Smart Car technical spec manual

[SPDYII]

Thanks alot. I really like it. Now I need more!

[SuperGeek]

Interesting. The transmission gear selection is done on shift forks for gears 1/3, 2/4 and 5.


"It is possible to skip gears (e.g. double downshifts)."


Anyone brave enough to downshift from 4-2 and see if it's faster?

Not that I can really claim to understand what I'm reading... but I think in fact I have downshifted from 4-2 via "passing mode" and it was pretty quick.


Also of note, page 62 - if you overload the clutch, it actually senses a threshold violation and pulses the clutch "as a warning to the driver." If you go uphill and feel what feels like the clutch slipping, maybe it's intended as a controlled warning more than a precursor to failure?

So much information to review... so little time...

[Mike T]

Thanks for the link!

[2008 yellow banana]

thank you for the link, great stuff!!! i am looking forward to the service manual, love to know how to drop the engine etc.

[kohler]

what other oil is recommended for Smarts, Mobil 1, 5w40 is very hard to find. Thanks Jim

[Bykrdon]

What bothers me is the fact that the engine has mechanical cup tappets for the valves that need periodic adjustment. I had a 2000 Honda CR-V with the same setup. Had to take it to the dealer every 15,000 miles, leave it all day so that it would be cold for the adjustment. Not fun or cheap.

[Dan1776]

Originally Posted by kohler

what other oil is recommended for Smarts, Mobil 1, 5w40 is very hard to find. Thanks Jim

Amsoil AFL 5W40 is an extremely high quality oil and is very available. In my opinion, it is the best oil available. The yellow pages list Amsoil dealers, or you can log on to www.amsoil.com and order their product directly. I purchased a dealership over 25 years ago just to be able to buy products at wholesale. Great stuff.
Dan

[Spumonti]

Originally Posted by SuperGeek

Interesting. The transmission gear selection is done on shift forks for gears 1/3, 2/4 and 5.


"It is possible to skip gears (e.g. double downshifts)."


Anyone brave enough to downshift from 4-2 and see if it's faster?

Not that I can really claim to understand what I'm reading... but I think in fact I have downshifted from 4-2 via "passing mode" and it was pretty quick.

I can confirm that it will double downshift. However, it double downing will take it too close to over-rev it will not do it...

Oh yeah, a bit of advice... If you are one like me, that likes to downshift to slow down for a traffic light, I would advise against it. The clutch is not too terribly strong in the smart, and it is cheaper to replace brake pads than it is to replace a clutch...

[Professor66441]

This is a good intro to technical information However I just purchased a maintenance and service manual from www dgraves net which covers most anything you would wont to know about the smart. What I had to understand about this Maintenance and Service manual was that things that apply to the 450 some also apply to the 451. When you get your copy and are looking for the answer you need to look at the 450 and 451 sections. the things that apply to the 451 directly are in their own section and also the 2008 and 2009 sections. Dgraves can only release the info he has permission from Smart dealers.

I was really supprised that each manual he releases is current with the info current as of the day he ships the manual. This manual will only get larger as time goes on.

I was talking to a Smart Dealer in St. Louis MO and he gives the maintenance and service manual from www dgraves net to everyone that buys a Smart from his shop.

[jwight]

Dan has posted info on his manual here, as have others. Not saying it isn't useful, but keep in mind it is not a factory manual. Per his site:

The smart car manual is a collection of all the articles I could put together.
This CD is Copyrighted with the Libarary of Congress.
Lots of the Info came from England, Germany, Italy, Canada, Mexico and some from the USA.