four wheel drive SMART FORTWO COUPE 2011 Owners Manual

Page 131 of 228

stopping distance, and result in sudden
deflation (blowout) because they are more
likely to become punctured or damaged by
road debris, potholes etc.
Do not overload the tires by exceeding the
specified load limit as indicated on the
Tire and Loading Information placard on
the driver’s door B‑pillar. Overloading the
tires can overheat them, possibly causing
a blowout. Overloading the tires can also
result in handling or steering problems, or
brake failure.
Check the tire inflation pressure at least
once a month.
Check and adjust the tire inflation
pressure when the tires are cold
( Y page 127).
Checking tire inflation pressure
manually
Follow the steps below to achieve correct
tire inflation pressure:
XRemove the cap from the valve on one tire.XFirmly press a tire gauge onto the valve.XRead the tire inflation pressure on tire
gauge and check against the
recommended tire inflation pressure on
the Tire and Loading Information
placard on the driver’s door B‑pillar
( Y page 132). If necessary, add air to
achieve the recommended tire inflation
pressure.XIf you have overfilled the tire, release
tire inflation pressure by pushing the
metal stem of the valve with e.g. a tip of
a pen. Then recheck the tire inflation
pressure with the tire gauge.XInstall the valve cap.XRepeat this procedure for each tire.
Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)*
Your vehicle may be equipped with a Tire
P ressure Monitoring System (TPMS).
It monitors the tire inflation pressure in
all four tires. A warning is issued to alert
you to a decrease in pressure in one or more
of the tires.
The Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS) is equipped with a combination low
tire pressure/TPMS malfunction telltale in
the instrument cluster. Depending on how
the telltale illuminates, it indicates a low
tire pressure condition or a malfunction in
the TPMS system itself:
R If the telltale illuminates continuously,
one or more of your tires is significantly
underinflated. There is no malfunction
in the TPMS.
R If the telltale flashes for 60 seconds and
then stays illuminated, the TPMS system
itself is not operating properly.
The TPMS only functions on wheels that are
equipped with the proper electronic
sensors.GWarning!
The TPMS does not indicate a warning for
wrongly selected inflation pressures.
Always adjust tire inflation pressure
according to the Tire and Loading
Information placard on the driver’s door
B‑pillar.
The TPMS is not able to issue a warning due
to a sudden dramatic loss of pressure (e.g.
tire blowout caused by a foreign object). In
this case bring the vehicle to a halt by
carefully applying the brakes and avoiding
abrupt steering maneuvers.
GWarning!
Each tire should be checked monthly when
cold and inflated to the inflation pressure
recommended by the vehicle manufacturer
on the Tire and Loading Information
placard. If your vehicle has tires of a
different size than the size indicated on
the Tire and Loading Information placard,
you should determine the proper tire
inflation pressure for those tires.
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Restarting the TPMSGWarning!
It is the driver’s responsibility to
calibrate the TPMS on the recommended
cold inflation pressure. Underinflated
tires affect the ability to steer or brake
and might cause you to lose control of the
vehicle.
When you restart the TPMS, the system sets
new reference values for each tire.
The TPMS must be restarted when you have
adjusted the tire inflation pressure to a
new level (e.g. because of different load or
driving conditions). The TPMS is then
recalibrated to the current tire inflation
pressures.
XUsing the Tire and Loading Information
placard on the driver’s door B‑pillar
( Y page 132), make sure the tire
inflation pressure of all four tires is
correct.
i Restart the TPMS after adjusting the
tire inflation pressure to the inflation
pressure recommended for the vehicle
operating condition. Tire pressure
should only be adjusted on cold tires.
Observe the recommended tire inflation
pressure on the Tire and Loading
Information placard on the driver’s door
B‑pillar ( Y page 132).
XPress Restarting TPMS button 0046.
The combination low tire pressure/TPMS
malfunction telltale in the instrument
cluster ( Y page 22) flashes forapproximately 5 seconds and then goes
out.
After driving a few minutes the system
verifies that the current tire inflation
pressures are within the system’s
specified range. Afterwards the current
tire inflation pressures are accepted as
reference pressures and then monitored.
Maximum tire inflation pressure
GWarning!
Never exceed the max. tire inflation
pressure. Follow recommended tire
inflation pressures.
Do not underinflate tires. Underinflated
tires wear excessively and/or unevenly,
adversely affect handling and fuel
economy, and are more likely to fail from
being overheated.
Do not overinflate tires. Overinflated
tires can adversely affect handling and
ride comfort, wear unevenly, increase
stopping distance, and result in sudden
deflation (blowout) because they are more
likely to become punctured or damaged by
road debris, potholes etc.
i For illustration purposes only. Actual
data on tires are specific to each vehicle
and may vary from data shown in above
illustration.
This is the maximum permissible tire
inflation pressure 0046 for the tire.
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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
temperatures).GWarning!
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 vehicle.
Continued driving with a flat tire or
driving at high speed with a flat tire will
cause excessive heat build-up and possibly
a fire.
For more information, see “Tires and
wheels” ( Y page 126).
Hydroplaning
Depending 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 cautiously when it is raining.
Tire traction
The 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.
GWarning!
If ice has formed on the road, tire traction
will be substantially reduced. Under such
weather conditions, drive, steer and brake
with extreme caution.
smart recommends winter tires
( Y page 145) with a minimum tread depth of
approximately 1
/ 6 in (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
considerably greater than when the road is
not covered with snow or ice. Exercise
appropriate caution.
! Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period when driving off on
slippery road surfaces. Otherwise, the
drivetrain could be damaged, which is
not covered by the smart Limited
Warranty.
Tire speed rating
Regardless of the tire speed rating, local
speed limits should be obeyed. Use prudent
driving speeds appropriate to prevailing
conditions.
GWarning!
Even when permitted by law, never operate
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.
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
maximum speed permitted by the
electronic speed limiter.
Make sure your tires have the required tire
speed rating as specified for your vehicle
in the “Technical data section”
( Y page 217), for example when purchasing
new tires.
For information on how to identify the tire
speed rating on a tire’s sidewall, see “Tire
150Driving instructions>> Operation.
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