winter tires SMART FORTWO COUPE 2008 Owners Manual

>> Keywords
11
Temperature
Setting (air conditioning with
automatic climate control*) . . . . . . . . . . 152
Setting (heating) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
TIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Tire and Loading Information . . . . . . . . . 186
Placard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Tire and loading terminology . . . . . . . . . . 204
Tire care and maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Tire Identification Number see TIN
Tire inflation pressure, checking . . 191, 192
Tire inflation pressure, recommended . . 189
Tire repair kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234, 265Tires
Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Direction of rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Flat tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Important guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Life of tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) . . 192
Problems under
/overinflation . . . . . . 195
Rims and tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Rotating tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Sizes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Snow chains* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Speed rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Storing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190, 203
TIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Traction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Tread depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183, 208
Treadwear indicators (TWI) . . . . . . . . . 184
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Top tether* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Tow
away alarm* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Towing (Vehicle) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Traction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73, 203
Transmission position indicator . . . . . . 137
Transmitting power values see Engine elec

tronicsTransporting the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Tread . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183, 206, 208
Tread depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Treadwear indicators (TWI) . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Trip odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Turn signal indicators . . . . . . . . . . . 104, 255
Indicator lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Turn signal lamps, side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Replacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
TWI see Treadwear indicators
>> UUniform Tire Quality Grading Standards . 202
Unlocking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
From inside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Vehicle manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Unlocking/locking manually . . . . . . . . . . 250
Useful features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

12
>> Keywords>> VVehicle
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Identification number (VIN) . . . . . . . . . 294
Jump starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Locking (central locking switch) . . . . . . 84
Proper use of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Unlocking (central unlocking switch) . . . 84
Unlocking (door handle) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Unlocking manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Unlocking/locking manually . . . . . . . . . 250
Vehicle capacity weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Vehicle care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Vehicle Identification Number see VIN . 294
Vehicle loading terminology . . . . . . . . . . 204
Vehicle main dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
VIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
>> WWarning sounds
Anti
theft systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Hill start assist system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Panic Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Seat belt reminder system . . . . . . 245, 249
Tow
away alarm* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Warranty coverage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Washer fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Washer jet nozzles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Washing the vehicle see Vehicle care
Weights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Wheel trim cap* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Interchanging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Wheels see Tires
Where will I find...? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Windows see Side windows . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Windshield washer system . . . . . . . . . . . . 179Windshield wipers
Adjusting the washer jet nozzles . . . . . 264
Intermitted wiping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Rear window wiper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Replacing wiper blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Switching on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Winter driving
Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Snow chains* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Winter tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208

Driving safety systems
72
>> Safety.
i
In winter operation, the maximum effec

tiveness of the ABS, the hydraulic brake
assistant and the ESP
® is only achieved with
winter tires (

page 208) or snow chains* as
required.
Antilock brake system (ABS)The A
ntilock B
rake S
ystem (ABS) regulates the
brake pressure so that the wheels do not lock
during braking. This allows you to maintain the
ability to steer your vehicle.
On slippery road surfaces, the ABS will
respond even to light brake pressure.
The ABS indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster (

page 34) comes on when you switch
on the ignition. It goes out when the engine is
running.Braking
At the instant one of the wheels is about to
lock up, a slight pulsation can be felt in the
brake pedal, indicating that the ABS is regu

lating the brake pressure.
>Keep firm and steady pressure on the brake
pedal while experiencing the pulsation.
Continuous, steady brake pedal pressure
yields the advantages provided by the ABS,
namely braking power and the ability to steer
the vehicle.
A pulsating brake pedal can be an indication
of hazardous road conditions and functions as
a reminder to take extra care while driving.
G
Warning!
The following factors increase the risk of
accidents:
• Excessive speed, especially in turns
• Wet and slippery road surfaces
• Following another vehicle too closely
The driving safety systems described in
this section cannot reduce these risks or
prevent the natural laws of physics from
acting on the vehicle.
Always adapt your driving style to the
prevailing road and weather and traffic
conditions and keep a safe distance to
other road users and objects on the
street.
G
Warning!
Do not pump the brake pedal. Use firm,
steady brake pedal pressure instead.
Pumping the brake pedal defeats the
purpose of the ABS and significantly
reduces braking effectiveness.

>> OperationThe first 1 000 miles (1 500 km) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
At the gas station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Front compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Winter driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Driving instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Driving abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Vehicle care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224

