[halfcack]

Newbie: just leased a 2016 Smart two days ago

Hi all,

This is a great forum and a necessity if you own or lease a Smart, at least for me.

I have a few questions.

I dove my 2016 Smart lease from out of state to home. Seven hour round trip. I have a quirk about steering wheel position and vibration. Toward the end of the trip home, I noticed some vibration but more a out of line or unbalanced feel. I hope this is alignment problem.

I noticed on the right side, front section where it meets the center section about a quarter to a half inch out of being properly aligned.

This may seem really picky for some and not picky enough for others but it did bother me. I can account for every second of the car's position until I checked the right side after getting home. I saw the either mis-alignment of the body or perhaps an improperly length of finishing material which makes it look that way.

We have bad roads in NYS, mid state, but nothing compared to the pot holes everywhere on NJ, NY 380. They weren't bumps but bangs. I wonder if I have already destroyed my vehicle in less than a few hours.

Also on the right side was what looked to be a scratch, I took it to the spray wash then put some spray wax on because of the temperature, then checked the places I'd parked at 4 in the morning. No white marks on the short list of places I remembered. I had not accidentally hit a rail. However, there was also a colored liquid down this streak, no animal blood, I'm sure. No human on the highways, out of cars and it was too light to determine.

I used a cloth and some spray wax, there was no dent and the mark came off as road dirt.

Due to the roll factor on the Fit I had just turned in NY with a total 3 year mileage of 8180, plus or minus for three years, with the Smart I believe that will change. What a blast. !!!!!

Unfortunately there was a crosswind that slowed truckers which hit the Fit and the Smart causing the pressure to blow out the opposite window with a whistle, three times. it wasn't a pleasant trip at night.

The two cars are drastically different to drive and because of overcorrection for the possibility of roll with the Fit, I was on the rumble strip quite a few times. The Fit was nice to drive and look at scenery, start 1-2-3, eyes back forward, the Smart was like driving a race car, at least for me.

I already reported it to Chris. Does it sound like permanent damage or perhaps a lack of material to make it look like the front and center right panels are not properly aligned, potholes or rumble strips?

The last, their is no new car smell. When I get out of the vehicle, I smell a slight odor of oil smoke or a liquid substance. I smelled my clothes, no smell. I changed my clothes when I went out to wash the stain at spray wash. No smell on them either but I could still smell that smell. Checking the clean clothes, no smell. It was like a waft inside my nose, never happened before, it was like an exhaust, oil, spilled liquid smell.

Thank you and I love that car. I blew it with a local dealer, about 75 miles about three years ago when I could have had an electric for all this time. My fault, completely, an attitude sprung up, which long since passed, 30 years ago and never returned after that short phone incident.

Thank you all. I have never joined a forum before, for a car, not even a Shelby 350, 1965, serial number 484 which I bought for 3200$ and sold for 1600$. Also, long ago, it would have rusted out unless stored by now.

Forgive grammar and spelling. I'm so tired that I'm not going to proofread this three times. Also, I have mild dyslexia.

 

[jimvw57]

Welcome! To SCOA!

Every one of your questions have been brought up before so don't feel bad.

Just remember, you don't have a high end luxury car that weighs a lot and has a long wheelbase, do you will get a bit of pushing around from crosswinds. That can be helped by changing to larger tires, and switching to all 4 wheels the same size. (back wheels are wider than the front)

When you exit the car, there is a intake vent right next to the door, This is where the smell is coming from and is quite normal. It is much more noticeable when the car was new.

The body is made of plastic and the panels can be changed if needed quite easily. They all are covered with a clear coat. Plastic has a tendency to develop a static charge when air blows over it and road dust will stick to it. Using some of the spray detailers will take off the charge . The front brakes are known to create a lot of dust and coat the rims. a pain to keep clean and changing to ceramic pads will keep things cleaner. The body panels can be realigned but to get to it, the whole front has to come off. Not a big job but might not be worth it to adjust the gaps.

The vibration or alignment vibration could be a tire issue most tires on a smart don't last long because they can't be rotated but they can be aligned. Worth having it checked out. Check the tire pressures first. They are on the door post inside the drivers door. some dealers fill them all to the same pressures (which is wrong) and some over inflate them to get better MPG (also wrong) Use a good digital gauge as the old pencil type ones are not that accurate.

