Hi from Smartville in France

[John_H]

Some things you'll find on the forum is lack of control of features or information on how to control them. The car is exceptional in very many respects and I love my Smart! To summarize a few things here (these are not criticisms as much as notes on what some people have found to be an issue):

Day time running lights are desired by some.
Factory alarm chirps would like to be turned off by some (quiet neighborhoods).
The air conditioning turned on when the vents are up is annoying to some.
The transmission, of course, is difficult for many.
The radio and speakers are swapped out of SO many cars as inadequate.
Headlights are aimed poorly from the factory, it seems (too high!).
Cabrio top-down airflow requires windows up above 30mph or a short driver.
Passenger seat doesn't recline enough, not even as much as driver's seat.
Button on shifter knob sticks on too many cars - simple lubrication fixes it.
Windows-up fresh air is low without fans blowing hard. Not enough air leaving?
Cabrio up/down button too easily pushes out of the console.
Window & top auto-down control isn't easy; usually requires holding the button.
Mirror position is difficult for many: blind spot in front, poor cabrio view out back.
Rain sensor is HUGE for its functionality.
Windows break rather easily.
So many of us would LOVE a real service manual!!

Thank you for all the hard work getting this car to the US market! The safety is fantastic and the power is quite adequate for most Smart drivers' tastes.

You guys are great!
- John_H

[JPaul]

Out of curiosity, what are the major markets, the ones before US?
France? Germany? Italy?

Can you share with us the whole production proportion of colors? Especially the yellow, since it's now discontinued? As you will see, "We Want Yellow" in the USA...

Beside the shifter (PRND), do you know of a difference in the gearbox between the Euro 451 and the NA451?
softip US softouch
Does the NA451 Getrag has different rapport?

Thank you.

[Keshyathree]

lol

so much....

To what you are complaining, some items are well known of us and we are working on them, some others are more strange (like the light aiming). As 100% cars are aimed threw the same system and we hadn't experience this point untill now.

For things that break to easily for you, "hey guys you're just too strong" ;)
smart car is like a lady, you ahve to be smooth with her ;) (joke of course).


For the gearbox question, yes not only the shifter, but the gearbox self is specific.
But as it is very accurate and technical data, I am sure you understand I cannot say too much on that.


First Market is Italy, and second Germany. Germany was leader for many years, but our damned italian's friends love so much their smart that they trust all they can (only market deliver directly with train ;) ) and they keep so even after the launch of Fiat 500.

But the difference between the three market is less than 5 points, so more or less, you all are dead-end.


To my job :

I work on powertrain's supply chain.
let's resume it : We try to get the biggest quatity, the best quality and cheepest cost at the right time.


K

[JPaul]

Thank you, and good "fin de semaine".

[GHammerly]

Welcome Keshyathree!
It's nice to see interest from some one directly involved in production.
Many would love the option of cruise control.
Also MHD version and Pulse.
I would like a ECU reflash to hold gear in manual mode meaning no downshift when full throttle is applied. This way I have more control over transmission.

Have a nice weekend

[Piccola]

Wow! The joys of the internet. Welcome!! How cool for you to be interested enough to chat with us. As you can tell, we love our cars (some a little too much - lol). I waited 6.5 years for mine and I am overjoyed to have it. Thanks for working on my car - and ALL the others.

[yuckmoon]

Hello. Hello.

I love my smart. I can't think of anything I would change about it off the top of my head. The only thing I would like is a steering wheel cover. This is my latest mission. Is there a steering wheel cover for the smart?

[Keshyathree]

Thanks to all of you guys, you enthousiathm is a really pleasure for me.
And thanks to internet to permit such kind of chat's

To the ECU, you have to understand that on the other car there is this difference (in fact not on ECU, there is a TCU specific for the gearbox)

Normally standard is the sequecial changes, as an option you can take "automatic" where a push-button switch you on full automatic mode.
For US market we had to completly redevelopp this, to a gear box, shifter and TCU that follow the PRND princip and stay on this system as standard.

It is mainly because of federal rules, because I don't believe american guys to be not smart enough to handle same system as in europe.


But, on your side. It is always heard that americans think "bigger is better", what catch you in love with our tiny one's ?


K

PS : I am not sure to catch what is a "steering wheel cover" can you send a picture. Apologyze my poor english.

[John_H]

For the long list of items I provided as a summary, if you have any specific questions please send me a Personal Message through this forum. Most of these items are in various places on this forum already.

Since you work on the powertrain:
Wouldn't it be great to have the transmission in "D" yet be able to downshift (or upshift) with the touch of a paddle? If the speed is 35mph and the transmission shifts to 5th gear, flicking the paddle back to 4th gear could (at least temporarily) change the 4th-to-5th switchover to 38mph for that power range. I'd love it!

I'll stop here though - I love engineering ideas but this probably isn't the right place to brainstorm on so many thoughts.

Again - thanks for all the hard work! We'd be your #1 market if we were allowed more production. :-)

[John_H]

As far as "bigger is better," too many americans thinks this wey, certainly. But not all americans! The whole SUV trend over the last decade or two was not good for the country or the environment in this individual's opinion. But we tend to believe people should be allowed to do what they want (within reason).

We also bathe too frequently.