Tires and wheels
182
>> Operation Contact an authorized smart center for infor

mation on tested and recommended rims and
tires for summer and winter operation. They
can also offer advice concerning tire service
and purchase.
Modifications to the brake system and wheels
and the use of spacer and brake dust rings
are not permissible.
Important guidelines• Only use sets of tires and rims of the same
type and make.
• Tires must be of the correct size for the
rim.
• Break in new tires for approximately
60 miles (100 km) at moderate speeds.
• Regularly check the tires and rims for
damage. Dented or bent rims can cause tire
inflation pressure loss and damage to the
tire beads.
• If vehicle is heavily loaded, check tire infla

tion pressure and correct as required.
• Do not allow your tires to wear down too far.
Adhesion properties on wet roads are
sharply reduced at tread depths of less
than
1/8in (3 mm).
G
Warning!
Replace rims or tires with the same des

ignation, manufacturer and type as shown
on the original part. Contact an autho

rized smart center for further informa

tion. If incorrectly sized rims and tires
are mounted:
• The wheel brakes or suspension
components can be damaged.
• The operating clearance of the wheels
and the tires may no longer be correct.
G
Warning!
Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If the
tire tread is badly worn, or if the tires
have sustained damage, replace them.
When replacing rims, only use genuine
smart wheel bolts specified for the
particular rim type. Failure to do so can
result in the bolts loosening and possibly
an accident.
Retreaded tires are not tested or recom

mended by smart, since previous damage
cannot always be recognized on retreads.
The operating safety of the vehicle can

not be assured when such tires are used.

Tires and wheels
>> Operation
183 Tire care and maintenance
Regularly check your tire inflation pressure
at least once a month. For more information on
checking tire inflation pressure, see
"Recommended tire inflation pressure"
(
page 189)
.
Tire inspection
Every time you check the tire inflation pres

sure, you should also inspect your tires for
the following:
• excessive treadwear (

page 183)
• cord or fabric showing through the tire’s
rubber
• bumps, bulges, cuts, cracks or splits in the
tread or side of the tire
Replace the tire if you find any of the above
conditions.
Life of tire
The service life of a tire is dependent upon
varying factors including but not limited to:
•Driving style
• Tire inflation pressure
•Distance drivenTread depth
Do not allow your tires to wear down too far.
Adhesion properties on wet roads are sharply
reduced at tread depths of less than
1/8in
(3 mm)
.
Treadwear 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.
Recommended minimum tire tread depth:
Summer tires
1/8in (3 mm)
Winter tires
1/6in (4 mm)
G
Warning!
Regularly check the tires for damage.
Damaged tires can cause tire inflation
pressure loss. As a result, you could lose
control of your vehicle.
Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If the
tire tread is badly worn, or if the tires
have sustained damage, replace them.
G
Warning!
Tires should be replaced after 6 years,
regardless of the remaining tread.

Tires and wheels
>> Operation
199
• At the tire manufacturer’s option, any tire
with a speed capability above 149 mph
(240 km/h) can include a "ZR" in the size
designation (for example: 245/40 ZR18). To
determine the maximum speed capability of
the tire, the service description for the tire
must be referred to. The service descrip

tion is comprised of tire load rating5
(

page 196) and tire speed rating6
(
page 196).
If your tire includes "ZR" in the size
designation and no service description5
and6 (

page 196) is given, the tire
manufacturer must be consulted for the
maximum speed capability.
If a service description5 and6
(

page 196) is given, the speed capability
is limited by the speed symbol in the service
description. Example: 245/40 ZR18 97Y.
In this example, "97Y" is the service
description. The letter "Y" designates the
speed rating and the speed capability of the
tire is limited to 186 mph (300 km/h).• Any tire with a speed capability above
186 mph (300 km/h) must include a "ZR" in
the size designation AND the service
description must be placed in parenthesis.
Example: 275/40 ZR 18 (99Y). The "(Y)"
speed rating in parenthesis designates the
maximum speed capability of the tire as be

ing above 186 mph (300 km/h). Consult the
tire manufacturer for the actual maximum
permissible speed of the tire.All
season and winter tires
i
Not all M+S rated tires provide special
winter performance. Make sure the tires you
use show M+S and 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.Index
Speed rating
Q M+S
1
1 or M+S.for winter tires
up to 100 mph (160 km/h)
T M+S
1
up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
H M+S
1
up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V M+S
1
up to 149 mph (240 km/h)

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.

Winter driving
>> Operation
209 Snow chains*
!
Remember that snow chains must always be
compatible with the tire sizes of a vehicle.
Snow chains that are approved by smart are
only permitted for the following tire size:
175/55 R15 on the rear axle.
For safety reasons, smart recommends that
you only use snow chains that have been
approved by smart.
Information on this is available from any smart
center.
Please refer to the separate operating
instructions for detailed information on
mounting the snow chains.
Snow chains should only be driven on
snow
covered roads at speeds not to exceed
30 mph (50 km/h). Remove chains as soon as
possible when driving on roads without snow.Please observe the following guidelines when
using snow chains:
• Using snow chains is not permissible with all
wheel/tire combinations (

page 299).
• Use snow chains in pairs and on rear wheels
only. Follow the manufacturer's mounting
instructions.
!
If snow chains are mounted to the front
wheels, they may scrape against the body or
axle components. The tires or the vehicle
could be damaged as a result.
• Use of snow chains may be prohibited
depending on location. Always check local
and state laws before mounting snow
chains.
G
Warning!
When mounting or removing snow chains,
always park your vehicle on level ground,
set the parking brake and turn off the en

gine. The vehicle could otherwise move
and injure yourself or other road users.G
Warning!
When mounting and removing snow
chains, ensure that you and your vehicle
are at a safe distance from moving traf

fic. Not doing so could endanger other
road users or even lead to you being
injured by the vehicles behind you.

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.