The MK Cross is based on the Toyota Vios, the Japanese version of the Yaris. The mid-mounted instrumentation interior and powertrain are also replicated by Toyota.
One of the closest "ideological" competitors of "Cross" is Sandero Stepway, the same fake body kit, roof rails, increased ground clearance, etc. True, if the Stepway arches are covered with matte plastic, then there is easily scratched chrome on flimsy fasteners, the clearance of our car is 175 mm. Nevertheless, the exterior design of the MK Cross is quite successful, without controversial details. What can not be said about the interior decoration. The price of the car is 389 thousand rubles, for a surcharge of 30 thousand you will get a leather interior and an electric sunroof.
In our maximum version, the MK Cross is equipped with a sunroof and leather interior. The latter may be more practical only if you are transporting small children or animals - it will be easier to clean the upholstery after them. The rest is more of a minus. Rough finish already with our run of several thousand km began to bubble. Frosts have not yet come, and sitting on an icy seat is very unpleasant; unfortunately, there is no seat heating here.
If the driver's door slams shut without difficulty, then the passenger door has to be applied from the heart - none of my companions could close the door the first time. Judging by the reviews on the Internet, many people have a similar problem.
When you open the door, even with the engine turned off, Geely carefully turns on the emergency gang. The car wash for a long time could not understand why I turned it on in the box. Another point that even scared me a little the first time was the horn triggering if you start moving with the door unlocked. It seems to me that it would be more logical to make a beeper inside the car, and not outside ... But inside the riders are not distracted even by the voice acting of the turn signal relay, as if it does not exist. Another originality is the only windshield washer nozzle in the center of the hood.
Previously, MK was equipped with pointer devices, in our version they are completely digital, albeit with primitive graphics. Moreover, the panel itself is recessed deep into the bowels of the console and its indicators are visible only to the driver. In principle, everything is displayed quite clearly, but I'm more of a supporter of pointer instruments, especially when it comes to a tachometer or fuel gauge. It's a bit crowded behind the wheel, especially if the passenger on the right claims to have an armrest. In this case, when switching, you constantly touch it with your elbow.
Rearward visibility is concealed by wide pillars. Narrow exterior mirrors make you turn your head every time you change lanes. When parking, parking sensors would help out, but the care of installing it should fall on the buyer.
The rear seats are surprisingly spacious, but only for the knees. The head props up the ceiling, even if you are not a heroic growth, and this is especially noticeable in the presence of a hatch. The trunk is small, you can’t fit a stroller here, and you can unlock it only from the outside with a key, and the flimsy slamming handle on our car was broken by someone before us.
On the go, the MK Cross performed well. The suspension successfully copes with the pits, but the work of the shock absorbers (especially on the rebound) leaves much to be desired - noisy and shaky. The brakes didn't impress, perhaps because of the Dunlop Graspic winter tires. The steering wheel does not return to “zero” very willingly, you have to help in sharp turns.
The motor copes well with its duties, spinning briskly, but too loud. The clarity of gear shifting caused criticism, the gears are stuck especially tight on an unheated car, sometimes it was possible to turn on the rear only through a double clutch release. I also noted a strange glitch: at the moment of gear shifting, when the clutch was pressed, the speed suddenly increased ...
On the tested car, the odometer was less than 10 thousand and at the same time rust was visible from under the door sills. Rummaging around on the forum, I noted that other owners also complain about poor corrosion resistance. Geely MK Cross owners also complain about expensive spare parts and fragile but expensive bumpers:
Six months after I bought the VW B4 fucked me in the ass. At least he had a little deformed bumper, and my Chinese full rear *****. The service tried to pull it out, the metal just breaks.
In general, despite the affordable initial price, maintenance costs a pretty penny, our colleague described back in 2009 how much maintenance of a Geely MK car costs. Of course, there are non-original parts, if such an expression is applicable to a Chinese manufacturer. Perhaps the new sedan from Geely - Emgrand will be more modern and technologically advanced.
Geely Mk Cross entered the Russian market in 2011. Assembly with welding and body painting was organized in Cherkessk at the Derways plant. At the end of 2015, the production of the model was discontinued, and the remains were sold out in the spring of 2016.
MK Cross is a raised version of the Geely MK2 hatchback. Both cars are built on the same platform with the Geely MK sedan, which is based on the first generation Toyota Yaris / Vios technologies (1999-2005). The pseudo-crossover is distinguished by an increased ground clearance of up to 175 mm, a fake body kit, moldings on the doors and roof rails.
