2008 SMART FORTWO COUPE instrument cluster

Occupant safety
54
>> Safety. When the emergency tensioning device is
triggered, the SRS indicator lamp= in the
instrument cluster illuminates, see "SRS indi

cator lamp" (

page 246).The belt force limiter is designed to operate
in unison with the front air bag, which absorbs
a portion of the seat belt's decelerating forc

es, distributing the load over a larger area.
In the event of a head
on or rear
end colli

sion, the emergency tensioning device is ac

tivated if the vehicle is decelerated or
accelerated sufficiently in the longitudinal di

rection at the start of impact with the ignition
switched on.
Air bagsAir bags can reduce the severity of injuries in
serious collisions, e.g. in a head
on collision
or a side impact.
G
Warning!
Once they have been triggered, Emer

gency Tensioning Devices will no longer
function properly and must be replaced.
smart recommends that you visit a quali

fied workshop to have this done. In par

ticular, work relevant to safety or on
safety
related systems must be carried
out at a qualified specialist workshop.
Comply with safety regulations when
disposing of Emergency Tensioning De

vices. These regulations are available at
any smart center.
G
Warning!
Air bags are designed to reduce the
potential of injury in certain frontal
impacts (front air bags), or side impacts
(head
thorax air bags) which may cause
significant injuries. However, no system
available today can completely eliminate
injuries and fatalities.

Occupant safety
58
>> Safety. How the air bag operates
The air bag is inflated in a matter of
milliseconds. If the air bag is triggered, the
SRS indicator lamp in the instrument cluster
illuminates.
!
If the air bags are activated, you will hear
a loud noise and some dust may be generated.
The explosion fundamentally represents no
risk to your hearing.
The inflated air bag slows down and reduces
the movement of the occupant. When the
occupant makes contact with the air bag, hot
gas flows out of the inflated front air bags and
head
thorax air bags. This reduces the load
on the occupant’s head and upper body. These
air bags are consequently deflated after the
accident.Head
thorax air bags
G
Warning!
There is a possibility for a head
thorax
air bag related injury if occupants, espe

cially children, are not properly seated
or restrained when next to a head
thorax
air bag which needs to deploy rapidly in a
side impact in order to do its job.
To help avoid the possibility of injury,
please follow these guidelines:
(1) Occupants, especially children,
should never place their bodies or
lean their heads in the area of the
door where the head
thorax air bag
inflates. This could result in serious
injuries or death should the head

thorax air bag be deployed.
(2) Always sit as upright as possible,
properly use the seat belts, and for all
children 12 years old or under, use an
appropriately sized infant restraint,
toddler restraint, or booster seat
recommended for the size and weight
of the child.
(3) Always wear seat belts properly.G
Warning!
Only use seat covers which have been
tested and approved by smart for your
vehicle model. Using other seat covers
may interfere with or prevent the deploy

ment of the head
thorax air bags.
Contact an authorized smart center for
availability.

Driving safety systems
72
>> Safety.
i
In winter operation, the maximum effec

tiveness of the ABS, the hydraulic brake
assistant and the ESP
® is only achieved with
winter tires (

page 208) or snow chains* as
required.
Antilock brake system (ABS)The A
ntilock B
rake S
ystem (ABS) regulates the
brake pressure so that the wheels do not lock
during braking. This allows you to maintain the
ability to steer your vehicle.
On slippery road surfaces, the ABS will
respond even to light brake pressure.
The ABS indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster (

page 34) comes on when you switch
on the ignition. It goes out when the engine is
running.Braking
At the instant one of the wheels is about to
lock up, a slight pulsation can be felt in the
brake pedal, indicating that the ABS is regu

lating the brake pressure.
>Keep firm and steady pressure on the brake
pedal while experiencing the pulsation.
Continuous, steady brake pedal pressure
yields the advantages provided by the ABS,
namely braking power and the ability to steer
the vehicle.
A pulsating brake pedal can be an indication
of hazardous road conditions and functions as
a reminder to take extra care while driving.
G
Warning!
The following factors increase the risk of
accidents:
• Excessive speed, especially in turns
• Wet and slippery road surfaces
• Following another vehicle too closely
The driving safety systems described in
this section cannot reduce these risks or
prevent the natural laws of physics from
acting on the vehicle.
Always adapt your driving style to the
prevailing road and weather and traffic
conditions and keep a safe distance to
other road users and objects on the
street.
G
Warning!
Do not pump the brake pedal. Use firm,
steady brake pedal pressure instead.
Pumping the brake pedal defeats the
purpose of the ABS and significantly
reduces braking effectiveness.