Hope this helps

 

[halfcack]

Thank you !!!

Thank you so much. I knew this was the right thing to do, joining this forum but not quite, the most impressive results. To me, the Smart drives like a race car. I always had to be careful of roll over with the Fit.

Fortunately, it's just vibration and not shake, I couldn't think of an accurate word. I am so quirky about that issues just like off center steering wheels.

It's an issue of rolling a car. I don't gamble.

I appreciate this so much. I kept overcorrecting for over three hours. Plus, I had no lights on and it seemed to get dark fast down there. The dashboard was like full spotlights, playing a gig in the old Village. No light on the road. Everyone that flashed me for an hour plus, were telling me that I had no rear lights nor any head lights. Needless to say, a toll both guy opened a station to talk to me.

I missed the last position on the light switch. The lanes at some point were 10 across, at least, careful bumper to bumper highway speeds were observed, so lateral movement would have been a real mistake.

The toll booth guy, told me to pull over to the side, be careful and see if you can get some lights on. Huh? People would scream up behind me, brake and stay away.

People were flashing me, I thought I was playing NYC rules again, improper lane, all things I missed since '69. A guy pulled on the side of the passenger door and turned off all his lights, for a long time, while waving.

I apologize to any member who recognizes this incident. I am sorry !

So dense, thank you so much !!!

 

[jzchen]

Lucky you didn't get a citation/ticket! My wife did when I didn't turn her auto lights back on after working on her car, (a Ford). Glad you made it home safe as well!

I agree with jwight. Check tire pressures with a digital gauge first. (I must say when I first got mine it was new and very recently delivered to the dealer. The tire pressures were spot on per the placard.). Digital gauge is what I use, as a friend explained to me, the rubber seals inside those manual pencil gauges wear and give false readings.

Let us know....

 

[halfcack]

Warning: too wordy beyond verbose ....

Lucky you didn't get a citation/ticket! My wife did when I didn't turn her auto lights back on after working on her car, (a Ford). Glad you made it home safe as well!

I agree with jwight. Check tire pressures with a digital gauge first. (I must say when I first got mine it was new and very recently delivered to the dealer. The tire pressures were spot on per the placard.). Digital gauge is what I use, as a friend explained to me, the rubber seals inside those manual pencil gauges wear and give false readings.

Let us know....

Thank you for your kind words.

After the hour of, looking back, constant warnings, it was under reported.

Thank you for your caring I did make it home alive. My knees were buckling and legs shaking, prior to the seven hour trip. I don't scare easily but in front of everyone, I was scared. 69 years old, 8000 total miles on the Honda Fit for three years and the last trip to Syracuse of slightly over an hour, I got prayed up, had no gut feelings, but I didn't seriously think I would make it back home.

Two lease cars in perfect shape, plus a seven hour drive ahead of me, I have been blessed for all 69, not easy years.

I remember clearly everything when I approached the George Washington Bridge turnoff to NJ. Up until that time, there were pleasant memories of being a musician, then Village, then bang, dang concentration was a brutal wakening.

There is a lot more, until I learn the rules, I will be careful what I put down. This is wordy, verbose, partially to the undiagnosed childhood problems, so, forgive me. I will give all a disclaimer on each post. There are only two people that can decipher my emails. Already, there are more who can read them on this forum, than friends I have.

First, the Smart is a downright blast, mentioned last post. It is so much fun to drive, the answer to the first post on the electric and the three electrics in the drive, pics, (forgot name but thank you, I will go back and look it up) he posted, were all the negatives and the if. He used the terms, "or if you're looking for a car that is fun and blast to drive" ..... That was it. Sold !!!!!

Other than the front section not lining up, which to a picky person, was devastating to see, much more, later. I doubt if any car I can afford will even come close. I had a Kia which I also liked, despite the rust. I spent 2400$ to get it inspected. The next year, it non inspectable but the severity of the injuries to this car underneath, I shouldn't have been allowed to drive it to the junk yard. He felt horrible and should allowed it off the lot but he did, seeing a absolutely duty oriented person, I hope.

