[DanteCoal]

So I've been staring at my Smart for the past month, trying to find out what this sensor is on my windshield. It's inside, on the upper passenger corner. It's just a slim rectangle, about 4" -5" long and maybe 1\4" thick with a lead coming out of it and going up into the liner.

I can't figure it out. I poked around on Evilution for a while, and google with every keyword I could think of and I've seen no mention of it.

WHAT IS THIS EVIL BLACK LINE?!

 

[Huronlad]

If you have an ex Car2Go, it is likely an antenna.

 

[DanteCoal]

Pics of said evil black thingy on my car. If it is just some relic of it's past life, then I should be free to remove it without angering the MB gods right? :laugh:

 

[Smart Bob]

Remove it.

 

[DanteCoal]

Remove it.

lol, I ~want~ to remove it, I just don't know what "it" is yet. Don't wanna tear something off with no idea of what it's supposed to be. If it's a useful part I could potentially repurpose it, or use it for it's original purpose.

It is ugly though, and unless it'll benefit me to leave it, it probably won't survive the weekend. >

 

[vadsoom]

Do you have a remote starter, aftermarket remote door locks or a security system? It could be the antenna. For one of the above...,

 

[DanteCoal]

Do you have a remote starter, aftermarket remote door locks or a security system? It could be the antenna. For one of the above...,

That's a big negatory on all three accounts. Hmm... I suppose if someone wiser than I can't provide an answer by this weekend I'll take the time to start tracing wire and figure it out the hard way.

 

[jetfuel]

...put me down for pay toll transponder...

Jetfuel...next...

 

[vadsoom]

Ahhhh, it might be a digital television antenna if your Smart had an aftermarket TV with a terrestrial tuner.

 

[jwight]

Huronlad called it:

car2go interior; antenna is right where yours is.

 

[Niteshooter]

Yup is probably part of a car locating system so they can track locations of the cars in real time and that data is posted to their website for members to view. Probably can remove it, but wonder if it could be used to find the car if it was ever stolen. MB would have disabled it on the live view but wonder if big brother can still watch.

 

[DanteCoal]

Well there's that problem solved! Thanks a ton all for the help, with extra props to Huronlad for calling it so quickly! It'll be coming out this weekend! ^_^

 

[vadsoom]

 

[Woody14619]

Could also be part of the head unit. As noted, many of them have TV, or XM, or Sirius, or some other such thing. It's larger than the standard 1" block used for GPS, but could be a combo antenna for 2 or 3 functions.

If you don't know where the antenna is for your in-radio NAV, or some other function, I'd caution against removing it. You'll likely lose that functionality if you do.

 

[heraldhamster]

just got me a second smart fortwo (we've had an '09 fortwo since new), a 2012 former car2go from PDX, OR and wondered if there was a followup on removal of the antenna thingie?

thanks!

update: 4/9/2018
pulled mine out last weekend, peeled right off the inside of the W/S. removed the upper trim to unlace it from all the wire clips & gently pulled it out from behind the pillar trim down into the area above the SAM.
anyone know what all the other wiring & plugs attached to it might be? car2go customer service was absolutely NO help.