2008 SMART FORTWO COUPE tires

Driving safety systems
76
>> Safety.
Activating the hazard warning
flasher after an emergency
braking maneuver If you bring the vehicle to a complete stop by
hard braking at a speed of more than 43 mph
(70 km/h), the hazard warning flasher auto

matically comes on as soon as the vehicle is at
a standstill. The hazard warning flasher will
remain on until it is switched off using the
hazard warning flasher switch (

page 107)
or until the speed of the vehicle has exceeded
6mph (10km/h).
G
Warning!
The hydraulic brake assistant cannot
prevent the natural laws of physics from
acting on the vehicle, nor can it increase
braking efficiency beyond that afforded
by the condition of the vehicle brakes and
tires or the traction afforded. The
hydraulic brake assistant cannot prevent
accidents, including those resulting from
excessive speed in turns, following
another vehicle too closely, or hydro

planing. Only a safe, attentive, and skillful
driver can prevent accidents. The capa

bilities of a hydraulic brake assistant
equipped vehicle must never be exploited
in a reckless or dangerous manner which
could jeopardize the user’s safety or the
safety of others.

>> OperationThe first 1 000 miles (1 500 km) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
At the gas station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Front compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Winter driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Driving instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Driving abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Vehicle care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224

Tires and wheels
182
>> Operation Contact an authorized smart center for infor

mation on tested and recommended rims and
tires for summer and winter operation. They
can also offer advice concerning tire service
and purchase.
Modifications to the brake system and wheels
and the use of spacer and brake dust rings
are not permissible.
Important guidelines• Only use sets of tires and rims of the same
type and make.
• Tires must be of the correct size for the
rim.
• Break in new tires for approximately
60 miles (100 km) at moderate speeds.
• Regularly check the tires and rims for
damage. Dented or bent rims can cause tire
inflation pressure loss and damage to the
tire beads.
• If vehicle is heavily loaded, check tire infla

tion pressure and correct as required.
• Do not allow your tires to wear down too far.
Adhesion properties on wet roads are
sharply reduced at tread depths of less
than
1/8in (3 mm).
G
Warning!
Replace rims or tires with the same des

ignation, manufacturer and type as shown
on the original part. Contact an autho

rized smart center for further informa

tion. If incorrectly sized rims and tires
are mounted:
• The wheel brakes or suspension
components can be damaged.
• The operating clearance of the wheels
and the tires may no longer be correct.
G
Warning!
Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If the
tire tread is badly worn, or if the tires
have sustained damage, replace them.
When replacing rims, only use genuine
smart wheel bolts specified for the
particular rim type. Failure to do so can
result in the bolts loosening and possibly
an accident.
Retreaded tires are not tested or recom

mended by smart, since previous damage
cannot always be recognized on retreads.
The operating safety of the vehicle can

not be assured when such tires are used.

Tires and wheels
>> Operation
183 Tire care and maintenance
Regularly check your tire inflation pressure
at least once a month. For more information on
checking tire inflation pressure, see
"Recommended tire inflation pressure"
(
page 189)
.
Tire inspection
Every time you check the tire inflation pres

sure, you should also inspect your tires for
the following:
• excessive treadwear (

page 183)
• cord or fabric showing through the tire’s
rubber
• bumps, bulges, cuts, cracks or splits in the
tread or side of the tire
Replace the tire if you find any of the above
conditions.
Life of tire
The service life of a tire is dependent upon
varying factors including but not limited to:
•Driving style
• Tire inflation pressure
•Distance drivenTread depth
Do not allow your tires to wear down too far.
Adhesion properties on wet roads are sharply
reduced at tread depths of less than
1/8in
(3 mm)
.
Treadwear indicators (TWI) are required by
law. These indicators are located in six places
on the tread circumference and become visi

ble at a tread depth of approximately
1/16in
(1.6 mm), at which point the tire is considered
worn and should be replaced.
Recommended minimum tire tread depth:
Summer tires
1/8in (3 mm)
Winter tires
1/6in (4 mm)
G
Warning!
Regularly check the tires for damage.
Damaged tires can cause tire inflation
pressure loss. As a result, you could lose
control of your vehicle.
Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If the
tire tread is badly worn, or if the tires
have sustained damage, replace them.
G
Warning!
Tires should be replaced after 6 years,
regardless of the remaining tread.

