ABS SMART FORTWO COUPE 2008 User Guide

Driving and parking
122
>> Controls.
Starting
Gearshift pattern for transmission1
Release button
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, objects could become caught be

tween the pedals, reducing or eliminating
entirely the driver's ability to brake or
accelerate. This could lead to accidents
and injury.
G
Warning!
Inhalation of exhaust gas is hazardous to
your health. All exhaust gas contains
carbon monoxide (CO), and inhaling it can
cause unconsciousness and possible
death.
Do not run the engine in confined areas
(such as a garage) which are not properly
ventilated. If you think that exhaust gas
fumes are entering the vehicle while
driving, have the cause determined and
corrected immediately. If you must drive
under these conditions, drive only with at
least one window fully open.PPark position
RReverse gear
NNeutral position
DDrive position
MManual gear shifting
+Upshifting

Downshifting

Driving and parking
>> Controls.
123
Starting the engine
For information on turning off the engine, see
(
page 127).
!
Shift the transmission into park positionP
or reverse gearR only when the vehicle is
stopped in order to avoid damaging the trans

mission.
>Make sure the gear selector lever is set to
park positionP.
The transmission position indicator should
be on
.
>Do not depress the accelerator.
>Turn the key in the starter switch to
position2 (

page 91) and release it again
immediately.
The engine starts automatically ("touch

start" function).
Driving >Depress the brake pedal.
>Press the release button (

page 122) to
disengage the gear selector lever lock.
>Move the gear selector lever to drive
positionD.
appears in the transmission position
indicator.
>Release the brake pedal.
>Carefully depress the accelerator.
!
Do not run cold engine at high engine
speeds. Running a cold engine at high engine
speeds may shorten the service life of the
engine.
!
Simultaneously depressing the accelera

tor and applying the brakes reduces engine
performance and causes premature brake and
drivetrain wear.
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.
G
Warning!
It is dangerous to shift the transmission
out of park positionP or neutral
positionN if the engine speed is higher
than idle speed. If your foot is not firmly
on the brake pedal, the vehicle could
accelerate quickly forward or in reverse.
You could lose control of the vehicle and
hit someone or something. Only shift into
gear when the engine is idling normally
and when your right foot is firmly on the
brake pedal.

Driving and parking
126
>> Controls.Brake pedal
The brake pedal has two brake circuits inde

pendent of each other. A brake servo is used
during braking (when the engine is running) to
increase pedal force.
G
Warning!
When leaving the vehicle, always remove
the key from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not
leave children unattended in the vehicle,
or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could release the parking brake
and/or move the gear selector lever from
park positionP, either of which could
result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
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, objects could become caught be

tween the pedals, reducing or eliminating
entirely the driver's ability to brake or
accelerate. This could lead to accidents
and injury.
G
Warning!
Considerably more effort will be required
to apply the brakes if
• the brake servo has failed
• a brake circuit has failed
• the engine is switched off, e. g. for
towing the vehicle
The braking distance is likewise greater.
Make sure that the engine is running
whenever the vehicle is rolling. Have the
brake system repaired at an authorized
smart center, if there is a fault in the
brake system.

Transmission
128
>> Controls. Your vehicle is equipped with a a 5
speed au

tomated transmission with manual or auto

matic mode. For information on driving with
the transmission see also
"Starting"(

page 122).
Gear selector leverGearshift pattern for transmission1
Release buttonThe current gear selector lever position ap

pears in the transmission position indicator.
When M is selected the currently selected
gear appears (

page 137).
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, objects could become caught be

tween the pedals, reducing or eliminating
entirely the driver's ability to brake or
accelerate. This could lead to accidents
and injury.PPark position
RReverse gear
NNeutral position
DDrive position
MManual gear shifting
+Upshifting

Downshifting
G
Warning!
It is dangerous to shift the transmission
out of park positionP or neutral
positionN if the engine speed is higher
than idle speed. If your foot is not firmly
on the brake pedal, the vehicle could
accelerate quickly forward or in reverse.
You could lose control of the vehicle and
hit someone or something. Only shift into
gear when the engine is idling normally
and when your right foot is firmly on the
brake pedal.

Transmission
>> Controls.
133
Steering wheel gearshift control
1
1
Left shift paddle
2
Multifunction display
3
Right shift paddleActivating manual gearshifting
>Move the gear selector lever to manual
gearshiftingM (

page 128).
System
controlled automatic gearshifting
is switched off.
You can upshift or downshift through the
gears in succession.
The currently engaged gear appears in the
transmission position indicator (

page 137).
Upshifting
>Briefly push the gear selector lever for

ward in the +direction (

page 128).
or
>Pull right shift paddle
3 (
page 133)
towards you.
The transmission shifts to the next higher
gear.
i
With manual gearshiftingM selected, the
transmission shifts up only to prevent engine
overreving.Downshifting
>Briefly pull the gear selector lever back

ward in the
direction (

page 128).
or
>Pull left shift paddle
1 (
page 133)
towards you.
The transmission shifts to the next lower
gear.
1 Model passion only.
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.