MK Cross was offered in two trim levels. The basic Comfort version had two airbags, air conditioning, power steering, 4 electric windows, electric and heated mirrors, ABS and EBD. The more advanced Luxury was complemented by an electric sunroof and a "leather interior". Seat heating, unfortunately, was not provided in any of the configurations.
In crash tests according to ANCAP (Australia and New Zealand), the MK hatchback earned three stars, scoring 8.4 points out of 16 possible.
Engines
Geely MK Cross was equipped with only one engine - a 1.5-liter gasoline aspirated engine with a power of 94 hp. The engine is a licensed copy of the 5A-FE developed by Toyota.
The gas distribution mechanism is driven by a toothed belt, which is recommended to be changed every 60,000 km (1.5-2 thousand rubles with work).
The same interval should be observed between adjustments of the valve clearance, otherwise the valves may burn out (more often it tightens the intake). The gaps are adjusted using pushers (cups). The cost of the procedure in the service is about 7,000 rubles.
In cars assembled before 2013 and running over 50-100 thousand km, there is an increase in oil consumption over 1 liter per 1,000 km. In some cases, it is possible to get rid of the disease after replacing the valve stem seals (5000-8000 rubles). But sometimes the occurrence and wear of oil scraper rings is found (15-20 thousand rubles with work). In advanced cases, even wear of the cylinder walls is possible. Under these circumstances, you will have to sleeve or change the engine (30-60 thousand rubles). The problem of oil burn and wear of rings rarely affects the 2013 MK Cross and is not seen among younger cars of the 14th and 15th years.
On the first 100,000 kilometers, a leaky radiator (2,000 rubles), a failed gas pump (1,000 rubles) and a rear engine mount (from 400 rubles) often require replacement. A pump (1,500 rubles) and a thermostat (1,000 rubles) can give up after 100-150 thousand km.
Transmission
In conjunction with the engine worked only 5-speed mechanics. Clutch resource over 60-100 thousand km. To replace it, the box has to be removed. The cost of a new clutch kit is 4-5 thousand rubles, and the cost of work is 3-6 thousand rubles.
Unfortunately, manual transmission may require repair after 50-100 thousand km. There is noise, hum, or poor gear shifting. As a rule, only bearings have to be changed (about 10,000 rubles). If the bearings fall apart, then the gears will be destroyed, and the housing may also break. In this case, you will have to look for a used box (10-30 thousand rubles). A new manual transmission is more expensive than 40,000 rubles.
Sometimes it is possible to get rid of noise after tightening the output shaft bearing. This is done through a special hatch located on the box body on the left wheel side.
Chassis
McPherson struts are installed on the front axle, and a torsion beam on the rear axle. The Geely MK Cross suspension is almost completely identical to the MK sedan. Only the front springs and shock absorbers differ (the platform for the spring is located higher).
Running gear elements do not shine with durability. Stabilizer struts and bushings are the fastest to surrender. On a segment of 50-100 thousand km, the front levers (1,000 rubles) and front wheel bearings (from 500 rubles) become unusable. In addition, front shock absorbers and thrust bearings may be covered (3,000 rubles each for a high-quality analogue), or external CV joints begin to crackle (from 1,000 rubles).
The front brake mechanisms require regular maintenance - the caliper guides turn sour rather quickly.
Other problems and malfunctions
Unfortunately, the MK Cross body metal has poor corrosion resistance. The first rust begins to appear from under the plastic door sills after 3-4 years. Rust spots soon show up on the hood, doors, roof, rear wheel arches and under the headlights on the fenders.
Often the electric heating of mirrors fails (200-500 rubles for a mirror element). There are also problems with the electronic instrument panel - the indication disappears. Tidy comes to life after soldering the board.
The generator can also become ill: the voltage regulator fails, or the brushes wear out.
There are difficulties with the stove motor (3,000 rubles) or its rheostat (900 rubles).
The heater radiator may leak or become clogged with sludge after 50-100 thousand km. Toyota analogue is available for 2,000 rubles. The replacement process is labor intensive. To access the radiator, you need to disassemble the front panel. For work in the service they will ask about 5,000 rubles.
From time to time, the cables for adjusting the air flow and the stove tap fly off.
Conclusion
The quality of Geely MK Cross in some places let us down a little. Fortunately, there are a lot of inexpensive substitutes of Chinese origin on the market. True, they have an even shorter resource compared to the original installed at the factory. At the same time, new original parts have a very affordable price tag. However, in order not to engage in repairs again soon, it is better to use better analogues. Although they are more expensive, they will save time and nerves.