Driving safety systems
>> Safety.
73
Emergency brake maneuver
>Keep continuous full pressure on the brake
pedal.
Electronic Stability Program
(ESP)Your vehicle is equipped with the E
lectronic
S
tability P
rogram (ESP
®). The ESP
® is opera

tional as soon as the engine is running and it
monitors the vehicle’s traction (force of ad

hesive friction between the tires and the road
surface) and handling.
The ESP
® recognizes when a wheel is spinning
or if the vehicle starts to skid.
By applying brakes to the appropriate wheel
and by limiting the engine output, the ESP
®
works to stabilize the vehicle.
The ESP
® is especially useful while driving off
and on wet or slippery road surfaces.
The ESP® also stabilizes the vehicle during
braking and steering maneuvers.
The ESP® warning lampv in the instrument
cluster flashes when the ESP
® is engaged.
G
Warning!
When the ABS is malfunctioning, the
hydraulic brake assistant and the ESP
®
are also switched off.
When the ABS is malfunctioning, the
wheels may lock during hard braking,
reducing steering capability and extend

ing the braking distance.
G
Warning!
The ABS cannot prevent the natural laws
of physics from acting on the vehicle, nor
can it increase braking or steering effi

ciency beyond that afforded by the con

dition of the vehicle brakes and tires or
the traction afforded. The ABS cannot
prevent accidents, including those
resulting from excessive speed in turns,
following another vehicle too closely, or
hydroplaning. Only a safe, attentive, and
skillful driver can prevent accidents. The
capabilities of an ABS equipped vehicle
must never be exploited in a reckless or
dangerous manner which could jeopar

dize the user’s safety or the safety of
others.

Driving safety systems
74
>> Safety. The ESP
® warning lampv in the instrument
cluster comes on when you switch on the igni

tion. It goes out when the engine is running.
Depending on the driving situation, the ESP
®
• will reduce the speed,
• selectively brakes individual wheels,
• equalizes the speed of the driven wheels,
• stabilizes the vehicle when braking,
• assists you in evasive maneuvers on all
roads.
G
Warning!
If the ESP
® warning lampv in the
instrument cluster flashes, proceed as
follows:
• While driving off, apply as little throttle
as possible.
• While driving, ease up on the accelera

tor.
• Adapt your speed and driving style to
the prevailing road conditions.
Failure to observe these guidelines could
cause the vehicle to skid.
The ESP
® cannot prevent accidents
resulting from excessive speed.
G
Warning!
The ESP
® cannot prevent the natural laws
of physics from acting on the vehicle, nor
can it increase the traction afforded. The
ESP
® cannot prevent accidents, including
those resulting from excessive speed in
turns, or hydroplaning. Only a safe,
attentive, and skillful driver can prevent
accidents. The capabilities of an ESP
®
equipped vehicle must never be exploited
in a reckless or dangerous manner which
could jeopardize the user’s safety or the
safety of others.

>> Controls.Opening and closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Starter switch positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Seat belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Windshield wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Soft top system (cabrio only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Side windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Driving and parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Instrument cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Audio system* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Air vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Air conditioning with climate control* . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Rear window defroster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Loading and storing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Useful features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

Starter switch positions
>> Controls.
91
Starter switch0For removing key
1Ignition (power supply for all electrical
consumers) and driving position
All lamps (except low beam headlamp
indicator lamp, high beam headlamp
indicator lamp, and turn signal indicator
lamps unless activated) in the instrument
cluster come on. If a lamp in the instru

ment cluster fails to come on when the
ignition is switched on, have it checked
and replaced if necessary. If a lamp in the
instrument cluster remains on after start

ing the engine or comes on while driving,
refer to "Warning and indicator lamps in
the instrument cluster" (

page 237).
2Starting (

page 122)
i
When you switch on the ignition, the indi

cator and warning lamps (except low beam
headlamp indicator lamp, high beam headlamp
indicator lamp, and turn signal indicator
lamps unless activated) in the instrument
cluster come on. The indicator and warning
lamps (except low beam headlamp indicator
lamp, high beam headlamp indicator lamp, and
turn signal indicator lamps if activated) will go
out when the engine is running. This indicates
that the respective systems are operational. P82.00
2491
31

Lighting
102
>> Controls. Parking lamps
You can switch on and off the parking lamps
with exterior lamp switch using the manual
headlamp mode.
>Switching on: Turn the exterior lamp switch
to positionC.
The parking lamps come on.
The following lamps also come on:
• Tail lamps
• License plate lamps
• Side marker lamps
Low beam headlamps
You can switch on and off the low beam
headlamps with exterior lamp switch using the
manual headlamp mode.>Switching on: Turn the exterior lamp switch
to positionB.
The low beam headlamps come on.
The low beam headlamp indicator lamp¡
in the instrument cluster comes on.
The following lamps also come on:
• Tail and parking lamps
• License plate lamps
• Side marker lamps
Automatic headlamp mode
1
The following lamps come on and go out auto

matically depending on the brightness of the
ambient light:
• Low beam headlamps
• Tail and parking lamps
•License plate lamps
• Side marker lamps1 Vehicles with rain
light sensor* only.
G
Warning!
If the exterior lamp switch is set to
positionU, the headlamps will not be
automatically switched on under foggy
conditions.
To minimize risk to you and to others,
activate headlamps by turning exterior
lamp switch to positionB when
driving or when traffic and/or ambient
lighting conditions require you to do so.
In low ambient lighting conditions, only
switch from positionU toB with
the vehicle at a standstill in a safe
location. Switching from positionU
toB will briefly switch off the
headlamps. Doing so while driving in low
ambient lighting conditions may result in
an accident.
The automatic headlamp feature is only
an aid to the driver. The driver is
responsible for the operation of the
vehicle’s lights at all times.