Engine Opel A16LET

The 1.6-liter turbo engine Opel A16LET or LLU was assembled from 2008 to 2013 in Hungary and installed on charged modifications of such popular models as Astra and Insignia. There are other versions in terms of power: A16LEL, A16LER and A16LES.

The A10 line includes: A12XER, A14XER, A14NET, A16XER, A16XHT and A18XER.

In 2008, as part of the third generation of GM Family 1 units, the LLU turbo engine made its debut, created for charged European models of the concern and known under the A16LET index. Structurally, there is a distributed injection, a cast-iron block with a closed cooling jacket, an aluminum 16-valve head not equipped with hydraulic lifters, a timing belt drive, a DCVCP-type phase control system on the intake and exhaust shafts, and a BorgWarner K03 turbine.

This engine is essentially the successor to the similar Z16LET turbo engine from Astra H and belongs to a whole line of supercharged power units, which also includes engines: A16LEL for 150 hp / 210 Nm, A16LER for 192 hp / 230 (266) Nm and A16LES at 209 hp / 250 (280) Nm.

The engine was installed on:

  • Opel Astra J (P10) in 2009 – 2012;
  • Opel Insignia A (G09) in 2008 – 2013.

Specifications

Production years 2008-2013
Displacement, cc 1598
Fuel system distributed injection
Power output, hp 180
Torque output, Nm 230
Cylinder block cast iron R4
Block head aluminum 16v
Cylinder bore, mm 79
Piston stroke, mm 81.5
Compression ratio 8.8
Hydraulic lifters no
Timing drive belt
Phase regulator DCVCP
Turbocharging BorgWarner K03
Recommended engine oil 5W-30, 5W-40
Engine oil capacity, liter 4.5
Fuel type petrol
Euro standards EURO 5
Fuel consumption, L/100 km (for Opel Astra 2010)
— city
— highway
— combined
10.3
5.9
7.5
Engine lifespan, km ~200 000
Weight, kg 130

Disadvantages of the A16LET engine

  • The most famous problem with this engine is the destruction of the piston of the 4th cylinder and the reason may be the quality of the pistons, detonation due to poor fuel and insufficient cooling of the rear of the cylinder block, however there is no exact answer.
  • This engine has short-lived plastic pipes that constantly burst and unaccounted for air interferes with the operation of the flow meter and leads to unstable engine operation. Coolant pipes often crack and strong leaks appear.
  • The BorgWarner K03 turbocharger is quite reliable and has a very long resource, but it is often let down by an electrovacuum wastegate control valve, as well as a constantly bursting membrane in the bypass valve itself.
  • Other weak points of the motor include an unreliable ECU in which soldering is destroyed, an ever-cracking ignition module, a current heat exchanger, and a delicate crankcase ventilation membrane. Also here, the cylinder head gasket often breaks between the cylinders and a gas flow occurs.

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