SMART FORTWO COUPE 2008 Owners Manual

Winter driving
210
>> Operation
!
If snow chains that do not meet require

ments are mounted, they may scrape against
the body or axle components when the vehicle
is in motion. This could result in damage to the
rim/tire or vehicle.G
Warning!
The vehicle’s handling changes when
driving with snow chains on any kind of
road surface. This means that you should
always adapt your driving style to suit the
current road and weather conditions.

Driving instructions
>> Operation
211 Drinking and driving Pedals Power assistance
G
Warning!
Do not drink alcohol or take drugs and
drive or allow anyone to drive who has
been drinking alcohol or taking drugs.
Even a small amount of alcohol or drugs
can affect your reflexes, perceptions and
judgment.
The possibility of a serious or even fatal
accident greatly increased when you
drink or take drugs and drive.
G
Warning!
Make sure that absolutely no objects are
obstructing the pedals’ range of move

ment. Keep the driver’s footwell clear of
all obstacles. If there are any floormats
or carpets in the footwell, make sure that
the pedals still have sufficient clearance.
During sudden driving or braking maneu

vers, the objects could get caught be

tween or beneath the pedals and restrict
your ability to brake or accelerate. This
could lead to accidents and injury.
G
Warning!
Without the engine running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and the
steering* systems. In this case, it is im

portant to keep in mind that a consider

ably higher degree of effort is necessary
to brake and steer the vehicle.

Driving instructions
212
>> Operation
BrakesRefer to the description of the hydraulic
brake assistant (

page 75).
!
Because the ESP
® operates automatically,
the engine must be shut off (key in starter
switch position0) when
• the parking brake is being tested on a
brake test dynamometer
• the vehicle is being towed with the front
axle raised
Active braking action through the
ESP
® may
otherwise seriously damage the brake system
which is not covered by the smart Limited
Warranty.Brake pad wear or a leak in the brake system
may be the reason for low brake fluid level in
the brake fluid reservoir.
The brake fluid level in the brake fluid
reservoir may be too low if the brake warning
lamp in the instrument cluster comes on
(

page 34) although the parking brake is
released.
Have the brake system inspected immediately.
Contact an authorized smart center.
All checks and service work on the brake
system should be carried out by qualified
technicians only. Contact an authorized smart
center.
Only install brake pads and use brake fluid
recommended by smart.Inclines
!
When driving down long and steep grades,
relieve the load on the brakes by shifting into
a lower gear to use the engine’s braking
power. This helps prevent overheating of the
brakes and reduces brake pad wear.
When using the engine’s braking power, a
drive wheel may not spin for an extended pe

riod of time, e.g. on slippery road surfaces.
This may cause serious damage to the drive

train which is not covered by the smart
Limited Warranty.
G
Warning!
Make sure not to endanger any other
road users when carrying out braking
maneuvers.

Driving instructions
>> Operation
213
High and low stresses
After hard braking, it is advisable to drive on
for some time, rather than immediately park,
so that the air stream will cool down the
brakes faster.
If your brake system is normally only
subjected to moderate loads, you should
occasionally test the effectiveness of the
brakes by applying above
normal braking
pressure at higher speeds. This will also
enhance the grip of the brake pads.Wet road surfaceTo help prevent brake disk corrosion after
driving on wet road surfaces (particularly
salted roads), it is advisable to brake the
vehicle with considerable force prior to park

ing. The heat generated serves to dry the
brakes.
Limited braking effect on salted roads
Remember that the effect of the brakes can be
limited on salted road surfaces. A layer of salt
can form on brake disks and brake pads, con

siderably reducing the friction between the
brake disk and the brake pad. The effect is
most noticeable after long trips without brak

ing, e.g. on the highway, and after the vehicle
has been parked for several hours.G
Warning!
Resting your foot on the brake pedal will
cause excessive and premature wear of
the brake pads.
It can also result in the brakes overheat

ing, thereby significantly reducing their
effectiveness and your ability to stop the
vehicle in sufficient time to avoid an ac

cident.
G
Warning!
Make sure not to endanger any other
road users when carrying out these
braking maneuvers.G
Warning!
After driving in heavy rain for some time
without applying the brakes or through
water deep enough to wet brake compo

nents, the first braking action may be
somewhat reduced and increased pedal
pressure may be necessary to obtain
expected braking effect. Maintain a safe
distance from vehicles in front.
G
Warning!
Make sure not to endanger any other
road users when carrying out these
braking maneuvers.

