[Kauna]

Hello all i am a single mom in rural Colorado who would appreciate your help. I have a Smart Passion Conv 2009 40,000. Two problems
1. Seems Wiper motor has gone out ( not fuse I am told ) Any ideas where to get a reasonable part. Is it easy to install
2. Steering: Intermittently jerky then goes away . Sometimes when really cold ( 10 degrees F ) it freezes it fixes itself. Really weird , seems to be better if gas tank is full ( I know this maybe coincidental ) Scarey though
Any ideas

 

[jwight]

Check eBay: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?LH_...sacat=&_sadis=&_sop=12&_udhi=&_udlo=&_fosrp=1

Any mechanic should be able to do the swap.

1 Screw
2 Electrical connector
3 Bracket
4 Wiper system
M6/1 Wiper motor

 

[Kauna]

Thank you so much , Any ideas about the steering thing ? Its a little scarey . I want to let my son use the car but I sometimes it is really jerky then it goes away , till the next time....

 

[jwight]

No idea. Is it power steering? It's a potential safety problem so worth having a good mechanic check out the entire front suspension, including steering components.

 

[Kauna]

I think it does have power steering since it has all the extras . Its weird sometimes it goes for months without a problem then it comes back , so yes on the power steering ( I believe it was packaged with heated seats, leather etc originally and I have all that )

Problem is , there is no-one here that knows how to fix smart cars

 

[jimvw57]

could be anything from a ball joint to a steering gear, or something in between. the steering stuff is located behind everything in the front end. Need to find a good mechanic, hopefully with smart experience to find the problem.

 

[jwight]

It's just a car, although a quirky one. If they have access to an online service manual (something like AllData or similar) the guidance will be there.

The power steering for your series car reportedly has a pretty strong "return to center" feature which may be what you're feeling, although that wouldn't be intermittent. Another option is to call the Denver smart dealer's service department and ask them if they've seen something similar.

 

[Kauna]

I just spent a $1000 on it in a routine service ( brakes plugs oil etc ) Fix the back lock etc . They said there was nothing major but needed to come back for steering .

They are 10 hours drive away

 

[jwight]

Too late now but any good auto shop can do those "routine service" items. Even cheaper if you supply the parts.

 

[Kauna]

Thank you jwight

1 . The service was done at just a regular garage. They had the car for three days . The steering light was on . They told me I had to bring it back to look at the steering but they are 10 hours drive away. They spent two days trying to get into the engine since the trunk lock had failed. They were the fourth or so that I had taken it to , no-one else had been able to get to the engine They rebuilt a new lock for the trunk to over-ride the failure

2. Steering. I have put personally $31,000 on the car so I know what the steering feels like. Definitely worse when the weather is cold but it can start and stop for no obvious reason. sort of wants to go straight and if I correct then it jerks and scares the living daylights out of the person driving behind me ( and me too !! ) then the next time it is fine

 

[Kauna]

I have called the dealer in Denver for years, When the steering froze their answer was to have the car towed 300 miles for around $500 to $1000 then they would diagnose if for me for $175 per hour . I called them last week and they told me that my wiper motor would cost $700 installed ( part if $30 to $50 on Ebay ) and they would have to 'diagnose " the steering. Again it is 500 miles round trip to even go to the dealer who as too expensive for me

 

[Kauna]

Electric Rack with a motor that cuts in and out ? Make sense