Engine compartment
172
>> Operation> Opening: Grasp the strap on cargo com

partment floor
1.
>Lift cargo compartment floor
1 with the
strap.
>Engage hook
4 into top mounting of cargo
compartment cover blind
5.
>Remove fastening screw
2.
>Remove engine compartment cover
3.
>Closing: Slide engine compartment cover
3
forward into the tabs provided.
>Tighten fastening screw
2.
>Disengage hook
4
from top mounting
5.
>Fold cargo compartment floor
1 back
down.
>Push the right hand and left hand cargo
compartment floor edges under the edges
of the side panels.
>Close the tailgate.
Engine oilThe amount of oil your engine needs will de

pend on a number of factors, including driving
style. Increased oil consumption can occur
when
•the vehicle is new
• the vehicle is driven at higher engine
speeds frequently
Engine oil consumption checks should only be
made after the vehicle break
in period.!
Do not use any special lubricant additives,
as these may increase wear and damage the
drive assemblies. Using special additives not
approved by smart may cause damage not
covered by the smart Limited Warranty.
More information on this subject is available
at any smart center.
G
Warning!
The engine is equipped with a transistor

ized ignition system that utilizes high
voltage. Don not touch any components
(ignition coils, spark plug sockets, diag

nostic socket) of the ignition system
• while the engine is running
• while starting the engine
• if ignition is "on" and the engine is
turned manually

Front compartment
180
>> Operation
!
Always use a windshield washer concen

trate labeled for winter where temperatures
may fall below freezing point. Failure to do so
could result in damage to the washer system/
reservoir.
>Premix the windshield washer fluid in a
suitable container.
Observe mixing ratios depending on the
outside temperature (

page 308).
>Use the tab to pull cap1 upwards.
>Refill the windshield washer reservoir.
>Push cap
1 onto the windshield washer
reservoir.
Brake fluidThe 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.
!
If you find that the brake fluid in the brake
fluid reservoir has fallen to the minimum mark
or below, have the brake system checked for
brake pad thickness and leaks immediately.
Contact an authorized smart center immedi

ately. Do not add brake fluid as this will not
solve the problem.
The brake fluid reservoir is located in the
front compartment on the driver’s side.
1
Cap
G
Warning!
During vehicle operation, the boiling
point of the brake fluid is continuously
reduced through the absorption of
moisture from the atmosphere. Under
extremely strenuous operating condi

tions, this moisture content can lead to
the formation of bubbles in the system,
thus reducing the system’s efficiency.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be re

placed regularly. Refer to your vehicle’s
Maintenance Booklet for replacement
interval.P42.00
2133
31

Tires and wheels
200
>> Operation Load identification
1
Load identification
i
For illustration purposes only. Actual data
on tires are specific to each vehicle and may
vary from data shown in above illustration.
In addition to the tire load rating, special load
identification1 may be molded into the tire
sidewall following the letter designating the
tire speed rating (

page 196).No specification given: absence of any text
(like in above example) indicates a standard
load (SL) tire.
XL (Extra Load): designates an extra load
(or reinforced) tire.
Light Load: designates a light load tire.
C, D, E: designates load range associated with
the maximum load a tire can carry at a speci

fied pressure.
DOT, Tire Identification Number (TIN)
U.S. tire regulations require each new tire
manufacturer or tire retreader to mold a TIN
into or onto a sidewall of each tire produced.
The TIN is a unique identifier which facilitates
efforts by tire manufactures to notify
purchasers in recall situations or other
safety matters concerning tires and gives
purchasers the means to easily identify such
tires.
The TIN is comprised of "Manufacturer’s
identification mark", "Tire size", "Tire type
code", and "Date of manufacture".
1
DOT
2
Manufacturer’s identification mark
3
Tire size
4
Tire type code (at the option of the tire
manufacturer)
5
Date of manufacture
i
For illustration purposes only. Actual data
on tires are specific to each vehicle and may
vary from data shown in above illustration.

Winter driving
208
>> Operation Before the onset of winter, have your vehicle
winterized at an authorized smart center. This
service includes:
>Check of anticorrosion and antifreeze
concentration.
• Addition of washer concentrate to the water
of the windshield/rear window.
Use a windshield washer concentrate la

beled for winter which is formulated for
temperatures below freezing point
(
page 308).
• Battery test. Battery capacity drops with
decreasing ambient temperature. A well
charged battery helps to make sure that the
engine can be started, even at low ambient
temperatures.
• Tire change.
Winter tiresAlways use winter tires at temperatures
below 45°F (7°C) and whenever wintry road
conditions prevail. Not all M+S rated tires
provide special winter performance. Make
sure the tires you use show the mountain/
snowflake marking.on the tire sidewall.
These tires meet specific snow traction
performance requirements of the Rubber
Manufacturers Association (RMA) and the
Rubber Association of Canada (RAC) and have
been designed specifically for use in snow
conditions. Use of winter tires is the only way
to achieve the maximum effectiveness of the
ABS and ESP
® in winter operation.
For safe handling, make sure that all mounted
winter tires are of the same make and have the
same tread design.Always observe the speed rating of the winter
tires installed on your vehicle. If the maximum
speed for which your tires are rated is below
the speed rating of your vehicle, you must
place a notice to this effect where it will be
seen by the driver. Such notices are available
at your tire dealer or any authorized smart
center.
G
Warning!
Winter tires with a tread depth of less
than
1/6 in (4 mm) must be replaced. They
are no longer suitable for winter opera

tion.

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.