Stranded at work - Smart Car of America Forums : Smart Car Forum

Karl Roth · 06-04-2008, 08:09 AM

Got a call from my wife yesterday, she is in lil Booger and the car won't start.
car booted up dash lit up, P showed on the dash and the car is beeping, not the horn but a warning beep doing its level best to tell me something I don't understand.
Drove to the school with the spare key in pocket just in case tried to start it myself but all I would get is a click at the end and no more. Called 1-800 help me and they arranged for a tow there was no answer at the local smart center. Drove my wife home to get another car to go back to wait for the truck and Chris from smart center Hartford called as we were heading home. His thought was the battery died. So my wife drives back to school and waits an other 40 min for the truck to arrive and I got to work just 30 min late this time and the car gets hauled away away to the dealer.
Yes I still love the car even after it became the only car to ever strand my lady since she has started to drive.
karl

**jwight** · 06-04-2008, 08:15 AM

Karl, sorry to hear that. Please let us know what the problem was once you get it back.

Karl Roth · 06-04-2008, 09:29 AM

The dealers service department installed a new battery with a new holdown that is slightly different than the one that came with the car to accomidate the slightly different battery that smart told them to install. Mine is an early car with Daimler Chrysler ID. An other thing to keep in mind when you need to change the battery. Would think most will last longer than the two year warranty and leave you scratching your head on why the holdown won't work.
Spoke to Chris (great guy) at smart center Hartford and lil Booger is scheduled to come home on the truck.
will update as the story goes...
karl

Karl Roth · 06-04-2008, 12:07 PM

Got the car back getting the new battery installed means the "learning process starts over. Not as coltish as the first time guess the friction material on the clutch isn't as grabby now.
Plan to take lil Booger to Ohio next month will drive back with my grandaughters and daughter in her MDX and reverse the trip back home again.
My faith in the car has not been shaken. Actualy impressed a bit with the service provided. No trouble prefered but they (smart usa, dealer,tow company) did a great job and minimized the hassel to the dead minimum as near as I can see.

karl
should take a picture of that new battery holdown and post it...

a2jack · 06-04-2008, 08:15 PM

Karl. Yes, please take that pix, then we can all see if we have the old or new batt. A2Jack.

wahi · 06-04-2008, 08:26 PM

Karl, that's something to be concerned about. Mine's a DC, 12/07, your's most prolly my smartbiru's shipmate, too. Hope that's all the trouble.

SuperGeek · 06-04-2008, 08:34 PM

I've heard of new smarts getting off the truck and delivered with batteries so drained that they only lasted a couple of weeks. I wonder if a trickle charge would be enough. Depending on the time running, the battery may not have a chance to charge... i.e. my commute to work is 4 miles, 15 minutes. Anything much shorter and the effort to start the car may exceed the recharge rate, same effect as a slow drain.

I had that situation with my Grand Am... left it sitting for 2 months, went to use it again and it worked fine for a week... then the starter got slower and slower, because the alternator was working overtime to charge a 30% full battery and still didn't make headway. I attached a trickle charger for 8 hours and it started right up, no problems after that.

That was the third time my Grand Am had a dead battery due to short trips (1 mile commute to the old job). I had a brand new alternator give out after 3 months and the guy that replaced it told me to charge the battery first before installing the new alternator, so as not to overstress a new alternator.

So maybe your battery wasn't completely dead, but was badly discharged. A new battery is safe, predictable, and doesn't require the shop to trickle charge for 8 hours.

Karl Roth · 06-04-2008, 10:48 PM

Why it died they could not say. I have been married too long to blame my spouse for leaving the radio on by accident or somthing like that. The battery in the car failed a load test and was condemed. The repacements here in the us are different than what came in the car from the factory I was told. smart has new holdowns for the replacments and they are slightly different and a bit larger.
Drove the car to work today and all seemed well other than the smoothness of the shifts is not up to par but getting better already.
Never took a photo of the area before but will try to take one and get it posted soonest
thanks karl

chieftmc · 06-05-2008, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karl Roth

.....Drove the car to work today and all seemed well other than the smoothness of the shifts is not up to par but getting better already.....
thanks karl

Since the battery was disconnected, that made your smart a "virgin" again, right?