Battery shut off switch

[morscuba]

The manual states your doors could lock with speeds above 8mph unless battery power is interupted..Dont think its anything to be confused over.. Just what the manual "suggests" not necessarily required.

[fortow]

Originally Posted by morscuba

The manual states your doors could lock with speeds above 8mph unless battery power is interupted..Dont think its anything to be confused over.. Just what the manual "suggests" not necessarily required.

That can only happen if the key left in the 'on' position.

Put the car in neutral and turn the key off. You can't remove it with the shift in N but the power will be off.

Always carry a spare key - just in case.

[bcope01]

Originally Posted by fortow

That can only happen if the key left in the 'on' position.

Put the car in neutral and turn the key off. You can't remove it with the shift in N but the power will be off.

Always carry a spare key - just in case.

Ditto, that's what I do.

[morscuba]

Guess now that I have the shut off switch installed that the manual calls for I'll use it.

[fortow]

Originally Posted by morscuba

Guess now that I have the shut off switch installed that the manual calls for I'll use it.

The problem with cutting off the battery is that all presets will be lost, and any codes stored will be lost as well - in addition to the computer having to reform all parameters after a routine drive cycle which can be quite involved. I'm not familiar with the smart OBDII programming in that regard though.
It is far better to not have to bother with disconnecting the battery. You still have to place the gearshift in the neutral position and switch off anyway.

[RVDodd]

We towed our SMART to Las Vegas and back with stops in Arizona, the Grand Canyon, etc. over a three-week period, and did not have any problem at all with the battery. It was not started for at least 4-5 days at a stretch on the way out and back. BTW - returning from GA this past Friday was the first time we tried the 'bungee cord' fix for the steering wheel "bounce" that many of us experience after a tight turn from a complete stop. That definitely works, and we will always attach the cords when towing from now on. We just looped two - one to the left front where the driver's seat slide rail attaches to the floor, and the other at the right in approx the reverse location, then crossed the ends at the steering wheel hooking the right bungee to the lower left center wheel support, and vice-versa for the other bungee. Works like a charm to keep the wheel and tires centered when the little guy gets confused about where the coach is trying to go.

[travelerceb]

Do you have a picture of the bungee cord placement that you could post? It's the thousand word thing.

[Larry Gordon]

you need a disconnect switch on the 09 because of braking problems. Brakes can lock up at around 25 mph. I don't think the 08 had that problem but may be wrong..

[Alan_Hepburn]

Originally Posted by Larry Gordon

you need a disconnect switch on the 09 because of braking problems. Brakes can lock up at around 25 mph. I don't think the 08 had that problem but may be wrong..

After several thousand miles with my '08 smart behind our motorhome at speeds of 55mph I can say that my car does not have that problem...

[fortow]

Originally Posted by Larry Gordon

you need a disconnect switch on the 09 because of braking problems. Brakes can lock up at around 25 mph. I don't think the 08 had that problem but may be wrong..

That`s strange - if the power is turned off then there is no problem and even if the power is on how can the brakes lock up? - they are hydraulic, not electric.

I`ve been towing my car for many thousands of miles at speeds well in excess of 25 mph and have had no brake lock up.

By the way, the same advice to disconnect the battery is now being given for both `08`s and `09`s - however, I have never done that - the power is merely turned off after shifting the transmission to neutral.
The reason for that factory advice is more likely that the car`s battery could be depleted if power is left turned on. Discharging a starting battery beyond 50% will shorten it`s life quickly if done repeatedly.
There is also a warning that if the power is not turned off the Electronic Stability Program could be activated - this may be the origin of the braking comment.

Is there something else that I`m not aware of?