Which engine to choose for a used Renault Logan and Sandero.

There are many budget Renault cars on the secondary market in Ukraine — the first generation Logan (sedan) and Sandero (hatchback), built on a common chassis. Buyers should be aware of the potential problems that can arise with the engines of these first-generation models for an informed choice of vehicle.

This is reported by the Auto World portal.

K7J 1.4 Engine

The engine has a simple design: eight valves, multipoint fuel injection, iron block. The standard fuel is A-92 gasoline, but power is often insufficient for overtaking on the highway.

The main problem is the ignition coil, which sometimes cracks, absorbs moisture, and causes failures. Although the coil has been upgraded, the problem has not been completely resolved. Periodic oil and coolant leaks and unstable idle RPM caused by throttle and injector contamination are also observed. However, this is a common ailment of many other engines.

The timing belt should be replaced along with the pump every 60,000 km.

K7M 1.6 Engine

The engine is structurally similar to the previous one, and some parts are interchangeable: eight valves, iron block. It is also easy to repair and undemanding regarding fuel and oil quality. There are many examples where owners only changed the piston rings after 400,000 km and drove up to 600,000 km using only A-92.

The ignition coil, common for all cylinders, cracks over the years. There are issues with the thermostat and the leaking heat exchanger, as well as the poorly designed oil separator. The oil filter is inconveniently placed, as the generator obstructs its replacement. The timing belt should be replaced along with the pump before 80,000 km, but no one is insured against sudden breakage.

The engine has a rather high fuel consumption — up to 12 l/100 km in the city.

K4M 1.6 Engine

The old iron block of the previous K7M engine has been paired with a new head with two camshafts and 16 valves. Hydraulic compensators have been introduced, and the ignition coils have become individual. The engine is designed for A-95 gasoline.

The main drawbacks: the coils can have drying insulation rubbers, oil and coolant leaks can occur, and the water pump or tensioner roller can seize. The crankshaft position sensor often malfunctions, and air may be sucked in through the intake manifold. However, with normal maintenance, the engine can easily cover 500,000 km.

Transmissions

In 2009, a 4-speed hydraulic automatic DP2 appeared in Logan/Sandero combined with the K4M engine, but there are few such cars on the secondary market. The automatic is not a model of reliability, but it can manage 250,000 km. Nevertheless, such a purchase threatens gearbox replacement. Although it is structurally simple and its repair has been mastered everywhere.

This also applies to the simple mechanical boxes JH1 and JH3, which can travel without issues for 250,000-300,000 km.