In any case, you need to gain access to his contacts. On a working sensor, the voltage readings will increase along with the increase in the rotation speed of its axis.
For your information. Rotation of the sensor core, which has not been removed from the vehicle, can be achieved by turning the suspended drive wheel.
Before checking and changing the sensor, which breaks quite rarely, you need to make sure the contacts are reliable. Often the problem lies in their oxidation or excessive contamination, since most Niva cars are operated in extreme conditions. Typically, the problem with a non-working speed sensor is solved after checking each contact, cleaning them and lubricating them with a protective compound.
How to check the speed sensor on a VAZ-2109
Checking the speed sensor begins by finding out whether 12 V is supplied to its contacts. Since its operating principle is based on the Hall effect, the contact through which the pulse signals pass can only be tested by torsion. The voltage varies in the range from 0.5 V to 10 V.
There are three ways to check the device; the first two require a multimeter.
First way
- the sensor is removed;
- using a multimeter you need to find out what each contact is responsible for, you need to find the pulse one;
- the positive probe is connected to the pulse contact, and the negative probe is connected to the car body or engine;
- A piece of tube is put on the sensor axis and rotates at a low speed, while the voltage is measured with a multimeter: the higher the rotation speed, the higher the pulse frequency and voltage.
Second method (without dismantling)
- use a jack to lift one of the front wheels of the car;
- the multimeter is connected to the sensor wires;
- you need to rotate the wheel and check whether pulses appear (if so, the device is working normally).
Third method (without a multimeter)
If a measuring device is not available, the test can be performed using a test lamp or a regular 12-volt light bulb. The procedure is similar to the second method.
- The pulse wire is disconnected from the sensor;
- with the ignition on, use a control lamp to find “plus” and “minus”;
- the wheel is hung out;
- the control lamp is connected to the signal wire, the wheel rotates (if the “minus” lights up on the control, the sensor is working).
If you don’t have a warning lamp at hand, you can use a 12-volt one (for example, from a turn signal). The wire connects the battery plus and the signal contact. If the sensor is operational, the light will blink.
If the check shows that the device is working properly, you need to check how its drive works. To do this, the front wheel is hung out. You need to find the sensor drive by touch. Then you need to rotate the wheel with your foot, and with your hand you need to check whether there is rotation in the drive and whether it is stable.
On-board network malfunction
Often, this is precisely the reason why the speedometer has stopped working. After all, all information in modern devices is transmitted through electrical wires. A break or short circuit may occur in the vehicle wiring. A multimeter can detect this. If you have the skills to work with this device, you can try to find and fix the problem yourself.
Before you start searching for a break, you need to carefully inspect the wires to visually detect damage. After this, the tightness of the terminals is checked. If everything seems intact, the search begins using special equipment:
- The multimeter is set to ringing mode.
- The probes are attached to the ends of the area being tested.
- If the wiring is intact, a beep will sound. Its absence will mean that the break occurred in the location being tested.
To check for a network short circuit, the multimeter is also set to ringing mode. Before starting work, the wire is disconnected from the vehicle's electrical circuit. And, if in the case of a break, the signal indicated that the cables were in good condition, then the sound of the multimeter will now show where the short circuit occurred.
As a rule, eliminating problems with the wiring and replacing the speed sensor resolves the issue with the performance of the speedometer. But, if this does not happen, you need to contact specialists as soon as possible. After all, driving a car with inoperative speed control not only harms its technical condition, but also poses a real danger to the life and health of all road users.
Why the speedometer on a Chevrolet Niva does not work: reasons
The answers are below. In the Niva Chevrolet, the speedometer needle is driven not by a cable and a magnetic device, as in classic VAZs, but by electronics. The speedometer itself, like the rest of the instruments on the panel, are nothing more than voltmeters or ammeters with different scales.
The speedometer receives an electrical impulse, the speedometer arrow is driven by a simple stepper electric motor. Repair of the Niva Chevrolet speedometer is often not durable. This is for information, because it is useless to poke into the speedometer itself, it is not repairable and if at least one element fails, you have to buy the entire instrument panel on the circuit board.
The speedometer receives an impulse from the speed sensor, and it is installed on the transfer case housing. Since there are not many elements in the electrical circuit of the Chevrolet Niva speedometer, there are only a few reasons for the device not working: Mechanical damage to the speedometer itself. In some cases, the Chevrolet Niva speedometer does not work; when repairing the instrument panel, it may be installed skewed, which may subsequently affect the operation of the system.
Chevrolet Niva: speedometer does not work
If these steps do not help, then you need to check the contact block on the speed sensor. To do this, you need to install the car on an inspection hole or overpass.
It is located at the bottom of the transfer case and water and reagents used to treat roads can get on it. If there is an error there that says the Chevrolet Niva speedometer does not work, you will have to look for a place for an inspection hole, an overpass, a lift, where it would be convenient to get to. The appearance of this code may be due to a malfunction of the speed sensor itself or its mechanical drive.
We’ll return to the sensor later, but for now we’ll check the entire dashboard for the functionality of each of the devices.
Why the speedometer does not work on a Chevrolet Niva
Turn off the ignition and press the daily mileage reset button. Using a transfer case on a Chevrolet Niva.
Do not release the button and turn on the ignition. In this case, the arrows on working instruments should move three times from zero to the maximum division.
Everything is clear here - if the speedometer refuses to fulfill the test conditions, the problem is either in the device itself or in the tidy board. Most likely, you will have to change the board assembly. Mechanical damage to the speedometer itself.
No contact in any of the terminal connections. Broken or shorted wire.