All these guys were my friends, so it broke his heart to give me the news, 2400$ was gone unpaid, a year ago. Kia had a recall that, had I got notification would have been fixed, no charge.

He showed me what was about to happen at any given moment, in my drive or on the highway. The front section was about to separate from the center section. The aft section was about to separate from the center section. It would have been a great YouTube vid but the aftermath would better fatal for me or sadly, be responsible and decimate a young family and live without a scratch. I chose, junk yard.

I leased a car that people had already died in multiple times, the disclosure not mentioned to me before walking in the showroom, actually getting someone to notice a person was there, to signing the lease. Criminal. Certainly, I would not have bought the Fit. It was diagnosed as needing six ? air bags but changed to one.

Why, no answer, but it was the same company who made all of them. When I called Honda lease corporate, I received an immediate untrue, we would go bankrupt, then a real surprise, please do not spread this around to anyone. What, coercing a customer to commit pre-perjury, a fundamental Baptist at that, greed beyond shock. Then, the secondary bags slicing a woman's carotid on the following Sunday, I felt betrayed.

That family was ingrained by dad and brother who perjured himself in front of the largest oval table of 5000$ suits I've ever seen.

That man had absolutely no built in feelings for preserving life. Just greed !

I know I can't absorb the complexities of the Smart in one night but I have been going out after 1:00 am to practice in big parking lots. It is a full on race car, at least, to me. The controls are the issue. I just can not look down, ever.

Back to the lights. I saw a lane closed, a guy running across lanes to open a closed toll lane for me. He was kind and said the obvious. The first question, "can you see anything?" Another, huh?

Then the kind direction to a well lit area, with a rail road gate blinking red and a personal warning to be careful while crossing all lanes to get to the shoulder on the other side, still with no lights.

I got out and was horrified to find just a row of led's in front lit, nearly frozen, no back lights whatsoever. The only light on the road was the intense dashboard light shining off my forehead onto the road.

I get it now! I found the light position and the rest of the trip was good but as I got closer to home, got a little tired. The cross wind was so intense, it may have caused the Fit to roll, "perfect storm."

Truckers were backing off speed even though it was a 70 mph posted speed limit, it might have caused the Fit to roll. Not the Smart.

On the way down, the anti roll electronics did not turn off automatically as they should have on the Fit and I had forgotten about it, long ago. If it was the Fit, on the way back, I'm sure I would have rolled it. No air bag deploy, metal flying at my neck, seatbelt failure.

In the manual it said, it is imperative, in crosswind situations, the stabilization system has to be off. It will do this automatically. It didn't, of that I'm sure, no dash warning light. On the way down. Another failure of immense proportions.

Had I not overcorrected the Smart each time crosswinds hit, the Smart would have drove though Smartly, even the blockbuster cross which was the last one. As a private pilot I never had a crosswind hit me like that. It would have rolled the Fit.

I love the Smart. I went to a car wash and we measured clearances. I noticed the entire front flap had vertical scratch marks too many to count. As to what this indicates with close to a zero mile car, I don't know what to think?

I bought a first and second year Mazda RX-7. Just too long to explain, look at this mess, I was about to drive off, when I noticed gold flake peeling from around the emblem on the left side. I just said, what's this and consulted a friend / lawyer. They gave me an immediate loaner. That was in Ithaca, NY.

It seems there was a high speed dealer lot accident they tried to hide, on the driver's side, no less. The incident was so serious, Mazda Corporate pulled a gold 1980 Mazda, from a freighter in the NY harbor where it was temporarily docked.

At the time these were so rare, extremely ugly gold, it was moments from being trucked to LA. Again, a real ugly gold which caused someone in front of a high end hotel, to puncture one tire but run a knife over every panel on the driver's side to make up for not puncturing the second, sidewall, of course.

The only reason I bought it, financed it, was my girlfriend, at the time, insisted on owning my particular 1979 Mazda-RX7, no maintenance, high mile car which I repeatedly told her.

I hope to get the Smart for two Coupe ED in June, if all works right and the body front mashup is seen as dangerous as the situation I left prior with the Kia, it may happen or not.

I still love this Smart almost more than any other car I owned. I believe in any instance, the safety cage, sans helmet would still protect me.