Tires and wheels
184
>> Operation
1
TWI (T
read W
ear I
ndicator)
The treadwear indicator appears as a solid
band across the tread.
Storing tires
!
Keep unmounted tires in a cool, dry place
with as little exposure to light as possible.
Protect tires from contact with oil, grease and
gasoline.Cleaning tires
!
Never use a round nozzle to power wash
tires. The intense jet of water can result in
damage to the tire.
Always replace a damaged tire.
Direction of rotationUnidirectional tires offer added advantages,
such as better hydroplaning performance.
To benefit, however, you must make sure the
tires rotate in the direction specified.
An arrow on the sidewall indicates the
intended direction of rotation (spinning) of
the tire.
G
Warning!
Although the applicable federal motor
safety laws consider a tire to be worn
when the treadwear indicators (TWI) be

come visible at approximately
1/16in
(1.6 mm), we recommend that you do not
allow your tires to wear down to that
level. As tread depth approaches 1/8in
(3 mm), the adhesion properties on a wet
road are sharply reduced.
Depending upon the weather and/or road
surface (conditions), the tire traction
varies widely.

Tires and wheels
>> Operation
185 Loading the vehicle
Two labels on your vehicle show how much
weight it may properly carry.
1) The Tire and Loading Information placard
can be found on the driver’s door B
pillar.
This placard tells you important informa

tion about the number of people that can
be in the vehicle and the total weight that
can be carried in the vehicle. It also con

tains information on the proper size and
recommended tire inflation pressures for
the original equipment tires on your vehi

cle.2) The certification label, also found on the
driver’s door B
pillar, tells you about the
gross weight capacity of your vehicle,
called the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR). The GVWR includes the weight of
the vehicle, all occupants, fuel and cargo.
The certification label also tells you about
the front and rear axle weight capacity,
called the Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR). The GAWR is the total allowable
weight that can be carried by a single axle
(front or rear). Never exceed the GVWR or
GAWR for either the front axle or rear
axle.
1
Driver’s door B
pillar
Following is a discussion on how to work with
the information contained on the Tire and
Loading Information placard with regards to
loading your vehicle.

Tires and wheels
186
>> Operation Tire and Loading InformationTire and Loading Information placard
i
Data shown on Tire and Loading Informa

tion placard example are for illustration pur

poses only. Load limit data are specific to
each vehicle and may vary from data shown in
the following illustration. Refer to Tire and
Loading Information placard on vehicle for
actual data specific to your vehicle.
1
Load limit information on the Tire and
Loading Information placardThe Tire and Loading Information placard
showing the load limit information is located
on the driver’s door B
pillar (

page 185).
>Locate the statement "The combined weight
of occupants and cargo should never
exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs." on the Tire and
Loading Information placard.
The combined weight of all occupants and
cargo / luggage should never exceed the
weight referenced in that statement.
Seating capacity
The seating capacity gives you important
information on the number of occupants that
can be in the vehicle. The Tire and Loading
Information placard showing the seating
capacity is located on the driver’s door
B
pillar (

page 185)
.
G
Warning!
Do not overload the tires by exceeding
the specified load limit as indicated on
the Tire and Loading Information placard
on the driver’s door B
pillar. Overload

ing the tires can overheat them, possibly
causing a blowout. Overloading the tires
can also result in handling or steering
problems, or brake failure.

Tires and wheels
>> Operation
187
i
Data shown on Tire and Loading Informa

tion placard example are for illustration pur

poses only. Seating capacity data are specific
to each vehicle and may vary from data shown
in the following illustration. Refer to Tire and
Loading Information placard on vehicle for
actual data specific to your vehicle.
1
Seating capacity information on the Tire
and Loading Information placardSteps for determining correct load limit
The following steps have been developed as
required of all manufacturers under Title 49,
Code of U.S. Federal Regulations, Part 575
pursuant to the "National Traffic and Motor
Vehicle Safety Act of 1966".
Step 1
>Locate the statement "The combined weight
of occupants and cargo should never ex

ceed XXX kg or XXX lbs." on your vehicle’s
Tire and Loading Information placard.
Step 2
>Determine the combined weight of the
driver and passenger that will be riding in
your vehicle.
Step 3
>Subtract the combined weight of the driver
and passenger from XXX kilograms or
XXX lbs.Step 4
>The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the "XXX" amount equals
540 lbs and there will be one 150 lbs
passenger in your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage load capacity
is 390 lbs (540 lbs
150 lbs = 390 lbs).
Step 5
>Determine the combined weight of luggage
and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. That
weight may not safely exceed the available
cargo and luggage load capacity calculated
in step 4.
i
The maximum cargo compartment load is
100 lbs (50 kg).