So my 2009 Smart Fortwo Cabriolet has been overheating a lot recently. After driving for about 5-10 minutes, the overheating light comes on. I’ve put in new coolant, checked for leaks, and there is none. I have also noticed the engine smells like burning rubber, so could I need a new belt or is this something else? Has 66k miles on it!
Edit: I got it fixed, so no need to worry! Turns out the water pump was broken. The burning rubber smell was coming from a slipping belt, and it’s now fixed! Thank you all for the help😊
Do not continue driving the car after the overheat light comes on - by then the engine is very close to serious damage. It sounds like a bad water pump or, if you're lucky, a bad drive belt. 🙂
Is your electric fan coming on at all. Mine kicks on only at 2013 degrees and it only gets that high sitting still. It also comes on with A/C turned on. Check to see if engine oil is full and if radiator grill is blocked those are the last two no cost checks. I can think of.
You will want to get a temperature gauge on it to make sure you aren’t overheating. A ScanGauge or UltraGauge is a great investment and can be configured to provide alarm feedback for indicators the Smart is lacking plus it’s handy for monitoring mileage, oil change schedules, and lots of other useful stuff.
In my case, the belt was slipping in my 2008 Passion. The UltraGuage alerted me to a potential overtemp condition and get it fixed before any damage.
I'd say alternator belt broke. See if the belt is hanging on the alternator. Mine did, when it broke.
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