What could cause the intense vertical front flap scratches on a car with practically no miles. I am nearly positive that my sales rep knew nothing of it but it was parked so that it wasn't possible to get a right side view.

The only one view I could get was leaning over the back end. No hope, but if the front end falls off due to a prior car accident. ..... Does CarFax report accidents prior to being in the country or in country, not yet on the dealer lot or .....

There are more lawyers to get the money than people who want it. Advice on how to do the right thing.

The words by jwight let me sleep that night. I wasn't worried after that. This car dealership was founded on one principle, the customer must have a wonderful experience, be completely satisfied, which is in fact, is the only criteria used for losing You job besides the obvious.

Thank you guys and ladies. I knew I could not depend on my salesman to bottle feed me everyday. Quick loss of a friend, no one knows what this means to me despite the verbosity.

Thank you !

 

[10470]

Wow.

 

[DowneasTTer]

I'm waiting for the "cliffs notes"version.

 

[HerbalCar]

I'm waiting for the "cliffs notes"version.

Hahaha me too. Something much more condensed.

 

[halfcack]

Clipped notes version ......

I'm waiting for the "cliffs notes"version.

I had a Honda Fit, I was pretty much forced into it.
I read some words on a website, I made the last call I would ever make because during that call, Chris told me NY Eve had past.

He set me up with a drop off point for the end of Honda lease. He picked me up at the Honda dealership.
I leased a 2016 Smart C. I drove it home. It saved my life. So I went out at 1:00 AM, really tired and washed it.

I have not stopped thinking about the Smart, at least once a day.

I have gone out at 1 to 2 am or later to practice in big parking lots so I don't hurt anyone.

It is something special. I have tried to get one since 2014. It is a thing of beauty. it is a race car.

As I was told, on my first post, if you want to go out, have some fun and just have a blast, get one.
My desire to drive has come back.

You guys/girls have been a blessing to me.

I talked to corporate yesterday and today. I spoke to a larger Corp executive today. I talked to myself for 30 to 60 minutes while he was on speakerphone. He most probably dozed off.

After I was done taking the high road always. I said that's it, let me hear what you think about my proposal to transition from a gas to a 2016 Smart Pure, electric, auto but first let me ask one more thing, clunk, clunk, button press.

He said, yes? It's never going to happen is it, he said, No !

I said ok, have a great day, not even mildly irritated. I think he said bye.

Smart will never lie on their website after today. I am still worried about the front end not being aligned but there is absolutely nothing I can do about it. jwight put me at ease and certainly welcomed me to this group nicely.

The Smart web site changed immediately yesterday and a giant overhaul today. No more availability or that pricing of vehicles which are not available.

Last call to Smart Corporate. I really thought they had it going but, I really don't care anymore. I am going to pay the lease off, keep it for three years then take it back.

I will order a Smart Electric ED as soon as my salesman calls me back. Eight calls so far, no returns. Oh well. I will give the being on vacation or having the flu excuse for him. I have to drive one once.

Clipped notes over.
-----

Last of many other questions. I used 182 kw in 32 days during January 2017 total. In mid state past the PA border, as close as I could look at 182 kw of electricity cost me, from -0.00121 cents to 0.04150749.

Using the higher figure even though it doesn't say electricity cost me $7.056 or closer .37$ for 168 kw of electricity. The total bill was 18.25$ for electricity.

The rest was Basic Svc, energy assistance, delivery, transition, revenue decoupling mech., realiability support svcs., NY state assessment, sbc charge, dec, sbc charge, jan, supply charge, merchant function charge, dec, taxes on delivery charges, taxes on supply charges, surcharges.

Simple math, electricity was free but using the 18.25$ for 168 kw gives me a total of 0.10863095238095 per kilowatt.

How many kw's does it take to completely change a Smart Car Electric.

Thank you !

 

[halfcack]

So Sorry

Hahaha me too. Something much more condensed.

There two people in the US I know that can actually read my emails and knowing me are able to decipher them.

I will be careful in the future.

Thank you.

 

[1983JZR3W]

I actually enjoy reading your posts!! It is fun to read a post that has some thought in it and not just one or two quick wise comments.