Geely MK / Cross. Increased oil consumption in the engine
| List of possible malfunctions | Diagnostics | Elimination Methods |
|---|---|---|
| Oil leakage through: crankshaft and camshaft seals; gaskets of the oil pan, cylinder head; oil pressure sensor; oil filter sealing ring | Wash the engine, then after a short run inspect for possible leaks | Tighten the fastening elements of the cylinder head, cylinder head cover, oil pan, replace worn oil seals and gaskets |
| Wear, loss of elasticity of oil seals (valve seals). Wear of valve stems, guide bushings | Inspection of parts when disassembling the engine | Replace worn parts |
| Wear, breakage or coking (loss of mobility) of piston rings. Wear of pistons, cylinders | Inspection and measurement of parts after engine disassembly | Replace worn pistons and rings. Boring and honing cylinders |
| Use of oil of the wrong viscosity | - | Change oil |
| Clogged crankcase ventilation system | Inspection | Clean the ventilation system |
Reasons for high oil consumption
In the engine of any vehicle, lubricants one way or another are consumed without a trace over time. This is explained by the inevitable entry of these funds into the combustion chamber from the cylinder walls, with crankcase gases or through valve stems. Oil consumption depends on the design features of the vehicle.
Oil consumption rate
In traditional engines, the consumption level should be between 0.1 and 0.3% of the total fuel consumption. If the fuel consumption is 10 liters, then the optimal level of lubricant consumption will be 10-30 grams of oil per 100 km of track. Thus, it is quite acceptable if the consumption does not exceed 3 liters per 10 thousand kilometers.
For boosted turbo engines, especially those with multiple turbines, the allowable oil consumption level will already be from 0.8 to 3% of fuel consumption. This oil consumption depends on the speed at which the engine is running most of the time. The more revolutions are made, the more fuel and oil consumption is observed. Each car owner can independently determine what constitutes increased oil consumption for his car.
Incorrectly selected engine oil viscosity and internal leaks as the causes of oil burnout.
Often, the fact of increased oil consumption may be due to the following reasons:
External leakage, which refers to leakage through seals and gaskets;
internal oil leakage, which is called waste.
A leak of any kind must be repaired as soon as possible, as this is a safety issue.
External leaks. What are they and what can you do to find them?
An external leak is usually easily identified by drops of oil under the vehicle.
Sources of external leakage:
Valve cover gasket. This type of leak is one of the most common. The upper part of the engine is one of the hottest parts of the engine, and the gasket materials age quite quickly. In addition, the valve mechanism is often disassembled during repair work. Removing and reinstalling the valve cover has an extremely negative effect on the durability of the gaskets. The head gasket rarely leaks.
Tray lining. It rarely leaks, usually due to loose fasteners and aging gaskets, but this type of leak is one of the most difficult to fix, since on some vehicles the engine itself must be removed to remove the sump.
Front cover gasket. A rare type of leak, but also unpleasant due to the tightness in the engine compartment of modern car models. This fact causes certain difficulties when replacing the gasket.
Oil seals. Leakage can also occur through oil seals: front and rear crankshaft, camshaft oil seal. Oil seals begin to leak oil from their natural wear. If the mileage of the car exceeds 150,000 km, then the oil seals should be given special attention. The front oil seal can throw oil on the timing belt. The rear oil seal leads to clutch oiling. Both of these are unacceptable. In the event of a leak at the junction of the engine and gearbox, the question arises of where exactly the leak comes from, entailing such a huge number of problems. Determining this is quite simple: you need to take a drop of leaked oil and apply it to the surface of the water. If the drop spreads like an iridescent film over the surface, then the gearbox is leaking.
Oil filter seal. The cartridge type filter gasket can pierce, especially when starting the engine at low temperatures. There can be two reasons: either the poor quality of the filter, or a malfunction of the oil line bypass valve.
There is also one rare case - a simultaneous small leak from all oil seals and engine connections. This is often the reason why the engine literally "sweats", causing oil to leak in huge quantities.
In this case, the leakage is not related to the quality of the seals. This indicates too high pressure crankcase gases. The reason for this pressure lies in the condition of the internal parts of the engine. The increased pressure of crankcase gases is determined by active smoke from the crankcase ventilation tube. This problem is eliminated by cleaning the crankcase ventilation system or, in advanced cases, by overhauling damaged engines.
