New Transmission Problem - Smart Car of America Forums : Smart Car Forum

redbluff · 10-30-2008, 11:34 AM

Has anyone noticed that if you put the car in reverse or drive and dont wait for the D or R to settle in the car will give you a big jerk in the pants if you give it the gas. The other thing I have noticed is on a steep hill my hill assist lets the car roll back quite a bit before it catches. Somehow I think it is me trying to move the car too quickly before it actually is in gear. I get the shifter caught between R and P sometimes when backing up and it finally catches and makes a sound and jerks hard.

Took it to the dealer and nothing was wrong. They said they would change the Auto/Clutch disc as tech support has seen some of them not engaging well but they did not recommend doing it since he car shifts well.

rawlusÂ® · 10-30-2008, 11:47 AM

how quickly are you shifting?
you have to understand that the shifter does not do anything mechanical.
hill assist should work reliably as long as you get on the gas within a second or so of taking your foot off the brake. if you use the handbrake, this defeats hill assist just so you know.
i've never had the shifter get caught between detents. i think you just need to be a little more focused on what you're doing - click into R, click N, click D, click click click P.

forestacademy · 10-30-2008, 11:50 AM

I don’t believe there is any direct connection between the shifter and the transmission. It is all electronic. When you make the shift you have to wait for the signal to be sent and then for it to activated before it will do what you requested. (I gues I type to slow )

It is not much different than rushing to start the car. Ever notice if you jump in and quickly stick the key in and it doesn't start right away, well the car hasn't got enough time to recognize the key before you turn it and ask for it to start.

Does any one with more specific knowledge of the Smarts brain have more info?

Kermit · 10-30-2008, 11:50 AM

I think a lot of us have had that problem Solution: Give it a second to get into gear. Don't just go from R to D or vice versa and then hit the gas.

I think the the best description someone said on another thread of the same subject was something like, "I make my move between the gears slow and deliberate". That is the perfect way to do it. Disclaimer: just my opinion and others may vary.

Old smart · 10-30-2008, 12:23 PM

The "hill assist" feature only lasts 0.7 second, so if you are off the brake but not on the gas longer than that the car can begin to roll backwards.

redbluff · 10-31-2008, 04:31 AM

Thanks guys. I will practice a couple of the suggestions here as I do think it is me not the car.

smartfx · 11-01-2008, 06:23 PM

let us know...

jrjones9 · 11-01-2008, 07:18 PM

I have experienced the clunk-clunk-clunk, with jerks, like hitting a curb twice when shifting from drive to reverse. I think the problem was that I was in too big a hurry, and shifted to reverse while it was still rolling forward a little. The first time it did it, i quickly shifted back to drive and it clunked and shuddered again in drive. The next time I stepped on the brake hard and it was ok after that. I'll just try to be more careful and deliberate in the future.

You would think that the programming of the shift mechanism and clutch would not let it shift until it was safe for the transmission, and would not let the clutch engage until the transmission was fully engaged. I believe part of the problem might be a lack of processing power in the ECU.

artist · 11-05-2008, 05:08 PM

I have 14,000 miles on my smart and noticed a problem finding reverse 'R" over the last 2 weeks. My dealer indicated that the shift lever needed more lubrication. He told me how to seperate the shift knob from the shaft. I did it and loaded it with spray lithium grease. It seemed to work great the rest of the day.

**JPaul** · 11-05-2008, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by artist

I have 14,000 miles on my smart and noticed a problem finding reverse 'R" over the last 2 weeks. My dealer indicated that the shift lever needed more lubrication. He told me how to seperate the shift knob from the shaft. I did it and loaded it with spray lithium grease. It seemed to work great the rest of the day.

This gives me another opportunity to remind the sticky "FAQs/DIY: OPEN to see easy solutions to most common issues" thread on top of the "Smart Car Operation and Maintenance" sub-forum. This is a list of links to helpful tidbits and DIYs for common maintenance and issues. Thank you.