451 smart fortwo

Changes to the 2011 model

2010-11-30T22:42:59.603Z

Did anyone see the new flyers out showing the changes to the 2011 model?

Cruise control will be availalbe now as an option. More choices will be availalble to upgrade the look of your smart but of course at an additional price. I'm still waiting for them to offer the diesel engine once again in Canada. Not for 2011 obviously.

Marc, Casselman ONtario

Gear shifting issues again

2009-11-30T22:36:00.627Z

Ok, I encountered this problem last March and it's back again. The gear shifting done manually or with automatic mode is very very rough and jerky. The sensation is of driving with a clutch and letting go of the clutch too soon and lurching forward. In March they never did find the actual problem but by reflashing with the new program they were able to put the problem to rest until today. I had my smart towed away as I didn't feel safe driving it in traffic and risk having it lurch forward. We had a light dusting of snow this morning and the roads are a bit slick.

Any input or shared comments would be welcome,
Marc from Casselman, Ontario

RPM with Pierre Michaud will be testing the smartcar Sunday March 22

2009-03-20T18:50:09.998Z

For those who can catch TVQ from Canada, tune in on Sunday March 22 at 10:00 am.
RPM is by far my favorite of all the car evaluation shows. They do a great job in providing the consumer with honest opinions about the quality of cars on the market. So if you can understand some French it's well worth tuning in. You can also visit their web site www.productionrpm.com to see the whole evaluation on line after the show has aired. It also repeats the next Saturday.

It will be interresting to see how the little smart fairs as they have a 0km to 100km test that will certainly not win over the ''fast car'' crowd. I hope they keep things in perspective but I think it deserves a true honest evaluation. I'm certain it will stand up well in the quality and stability tests.

We can discuss next week for those who have tuned in.

Marc

Shifting Problems

2009-03-13T21:54:47.067Z

I'm reposting this in the ''Performance & Modifications'' section in case I get a quicker responce.
I've encountered a problem when shifting. Last Friday I was on my way home when suddenly I noticed a jurk between shifting. It felt like I was driving a standard with a clutch and didn't know how to manage a clutch. It was very hesitant between shift and lurched violently into the next gear. Once into the required gear everything ran smoothly until the next shift up or down. The problem went away the next morning but by the afternoon the problem had returned. The mechanic at the smart dealership is stumped. They reprogramed the car and thought they had fixed the problem. I drove it without any hint of and issue the rest of the day after picking up the car. The next morning the problem returned with a vengence. I made my way back to the dealership which was a good 65 km away. They've had my car now for 1 week and are waiting for for Mercedes to guide them through the problem. Can anyone out there tell me if they have envountered this problem before? HELP!!!

Transmission Shifting problems

2009-03-12T20:46:10.129Z

I'm sending this message to the whole smart community to see if you have encountered the following problem. When shifting up or down the shift feels like someone is driving a standard and doesn't know how to haddle a clutch. This problem came on suddendly on my way home last Friday night. It went away the next day for a while but started acting up again just as I was passing by a smart dealership. They reprogramed it and said it was not a mechanical problem. I took it back on Tuesday and it was fine for the rest of the day. The next morning I took it to work and the same problem started up again. I limped my way back to the dealership and they've had it ever since and are unable to find the problem. They are awaiting direction from Mercedes Benz as to what might be the problem. Anyone outthere ever had this happen. Comments please.

Thank you,
Marc from Ottawa

Double Horn a great add on

2008-07-16T15:18:02.692Z

Well, I had ordered my double horn with my car but it came in last. When I had to bring my car in because of the Gear Shift problem (stuck in N or D) they did my first oil change at 11,000 km (instead of 15,000) and I had my new Double Horn installed.
I'm glad to report that it sounds nice and loud just like a BIG car. No more faint cartoon beep.... pun intended.

Marc