It is believed that too thin or too thick an oil level causes the oil film formed by the oil scraper ring to be too thin or too thick.
A film that is too thin seals the combustion chamber poorly, causing oil droplets to break through into the combustion chamber along with crankcase gases. The oil burns - hence the unreasonably increased consumption level arises. Too high viscosity causes the piston rings to “float” and also contributes to too high flow rates. Contamination of the fuel system contributes to a decrease in the viscosity of engine oil; in this case, the fuel enters the oil along the walls of the cylinder, and the resulting mixture actively burns out, causing more consumption than necessary.
Internal leakage due to valve stem seals
The most common types of internal engine oil leaks are leaks through valve seals, that is, valve stem seals.
Valve stem seals lose their elasticity over time and temperature, harden, wear out and crack.
Worn valve bushings allow the valves to wobble and further break the valve seals. The oil, overcoming the weak resistance of the stuffing box, flows down the valve and enters the combustion chamber. You can diagnose the problem by powerful smoke when starting the engine - on a warm engine and when driving, the smoke is weaker.
Also a sign of wear on valve stem seals is oily spark plug threads.
Consider such a cause of leakage as internal leakage due to compression and oil scraper rings. Leaks through the rings are due to wear, or loss of mobility (coking), or due to wear / destruction of the piston ring grooves, or scuffing on the cylinder walls.
Burnout through the rings is accompanied by smoke in the engine. Blue or gray smoke with a characteristic smell comes out of the exhaust pipe. It becomes especially noticeable under load when accumulating or releasing gas. On vehicles with current-generation catalysts, the smoke may not be noticeable, as the catalyst has time to burn off the remaining oils.
What happens if excessive oil consumption is not eliminated?
In a number of cases of consumption that goes beyond the normalized limits, the engine experiences a lack of lubricant, which can be one of the reasons for severe contamination of the oil system, which can provoke high oil consumption and significantly cripple your car. Loss of lubrication leads to a drop in oil pressure, accelerated wear, a sharp reduction in resource and engine failure. Rebuilding or replacing an engine is very expensive, so overconsumption of lubricants must be addressed as early as possible if a problem occurs if you don't want to splurge on a new engine.
Why is addressing the problem of high consumption so important?
It should be said right away that with high engine wear and a large leakage of lubricant, you will need to repair the engine. But very often, especially when the problem has just begun to manifest itself, there are simpler, and most importantly, inexpensive ways to solve problems that cause oil to be used incorrectly.
If something is wrong with the Geely MK Cross, then the “Check-Engene” does not go out, or it lights up again after a while. It can also blink, which clearly indicates a serious malfunction. This indicator will not tell the owner of Geely what exactly the problem is, he draws attention to the fact that engine diagnostics of Geely MK Cross is required.
Since all foreign cars, not excluding the Geely MK Cross, are tightly tied to electronics, A huge number of sensors monitor the operation of the car. Therefore, the diagnosis of the Geely MK Cross engine is, by and large, a check of the most important unit of the machine, with the exception of the suspension, which is checked mechanically.
There is a large number of specialized equipment for diagnosing the Geely MK Cross engine. There are compact and fairly versatile scanners that not only professionals can afford. But there are times when conventional portable scanners do not detect malfunctions in the operation of the Geely MK Cross engine, then diagnostics must be carried out exclusively by licensed software and a scanner from Geely.
Geely diagnostic scanner shows:
- Throttle opening value in percent;
- Engine speed in rpm;
- Geely MK Cross engine temperature;
- Voltage in the on-board network Geely MK Cross;
- The temperature of the air drawn into the engine;
- Geely MK Cross ignition timing;
- Injector fuel injection time. Displayed in milliseconds;
- Geely MK Cross air flow sensor readings;
- Geely MK Cross oxygen sensor readings;
1. To diagnose the Geely MK Cross engine, first of all, the engine compartment is visually inspected. On a serviceable engine, there should not be any smudges of technical fluids, be it oil, coolant, brake fluid. In general, it is important to periodically clean the Geely MK Cross engine from dust, sand, dirt, this is necessary not only for aesthetics, but also for normal heat dissipation!
2. Checking the level and condition of the oil in the Geely MK Cross engine, the second step of testing. To do this, you need to pull out the dipstick, as well as look at the oil by unscrewing the filler cap. If the oil is black, and even worse black and thick, then this indicates that the oil has been changed for a long time.
If there is a white emulsion on the filler cap or if the oil is visible foaming, then this may indicate that water or coolant has entered the oil.