 

[jimvw57]

Back when I got my second smart, (2009) the salesman asked if I wanted the standard walk through, which I didn't get with my first smart since I got it off Ebay. he went through how all the controls worked, where to check oil, air filters, tire pressures, remotes, etc. before I left the dealership. First time I bought a new car at a dealership and I was impressed at the time they spent answering questions, and pointing out all the features. That was back in the Penske days believe me, I would not have gone anyhere else for another car or for repairs. When I did the 10K check, the service manager sat down and went over every thing they did and what to watch for, etc. They were truly an exceptional dealership and not what I expected.

When the new dealership opened up down in Rochester (MN) I stopped in for some clips I needed and they were in the process of getting everything set up. Not much on hand for parts, etc. I talked with the sales rep for a bit, and with the service manager who asked me a lot of questions about what small parts they should have (the ones that get lost when you work on these cars) they seemed like a great group of guys and not what I have heard of about MB dealerships.

When my 2 buddies at work bought their smarts, they mentioned that they worked with me and they remembered me and had a laugh about me talking them into buying a smart. When we did the drive down to Amanna Colonies (Iowa) for the rally, we all stopped in to say hello as we were driving right past and they emptied the place to come out and check out all our cars and talk for a bit.

I guess there are good dealers and there are bad dealers. Once we get a dealer, we have been lucky.

 

[Miss Mercedes]

Hi all,

This is a great forum and a necessity if you own or lease a Smart, at least for me.

Welcome to our asylum! I think you'll fit in well here.

I'll take a stab at these!

I dove my 2016 Smart lease from out of state to home. Seven hour round trip. I have a quirk about steering wheel position and vibration. Toward the end of the trip home, I noticed some vibration but more a out of line or unbalanced feel. I hope this is alignment problem.

Take it to your nearest dealer and get it checked. My old 2012 451 was delivered to me with a janky wheel. Thankfully the warranty covers stuff like that. My 2016 453's wheel doesn't vibrate at all.

I noticed on the right side, front section where it meets the center section about a quarter to a half inch out of being properly aligned.

Take that to the dealer as well. My 2016's right side door is so out of alignment that it may be the cause of the wind whistling noise. I imagine yours might do that too.

Edit: Yep, yours does whistle like mine:

Unfortunately there was a crosswind that slowed truckers which hit the Fit and the Smart causing the pressure to blow out the opposite window with a whistle, three times. it wasn't a pleasant trip at night.

Definitely see if you can get that alignment issue fixed, I'll try to do the same!

We have bad roads in NYS, mid state, but nothing compared to the pot holes everywhere on NJ, NY 380. They weren't bumps but bangs. I wonder if I have already destroyed my vehicle in less than a few hours

I drove my 2016 home on an epic 36 hour road trip. The 453s may feel a bit fragile, but boy are they actually quite strong!

The last, their is no new car smell. When I get out of the vehicle, I smell a slight odor of oil smoke or a liquid substance. I smelled my clothes, no smell. I changed my clothes when I went out to wash the stain at spray wash. No smell on them either but I could still smell that smell. Checking the clean clothes, no smell. It was like a waft inside my nose, never happened before, it was like an exhaust, oil, spilled liquid smell.

That's the normal "smart wearing in smell", it'll go away after a few thousand miles. Mine didn't have much of a new smart smell either. That said, the 2016s are pretty already a year old (my 2016 was built in July 2015, probably one of the first US ones off the line).

Also remember that you may have the option to keep your smart at lease end if you end up loving it! That's what I did with my 2012!

And it's okay about the dyslexia, I often have to edit a post 3 or more times to fix my mistakes!

 

[halfcack]

I remember those days.

I am really sorry for being a dumb noob and most probably ticked many off with my illerate form of exeuberant thrashing.

Anyway, since I was asked the name of my salesman I will show the gift from my salesman. I had to take it off the chain and put it all back in the slightly, just enough, padded box.

Attached is a pic of the key fobs, pen and presentation box.

The info I received from all my worries, smells, lights and the nice feeling, don't worry, every single person has mentioned all the questions you've asked.

All worries disapated in the next few days and the new car smell came back. I remember being scared I had ruined my engine on the dash out of the city. Break in and all.

I am out every day. Driving, parking and walking. Believe it or not I feel a lot better as well.