Do-it-yourself replacement of the heater crane VAZ-2114

The heater tap in VAZ-2114 cars is one of the weakest points in the cooling system. It breaks down so often that most car owners, gaining experience, without any problems independently change it to a new one. Why it fails, as well as how to replace the heater valve VAZ-2114 step by step, we will talk in this article.

What is and why is a heater tap needed

This element is a locking device designed to control the flow of coolant through a heating radiator. In the hot season, when the heater, as a rule, is not used, the driver closes the tap, and hot antifreeze or antifreeze go around it, without heating the pumped or freely circulating air in the cabin. In cold weather, on the contrary, the device opens, making way for the coolant to the “stove”. Here is a simple way to regulate the climate in the cabin VAZ-2114.

The crane is driven by a cable from the control lever located on the center console of the car. This lever is indicated by a long red arrow below.

Breakdown reasons

The reasons for the failure of the crane are only two:

• sticking (souring) of the working parts of the locking mechanism to the housing or to each other;
• violation of the tightness of the body (leak).

Given that its design is non-separable, in any of these cases it will be necessary not just repair, but a complete replacement of the heater crane VAZ-2114.

How to determine if a tap is broken

It’s easy to diagnose a breakdown. In the first case, its cause is the oxidation of the elements of the locking mechanism. This leads to the fact that he simply stops moving in any direction.

When you try to move the crane control lever, it will not budge. Trying to break the mechanism, using force, is fraught with a breakdown of the lever, a broken cable or mechanical damage to the crane itself.

The violation of the tightness of the device is the cause of the failure of the seals, which for the most part are made of ordinary rubber, which reacts with both antifreeze and antifreeze. To understand that the tap is leaking, you will be helped by a pool of coolant on the front passenger foot mat or an oily white coating on the windshield, which is its evaporation. But in this case, you will need to make sure that it was the faucet that flowed, and not the “stove” radiator or pipe itself.

Choose a crane

Today, in car dealerships, you can purchase three types of shut-off devices for the heater:

• standard (ordinary regular crane from VAZ) with a metal locking mechanism and a rubber membrane;
• ball (with a locking mechanism in the form of a movable ball with a hole);
• ceramic (has a locking mechanism of 2 ceramic plates).

You will not be recommended to install a standard crane by any of the auto repairmen. It will not last long, and the price does not differ much from the modernized models. Replacing the heater crane VAZ-2114 with a ball valve will allow it to work for a little longer, but it will not completely solve the problem, since its locking mechanism is also metal.

Ceramic devices have proven themselves best. They have a plastic case and a ceramic mechanism that is not amenable to oxidative processes. Such a device will work long enough if the seals do not fail.

Below is a table of models of heater valves for VAZ-2114 vehicles with an indication of the manufacturer, catalog number and type of locking mechanism.

What should be at hand

In order for the replacement of the heater crane VAZ-2114 not to take much time, it is better to prepare the necessary tools and tools in advance. We will need:

• a tank with a wide neck for collecting the drained coolant (with a volume of at least 5 l);
• cross screwdriver;
• slotted screwdriver ;
• 10 key;
• key at 13;
• pliers;
• 4 worm clamps 15-23 mm;
• rust remover (type WD 40);
• rag.
  

In addition, the car will need to be installed on a "hole" or on a flyover.

Next, we will tell you how to replace the heater crane VAZ-2114. Photos of this process are presented in the article.

Preparing for the replacement process

Having driven the car to the overpass, we open the hood, unscrew the plug of the radiator filler neck and the plug in the expansion tank. Next we go under the car. From the bottom on the cylinder block we find a plug for draining the coolant (do not confuse it with a plug for draining the oil on the crankcase). After substituting an empty container, unscrew it with a 13 key and wait until all the liquid has drained.

After that, we get out from under the car and head to the engine compartment. The heater tap will be replaced from the passenger compartment, however first we need to unscrew it from under the hood. In the engine compartment on the passenger side, we find two pipes going into the passenger compartment. This is the inlet and outlet of the crane. Weaken the clamps on them and disconnect them. Near the nozzles there are two studs with thread and nuts. They, in fact, fix the crane. To make it easier to loosen the nuts, we process the studs with anti-rust fluid.

For convenience, when replacing a crane, some masters and car owners completely disassemble the instrument panel. This is not necessary at all. We will tell you how to replace the heater crane VAZ-2114 without removing the panel.

Crane dismantling

Go to the passenger compartment to the front passenger seat. To the left of the passenger’s feet there is a panel cover. It must be removed by unscrewing the screws with a Phillips screwdriver. Now that we have access to the heater radiator cap and faucet, we put a dry rag under them. It is needed in case of leakage of the coolant.

With a cross-shaped screwdriver, weaken the pipe clamps on the locking device and disconnect them.

Further, replacing the heater tap requires disconnecting the drive cable. We take the pliers and, holding the tie rod with them, disconnect the drive cable with a flat screwdriver. After that, we again move to the engine compartment.

With a 10-key, we unscrew the nuts of the crane fastening. Next, we remove the broken locking device from the front passenger side.

Installing a new heater tap

The crane is mounted in the reverse order. First, we attach it to the body, tightening the nuts on the studs, after which we connect the drive cable. Clamps on the nozzles should also be replaced with new ones. Pay attention to the condition of the hoses. If their ends are too stretched or cracks occur, it is better to replace them. If everything is okay with them, connect them to the tap and clamp the clamps with a screwdriver. The panel cover is not in place yet. We will need to check the tightness of the connections with the engine running.

That, in principle, is the whole process. As you can see, replacing the VAZ-2114 heater faucet with your own hands is not such a difficult task.

Completion and leak test

Upon completion of work, we return to the car and tighten the drain plug. After that, pour coolant into the radiator neck, focusing on its level in the expansion tank.

Replacing the heater crane VAZ-2114 requires a thorough check of the tightness of the joints at the end of the repair work, and the master himself will be interested to know how well he worked.

We start the engine and heat it until the radiator fan is turned on. Without turning off the engine, we check for leaks at the connection points in the passenger compartment and under the hood. If everything is normal, we try to close and open the tap by moving the control lever with the heater fan on. In the open position, the air forced into the passenger compartment must be hot. This means that the locking mechanism is open and the coolant passes through the radiator. When closing the tap, cold air should flow. This will indicate that the locking mechanism has blocked the flow of coolant into the radiator of the “stove”.

Some useful tips

1. The replacement of the heater crane VAZ-2114 should be carried out in the shortest possible time if its malfunctions are detected. Especially when it comes to coolant leaks. Both antifreeze and antifreeze are toxic!
2. Do not save when choosing a crane. It is better to take a good proprietary model that is not amenable to oxidation and use it for 5 years than annually buy a device of dubious quality and origin.
3. Do not use cheap coolants - the duration of the work of not only the crane, but also the entire cooling system depends on their composition.
4. If the faucet has leaked and there is an odor of antifreeze or antifreeze in the cabin, and there is an oily coating on the glass, do not be lazy to wash and dry the mats or carpet, and also wipe the glass with an alcohol solution.
5. If the process described above seems complicated to you, it is better to contact a car service.