Lada Niva Driver s Manual Jason Chapman
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insufficient oil pressure in the engine lubricating system. Extremely important! Never run
the car with the low oil pressure warning lamp on! This will cause rapid engine
wear which will cease the engine resulting in total engine destruction!
Take care of the tyre pressure since driving on under inflated tyres results in their premature
wear and impairs car stability and steerability.
When on the move, do not turn the ignition key to position III PARKING
(CTORHKA) as it may result in locking the steering shaft by the antitheft device, thus
making the car non-steerable. Prior to moving off, check the parking brake lever position;
start motion only with the lever all the way down. While in motion, do not switch off the
ignition, since the brake vacuum booster becomes inoperative when the engine is
stopped, and the force to be applied to the brake pedal rises considerably. The car is
fitted with highly effective front disc brakes. However, their long service life can be ensured
only with due care. Prevent accumulation of dirt in the brake mechanisms, and wash them after
driving in deep mud.
If one of the brake circuits fails, braking of the car will be ensured by the other. The trouble,
however, results in longer travel of the brake pedal and lower braking efficiency; at the first
instant that even may be taken for complete failure of the brakes. Do not release the brake
pedal in this case nor depress it repeatedly, since that will only result in lengthening the
braking time and distance; instead, press the pedal until the maximum possible braking effect is
attained.
With the engine inoperative, never leave the ignition turned on, as this will discharge the
storage battery and damage the ignition system units.
To ensure normal functioning of the lighting and signalling systems, make use of the electric
bulbs specified in Appendix 1.
To prevent damage to the alternator rectifier, proceed as follows:
• When installing the storage battery on the car, see to it that the wires are connected in
compliance with the polarity signs stamped on the wire clamps and battery terminals (the
positive terminal is larger then the negative one). The storage battery must be connected to
terminal "30" of the alternator only by the positive wire (wire lug marked " + ");
• When the storage battery installed in the car is being slave charged from an external source,
be sure that the battery is disconnected from the alternator; do not check the alternator
serviceability by short-circuiting its terminal "30" to the ground or to terminal "67" (to
check for sparking);
• Do not operate the alternator unless its terminal "30" is connected to the battery.
The car is equipped with an ignition coil that has no series resistor. Therefore, do not short-
circuit its terminals to facilitate starting the engine with the starting crank, as it will damage the
moving contact spring of the ignition distributor breaker and ruin the ignition switch contact
block.