3. Checking spark plugs Geely MK Cross. Remove all spark plugs from the engine, they can be checked one by one. They must be dry. If the candles are covered with a slight layer of yellowish or light brown soot, then you should not worry, such soot is quite a normal and acceptable phenomenon, it does not affect the work.
If there are traces of liquid oil on the Geely MK Cross candles, then most likely the piston rings or valve stem seals will have to be replaced. Black soot indicates a re-enriched fuel mixture. The reason is the improper operation of the Geely fuel system, or an overly clogged air filter. The main symptom will be increased fuel consumption.
Red plaque on candles Geely MK Cross is formed due to low-quality gasoline, which contains a large amount of metal particles (for example, manganese, which increases the octane number of fuel). Such a plaque conducts current well, which means that with a significant layer of this plaque, the current will flow through it without forming a spark.
4. The Geely MK Cross ignition coil fails infrequently, most often this happens due to old age, the insulation is damaged and a short circuit occurs. It is better to change coils in accordance with the mileage according to the regulations. But sometimes a breakdown is caused by bad candles or broken high-voltage wires. To check the Geely coil, it must be removed.
After removal, you need to make sure that the insulation is intact, there should not be black spots or cracks. Next, a multimeter should go into action, if the coil is burned out, then the device will show the maximum possible value. You should not check the Geely MK Cross coil with the old-fashioned method for the presence of a spark between the candles and the metal part of the car. This method takes place in old cars, while on the Geely MK Cross, due to such manipulations, not only the coil, but also the entire electrics of the car can burn out.
5. Is it possible to diagnose an engine malfunction by the smoke from the Geely MK Cross exhaust pipe? An exhaust can tell a lot about the condition of an engine. From a serviceable car in the warm season, thick or blue-gray smoke should not be visible at all.
If white smoke is visible, then this may indicate a burnt gasket or leaks in the Geely MK Cross cooling system. If the smoke is black, then at best these are problems due to the over-enriched fuel mixture. At worst - problems with the piston group.
If the smoke has a bluish tint, then this indicates that the Geely MK Cross engine is consuming oil. In the best case, the valve stem seals will need to be replaced, in the worst case, the piston group will need to be repaired. All this cinder heavily clogs and reduces the life of the Geely MK Cross catalyst, which cannot cope with the purification of such impurities.
6. Diagnostics of the Geely MK Cross engine by sound. Sound is a gap, that's what the theory of mechanics says. There are gaps in almost all movable joints. This small gap contains an oil film that prevents the parts from touching. But over time, the gap expands, the oil film can no longer be distributed evenly, friction occurs on the parts of the Geely MK Cross motor, as a result of which very intense wear begins.
Each node in the Geely MK Cross engine has a specific sound:
- A loud, frequent sound heard at all engine speeds indicates the need to adjust the valves;
- A smooth knock, which does not depend on the speed, is caused by the valve-distributing mechanism, which indicates the wear of its elements;
- A distinct short knock, increasing at higher speeds, warns of the imminent end of the connecting rod bearing.
7. Diagnostics of the engine cooling system Geely MK Cross. With the correct operation of the cooling system and sufficient heat dissipation, after starting the engine, the liquid circulates only in a small circle through the stove radiator, which contributes to the rapid heating of both the engine itself and the Geely MK Cross interior in the cold season.
When the normal operating temperature of the Geely MK Cross engine is reached (about 60-80 degrees), the valve opens slightly for a large circle, i.e. the liquid partially flows into the radiator, where it gives off heat through it. If a critical mark of 100 degrees is reached, the Geely MK Cross thermostat opens to the full, and the entire volume of liquid passes through the radiator.
At the same time, the Geely MK Cross radiator fan is turned on, it contributes to a better blowing of hot air between the radiator cells. Overheating can damage the engine and require costly repairs.
8. Typical malfunctions of the Geely MK Cross cooling system. If the fan does not work when the critical temperature is reached, then first of all it is necessary to check the fuse, then the Geely MK Cross fan itself and the integrity of the wires to it are examined. But the problem may turn out to be more global, the temperature sensor (thermostat) may have failed.
The operability of the Geely MK Cross thermostat is checked as follows: the motor is preheated, a hand is applied to the bottom of the thermostat, if it is hot, then it is working.
More serious problems may arise: the pump fails, the Geely MK Cross radiator leaks or becomes clogged, the valve in the filler cap breaks. If problems arose after replacing the coolant, then most likely the air lock is to blame.
