Hi everyone.
When I turn my car on, I get a flashing wrench and my odometer reads -4. It blinks (both of them) for about 30 seconds and then disappears. The manual says that it is telling me I have a problem, but no where in the manual does it tell me what the 4 is, or what it means when the wrench is flashing (my manual say that the wrench should be not flashing).
Anyone out there had this happen yet?
My smart is a 2008.
thanks
Susan
When I turn my car on, I get a flashing wrench and my odometer reads -4. It blinks (both of them) for about 30 seconds and then disappears. The manual says that it is telling me I have a problem, but no where in the manual does it tell me what the 4 is, or what it means when the wrench is flashing (my manual say that the wrench should be not flashing).
Anyone out there had this happen yet?
My smart is a 2008.
thanks
Susan
Replies to This Discussion
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9000 km 5625 miles
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The wrench is the maintenance service indicator. See page 136 of the USA owners manual.
The 4 is the distance remaining before the service is required... in your case 4 miles.... hence it is flashing to get your attention.
Pressing the lever on the left hand side of the display twice should bring up the service indicator wrench and the distance to your next service.
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ok. But in my service manual, I'm not due my first oil service/ plus until 15 000 km, roughly 6000 to go or, in two months, and first maintenance until 30 000 km (2 years).
(In the Canadian Book it's on page 139, but it claims to tell you which service is needed)
this is why I'm thinking it is trying to tell me something else.
Thanks
Susan
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I have the international owners manual... page 86... One spanner for oil service plus; number either shows days or km remaining. Two spanners for periodic Maintenance with number indicating scope... as you note: that shouldn't be before 30,000 km.
I'm in Australia and the first oil service is nominally around 15,000 km. The service manager told me that it varies depending upon driving style and oil condition. He told me the car would tell me when it needed an oil change... Duhh ?
Don't know if there is an oil quality monitor in the smart... some new cars do have them (ScanGauge list a "Remaining Oil Life" sensor code for GM); I can only guess what it monitors. (Viscosity; electrical conductance; chemical contaminants... dunno.)
Do you check the oil level occasionally? If so: is it fairly clear or becoming dark and smelly? Oils will degrade faster if you do only a few km per trip. 9,000 km is notably short of 15,000 km. Does the spanner display change to something else if you press the button twice?
Best advice of course is to take it to the smart center and show it to them.
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gotta make you wonder, in the USA we have the first service at 10,000 miles. i did my first oil/filter change at 5,200 miles, i'm at 6,500 miles now. same as warranties, different here and there. i'll do my oil at 5000 miles and the other stuff as i feel like it.
i have no idea what is going on with smart, but 5000 miles with mobil 1 seems safe and reasonable.
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Permalink Reply by Cheryl Ladner on -
It is reminder that servicing is either coming up (or with the -4) it is that much overdue.
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Permalink Reply by Tom Inouye on
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My service told me that my car was 12 mons old and that is the reminder for the 12 mon 10000 periodic maintenance reminder. Since my car was a demonstrator that sat in the showroom for six months, I got my reminder six months after my purchase. The -4 is the number of days after the reminder daye.
The indicator will be reset when your car is serviced.