Driving instructions
214
>> OperationNew brake pads
Only install brake pads recommended by
smart.
G
Warning!
The accumulation of salt on break disks
and brake pads reduces braking effec

tiveness and increases the distance nec

essary to come to a complete. This could
potentially cause an accident and/or
personal injury.
To avoid this risk, you should
• brake carefully every now and then on
salted roads in order to remove any
layer of salt on the brake disk and
brake pad, but do so without endanger

ing any other road users.
• keep a good safe distance from the
vehicle in front and drive carefully.
• press the brake carefully at the end of
the trip and again when beginning the
next trip in order to remove any salt
residues from the brake disk.
G
Warning!
If other than recommended brake pads
are installed, or other than recommended
brake fluid is used, the braking proper

ties of the vehicle can be degraded to an
extent that safe braking is substantially
impaired. This could result in an acci

dent.
G
Warning!
New brake pads will not achieve their
optimal braking effect until after several
hundred miles (kilometers). This means
that you must compensate for the re

duced braking effect by pressing harder
on the brake pedal and adapt your driv

ing style accordingly. The same applies
after brake pads or brake disks have
been changed.

Driving instructions
>> Operation
215 Drive sensibly
save fuel
Fuel consumption, to a great extent, depends
on driving habits and operating conditions.
To save fuel you should:
• Shift gears in a timely manner.
• Avoid frequent acceleration and decelera

tion.
• Keep tires at the recommended inflation
pressures.
• Remove carriers* when not in use.
• Remove unnecessary loads.
• Allow engine to warm up under low load use.
• Have all maintenance work performed at the
intervals specified in the Maintenance
Booklet and as required by the Maintenance
System. Contact an authorized smart cen

ter.
Fuel consumption is also increased by driving
in cold weather, in stop
and
go traffic, on
short trips, and in hilly areas.
Catalytic converterYour smart is equipped with monolithic
type
catalytic converter, an important element in
conjunction with the oxygen sensors to
achieve substantial control of the pollutants
in the exhaust emissions. Keep your vehicle in
proper operating condition by following our
recommended maintenance instructions as
outlined in your Maintenance Booklet.
G
Warning
The catalytic converter can become very
hot. Coming into contact with the catalytic
converter could result in burns.
Note the following:
• Do not remove the protective heat
guards.
• Do not apply any underseal.
• As with any vehicle, do not idle, park, or
operate this vehicle in areas where
combustible materials such as grass,
hay, or leaves can come into contact
with the hot exhaust system, as these
materials could be ignited and cause a
vehicle fire.

Driving instructions
216
>> Operation
!
To prevent damage to the catalytic
converter, only use premium unleaded gaso

line in this vehicle.
Any noticeable irregularities in engine oper

ation should be repaired promptly. Otherwise,
excessive unburned fuel may reach the cata

lytic converter, causing it to overheat and
potentially start a fire.
It is essential to observe the following points,
as there is otherwise a danger of overheating
and the catalytic converter may be damaged.
• Fill up only with premium unleaded gasoline.
Even small quantities of leaded gasoline can
damage the catalytic converter.
• Make sure you adhere to the prescribed
service intervals.
• Never run the fuel tank empty.
• If the engine starts to misfire, bring the ve

hicle to an immediate standstill without en

dangering traffic.
• If the engine fails to start the first time, you
should not try to start it any more than
three times in succession.
• Do not try to start for more than four sec

onds at a time.
TiresTreadwear indicators (TWI) are required by
law. These indicators are located in six places
on the tread circumference and become visi

ble at a tread depth of approximately
1/16in
(1.6 mm), at which point the tire is considered
worn and should be replaced. The treadwear indicator appears as a solid
band across the tread.
Specified tire inflation pressures must be
maintained. This applies particularly if the
tires are subject to high loads (e.g. high
speeds, heavy loads, high ambient tempera

tures).
G
Warning!
If you feel a sudden significant vibration
or ride disturbance, or you suspect that
possible damage to your vehicle has
occurred, you should turn on the hazard
warning flashers, carefully slow down,
and drive with caution to an area which is
a safe distance from the road.
Inspect the tires and the vehicle under

body for possible damage. If the vehicle
or tires appear unsafe, have the vehicle
towed to the nearest smart center or tire
dealer for repairs.
G
Warning!
Although the applicable federal motor
vehicle safety laws consider a tire to be
worn when the treadwear indicators (TWI)
become visible at approximately
1/16in
(1.6 mm), we recommend that you do not
allow your tires to wear down to that
level. As tread depth approaches
1/8in
(3 mm), the adhesion properties on a wet
road are sharply reduced.
Depending upon the weather and/or road
surface (conditions), the tire traction
varies widely.

