I have a 2010 Smart 451 with 59000 miles on it currently. It was running fine everyday up until I went to leave for work this morning. There's not emergency lights or anything, the car starts up, but it will not shift into Drive. It will go in reverse just fine (it physically will drive in reverse) and shift into neutral, but the stick can't be pulled into D. I tried taking apart the clutch actuator, cleaning and greasing it. I'm not really sure what to try next.
Won't go into Drive gear?
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Disconnect battery??
Try disconnecting the battery for 10 min or longer. Resetes all the cars computers................
Try disconnecting the battery for 10 min or longer. Resetes all the cars computers................
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30,151 Posts
You can try the transmission "relearn" procedure described in the owners manual. There also may be issues with the shift motors for the transmission: http://www.smartcarofamerica.com/fo...-motor-cleaning-46079/?highlight=shift+motors 
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1,635 Posts
If the shifter can not be physically pulled into the Drive position the fault lies with the shifter, not the clutch or the transmission.
Here's the instructions from my manual to relearn the transmission, but I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong because I wait 60 second, push in the brake pedal and start the engine but it never shows 3 bars instead of the P. It just starts right up and nothing's changed. I also tried the disconnecting battery for 10 minutes, I waited 30 minutes, but that doesn't seem to do anything either.
Teaching-in the transmission system:
- Stop the vehicle in a safe location.
- Move the gear selector lever to park
position P.
- Turn off the engine.
- Wait at least 30 seconds before
restarting.
- Press the brake pedal.
- Restart the engine
Three bars instead of P appear in the
multi-function display.
- Wait at least 30 seconds.
The transmission is taught in.
When teaching-in was successful:
P appears in the multifunction display
again and normal transmission operating
is restored.
Teaching-in the transmission system:
- Stop the vehicle in a safe location.
- Move the gear selector lever to park
position P.
- Turn off the engine.
- Wait at least 30 seconds before
restarting.
- Press the brake pedal.
- Restart the engine
Three bars instead of P appear in the
multi-function display.
- Wait at least 30 seconds.
The transmission is taught in.
When teaching-in was successful:
P appears in the multifunction display
again and normal transmission operating
is restored.
In the actual stick shift you mean? It basically feels like it's locked and won't pull down to Drive after Neutral. Do you know which part inside of it would cause this? Possibly a loose electrical connection or low voltage somewhere? The shifter is all electronic as far as I can tell.
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30,151 Posts
If all else fails: Smart Car Fortwo Passion Pure OEM Automatic Shifter Assembly* | eBay
If all else fails: Smart Car Fortwo Passion Pure OEM Automatic Shifter Assembly* | eBay
Hey thanks, I'll take it apart when I have a day off work. At least if I need a new one it's not too expensive. Is there a guide anywhere for removal? Evilution just had one for the 450 model, I assume it'll be similar and I'll need to remove my seats.
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252 Posts
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Mkae sure the battery is disconnected if you are removing the seats: http://www.smartcarofamerica.com/fo...emoving-seats-28537/?highlight=removing+seats
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252 Posts
And make sure you hook up the seats before reconnecting the battery and starting the car otherwise you will get the airbag light.
Well I haven't taken the seats out yet, but I tried lubricating the shift knob which didn't do anything I still couldn't shift into Drive, but I tried shifting it into reverse again and moving a few feet. It was jerking pretty bad and check engine light came on. Scanner gave me P0805 code.
Crap, so that means I need a new shifter and a clutch actuator? P0805 code says clutch position sensor, is there a sensor somewhere that's bad that needs replaced too?Clutch position?
The connector for the actuator you mean? I'm still not understanding where this clutch position sensor is located, there's no info anywhere on it, I just get information on the clutch actuator when looking up P0805.
The clutch actuator connector didn't seem to have any moisture in it. When I put the car battery back on though and turn key to position 1 I got three flashing bars, then a P and no check engine light. Turned off, back on. I got it off ramps and put it into reverse again, same issue though. It will got about 10 feet, pretty jerky and the check engine comes back on with the P0805 error code on my scanner.
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Something is not adding up here. Are you saying the gear shift lever on the floor between the seats will not physically move to the Drive position or that the gear shift moves to the Drive position but the car does not go forward? Which is it? It would seem unlikely that you have two such problems at the same time. Unlikely but not impossible, I suppose.
The fault code for the clutch position and the jerking in reverse would indicate a fault with the clutch actuator or clutch itself. The clutch position sensor is part of the actuator. If you are scanning only the engine control module for codes there may be other codes in the trans control module found with a capable scan tool.
It physically doesn't move to the drive position, that's why I ordered a shifter. Initially when I started the thread I drove it in reverse just fine up my driveway to garage and onto my ramps, so maybe I screwed something up when I had taken the actuator apart and cleaned it. The P0805 code came up after I was driving it in reverse post cleaning the actuator. I had taken the motor out of the actuator as well to verify it was working, which, it is spinning either direction with 12v applied so that should be okay. So I think I need to get a shifter swap out before I can jump to anything further on the clutch.
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