What you should pay attention to when choosing an Ulyanovsk “merchant” with mileage. What difficulties might its buyers face?
The UAZ Profi, which was released in 2017 at the ComTrans exhibition in Moscow and then put into mass production , is built on a Patriot SUV frame extended by 50 cm and reinforced with additional cross members . The Ulyanovsk “Kommersant” is found with both single-row and double-row cabs, with rear or all-wheel drive, as well as with a variety of superstructures: from an awning and a refrigerator to a manufactured goods van and an onboard platform.
Today, this direct competitor of GAZelle will cost at least 600,000 rubles in the secondary market. They ask so much for copies of the first years of production with mileage from 50,000 to 160,000 km. But is it worth it to take such a used UAZ, which, according to the reviews of its owners, does not impress with the build quality, reliability and economy? Let’s tell you what you should pay attention to when choosing a “Pro” with mileage.
How to choose a UAZ “Profi” with mileage?
Rough welds and poor quality of painting body parts are common for UAZs . Pro is no exception. Therefore, traces of corrosion may appear on the metal of very fresh cars that have not been in an accident. Most of all “saffron mushrooms” can be found on the frame, loading platform and in the attachment points of the units.
The reason for the tripling of a 150-horsepower 2.7 ZMZ PRO gasoline engine in the first years of production is often not candles and coils, but the cylinder head. Her saddles sag, guides collapse, valve plates crack or burn out. Yes, and gasket breakdowns are not uncommon even on short runs. The problem is solved by an expensive replacement of the part.
Drops of oil gathering near the lower chain tensioner are a signal to the owner about the need to replace the penny gasket of the timing cover. It rarely retains elasticity and provides tightness for more than 50,000 km. The pipes of the cooling system hold about twice as much. Then they begin to crack one by one, requiring renewal.
Even an UAZ is not ashamed to be rear-wheel drive, when it is more important not to get deeper, but to take away moreUAZ “Profi” is voracious. Therefore, many buyers are attracted by the factory dual-fuel version, which runs on propane-butane. It is desirable to choose one with a more recent year of manufacture. Before the 2018-2019 update, the engines of such machines suffered from burnout of valves and broken seats, requiring repair of the cylinder head by 100,000 km.
The non-alternative Korean “mechanics” of the Chinese assembly of the UAZ “Profi” is the same as that of the “Patriot” and “Pickup”. But she serves less on the “commercial”. For example, the release bearing for some runs from 20,000 km, for others up to 50,000 km. The UAZ razdatka is true to its traditions – oil seals leak, and bearings fall apart over time. The steering tips cannot boast of reliability, and the all-wheel drive versions also have front axle oil seals.
So is it worth taking a UAZ “Profi” with mileage, looking for an inexpensive and unpretentious “workhorse”? How to choose a used UAZ Profi and what should you pay attention to when inspecting it? What sores of the model can be encountered and which versions should be abandoned? You will find out the answers to these and other questions by watching the video of the Auto Plus channel, dedicated to the peculiarities of choosing a used UAZ Profi.