Driving instructions
>> Operation
217
For more information, see "Tires and wheels"
(
page 182).
HydroplaningDepending on the depth of the water layer on
the road, hydroplaning may occur resulting in
a loss of control, even at low speeds and with
new tires. Reduce vehicle speed, avoid track
grooves in the road and apply brakes cau

tiously when it is raining.
Tire tractionThe safe speed on a wet, snow covered or icy
road is always lower than on a dry road.
You should pay particular attention to the
condition of the road whenever the outside
temperatures are close to the freezing point.smart recommends winter tires
(
page 208)

with a minimum tread depth of approximately 1/6in (4 mm) on all four wheels for the winter
season to ensure normal balanced handling
characteristics. On packed snow, they can
reduce your stopping distance compared to
summer tires.
Stopping distance, however, is still consider

ably greater than when the road is not cov

ered with snow or ice. Exercise appropriate
caution.
!
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an ex

tended period when driving off on slippery
road surfaces. Otherwise, the the drivetrain
c o u l d b e d a m a g e d , w h i c h i s n o t co v e r e d b y t h e
smart Limited Warranty.
G
Warning!
Do not drive with a flat tire. A flat tire will
affect your ability to steer or brake and
may cause you to lose control of the vehi

cle. Continued driving with a flat tire or
driving at high speed with a flat tire will
cause excessive heat build
up and possi

bly a fire.
G
Warning!
If ice has formed on the road, tire trac

tion will be substantially reduced. Under
such weather conditions, drive, steer and
brake with extreme caution.

Driving instructions
218
>> Operation
Tire speed ratingRegardless of the tire speed rating, local
speed limits should be obeyed. Use prudent
driving speeds appropriate to prevailing
conditions.
An electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from exceeding a speed of 90 mph
(145 km/h).The factory equipped tires on your vehicle
may have a tire speed rating above the maxi

mum speed permitted by the electronic speed
limiter.
Make sure your tires have the required tire
speed rating as specified for your vehicle in
t h e " T e c h n i c a l d a t a s e c t i o n " (

page 299), for
example when purchasing new tires.
For information on how to identify the tire
speed rating on a tire’s sidewall, see "Tire
size designation, load and speed rating"
(

page 196)
.
If you are uncertain about the correct read

ing of the information given on a tire’s side

wall, any authorized smart center will be glad
to assist you.i
For information on speed ratings for
winter tires, see "All
season and winter tires
"
(

page 199).
For additional general information on tire
speed markings on tire sidewall, see "Tire
speed rating" (

page 198).
Winter driving instructionsThe most important rule for slippery or icy
roads is to drive sensibly and to avoid abrupt
acceleration, braking and steering maneu

vers.
When the vehicle is in danger of skidding,
move gear selector lever to neutral
positionN. Try to keep the vehicle under
control by corrective steering action.
For information on driving with snow chains*,
see "Snow chains*" (

page 209).
G
Warning!
Even when permitted by law, never oper

ate a vehicle at speeds greater than the
maximum speed rating of the tires.
Exceeding the maximum speed for which
tires are rated can lead to sudden tire
failure, causing loss of vehicle control
and possibly resulting in an accident
and/or personal injury and possible
death, for you and for others.
G
Warning!
On slippery road surfaces, never down

shift in order to obtain braking action.
This could result in drive wheel slip and
reduced vehicle control. Your vehicle’s
ABS will not prevent this type of loss of
control.

Driving instructions
>> Operation
219
Road salts and chemicals can adversely affect
braking efficiency. Increased pedal force may
become necessary to produce the normal
braking effect.
Depressing the brake pedal periodically when
traveling at length on salt
strewn roads can
bring road
salt
impaired braking efficiency
back to normal.
If the vehicle is parked after being driven on
salt
treated roads, the braking efficiency
should be tested as soon as possible after
driving is resumed.For more information, see "Winter driving"
(

page 208).
Standing water!
Do not drive through flooded areas or
water of unknown depth. Before driving
through water, determine its depth. Never
accelerate before driving into water. The bow
wave could force water into the engine and
auxiliary equipment, thus damaging them.
If you must drive through standing water,
drive slowly to prevent water from entering
the passenger compartment, the front com

partment, or the engine compartment. Water
in these areas could cause damage to electri

cal components or wiring of the engine or
transmission, or could result in water being
ingested by the engine through the air intake,
causing severe internal engine damage.
Any such damage is not covered by the smart
Limited Warranty.
G
Warning!
Make sure not to endanger any other
road users when carrying out these
braking maneuvers.
G
Warning!
If the vehicle becomes stuck in snow,
make sure snow is kept clear of the
exhaust pipe and from around the vehicle
with the engine running. Otherwise,
deadly carbon monoxide (CO) gases may
enter vehicle interior resulting in uncon

sciousness and death.
To assure sufficient fresh air ventilation,
open a window slightly on the side of the
vehicle not facing the wind.G
Warning!
The outside temperature display is not
designed to serve as an ice
warning
device and is therefore unsuitable for
that purpose. Indicated temperatures
just above the freezing point do not
guarantee that the road surface is free of
ice.