2008 SMART FORTWO COUPE Owners Manual

Vehicle care
224
>> Operation
Care tipsRegular and proper care will help to maintain
the value of your vehicle. The best way to pro

tect your vehicle from harmful environmental
influences is to wash it and use protective
treatments regularly.
smart recommends that you care for the
paintwork at least twice a year (e.g. in the
spring and autumn).
!
Follow the care tips. Wash your vehicle
preferably by hand.
While in operation, even while parked, your
vehicle is subjected to varying external influ

ences which, if gone unchecked, can attack
the paintwork as well as the vehicle underbody
and cause lasting damage.Such damage is caused not only by extreme
and varying climatic conditions, but also by:
•Air pollution
• Road salt
•Tar
• Gravel and stone chipping
To avoid paint damage, you should
immediately remove:
•Insects
• Bird droppings
• Tree sap, etc.
• Grease and oil
•Break fluid
•Coolant
•Fuel
•Tar spots
!
Failure to remove such dirt immediately
can cause damage to the paint or the soft top
fabric*. Environmental influences are not
covered by the smart Limited Warranty.
G
Warning!
Many cleaning products can be hazard

ous. Some are poisonous, others are
flammable. Always follow the instructions
on the particular container. Always open
your vehicle’s doors or windows when
cleaning the inside.
Never use fluids or solvents that are not
designed for cleaning your vehicle.
Always lock away cleaning products and
keep them out of reach of children.

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225
Frequent washing reduces and/or eliminates
the aggressiveness and potency of the above
adverse influences.
More frequent washings are necessary to deal
with unfavorable conditions:
• near the ocean
• in industrial areas (smoke, exhaust emis

sions)
• during winter operation
You should check your vehicle from time to
time for stone chipping or other damage. Any
damage should be repaired as soon as possi

ble to prevent corrosion.
In doing so, do not neglect the underbody of
the vehicle. A prerequisite for a thorough
check is a washing of the underbody followed
by a thorough inspection. Damaged areas
need to be re
undercoated.Your vehicle has been treated at the factory
with a wax
base rustproofing in the body
cavities which will last for the lifetime of the
vehicle. Post
production treatment is neither
necessary nor recommended by smart
because of the possibility of incompatibility
between materials used in the production
process and others applied later.
We have selected vehicle
care products and
compiled recommendations which are special

ly matched to our vehicles and which always
reflect the latest technology. You can obtain
smart approved vehicle
care products at an
authorized smart center.Scratches, corrosive deposits, corrosion or
damage due to negligent or incorrect care
cannot always be removed or repaired with
the vehicle
care products recommended
here. In such cases it is best to seek aid at an
authorized smart center.
The following topics deal with the cleaning and
care of your vehicle and give important
“how
to” information as well as references to
smart approved vehicle
care products.

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Vehicle careContact an authorized smart center for rec

ommended and approved care products.i
Advice on caring for the soft top system,
see (
page 230).
!
To avoid damage to interior equipment and materials: Never rub roughly or use cleaning spirits on the cloth upholstery, never use strong
agents, stain remover etc. on the leather upholstery. Never scour ore use solvent on plastic parts. Never use strong and aggressive agents on
windows, do not touch the inside of the windows with hard objects such as an ice scraper or ring, doing so may damage the windows.
G
Warning!
After washing the vehicle, the brakes may
still be wet and thus their functionality
impaired. Therefore, when you start off,
brake lightly several times without en

dangering traffic.
Interior
Special considerations
Light soiling
Heavy soiling
Cloth upholstery
Use a clean, lint
free cloth
Light soap suds
Stain remover (test on an incon

spicuous place first)
Plastic parts
Use a color
fast cloth
Damp, clean cloth, cockpit spray
Damp, clean cloth, cockpit spray
Leather upholstery
Use a clean, color
fast cloth
Clean cloth with lukewarm water,
leather care product
Leather care product
Windows
Damp, clean cloth, microfiber
cloth, glass cleaner
Microfiber cloth, glass cleaner

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227
!
To avoid damage to exterior surfaces never do the following: Use aggressive paint cleaner, machine polish, abrasive cleanser, acidic, highly
alkaline agents, abrasive sponges, high
pressure or hot water cleaning equipment
Exterior
Special considerations
Lightly soiled
Hand
/Automatic car washes
Heavily soiled
Hand
/Automatic car washes
tridion safety cell, black
Powder coated single
coat paint
finish
Car shampoo concentrate, insect
remover for insect remains, polish
Car shampoo concentrate, hard
wax, insect remover for insect re

mains, polish
tridion safety cell, silver
Powder coated single
coat paint
finish and clearcoat
Highly polished plastic parts
(body panels)
Body panels with base coat and
clearcoat or clearcoat only
Wheels and wheel covers
Two
layer metallic paint (high

gloss)
Car shampoo concentrate, rim
care
Car shampoo concentrate, rim
care
Retractable soft top
PAC fabric
Car shampoo concentrate, soft top
cleaner, impregnation spray
Car shampoo concentrate, soft top
cleaner, impregnation spray

Vehicle care
228
>> Operation Removing insects
Remove insect remains before you start to
wash the vehicle.
>Spray insect remover on.
>Allow insect remover to work in briefly.
>Rub in gently with a soft cloth or sponge.
>Rinse with plenty of water.
>Treat the cleaned surface with hard wax.
Removing tar
Remove any tar marks before washing the
vehicle.
>Apply tar remover with a soft cloth.
>Allow tar remover to work in briefly.
>Rub in gently.
>Rinse with plenty of water.
>Treat the cleaned surface with hard wax.Vehicle washing
In the winter, thoroughly remove all traces of
road salt as soon as possible.
When washing the vehicle underbody, do not
forget to clean the inner sides of the wheels.
Washing your vehicle by hand
>Wash the vehicle using car shampoo
concentrate and a sponge.
>Rinse with clean water.
>Towel dry the vehicle.
!
Do not wash the vehicle in direct sunlight.
The body panel surfaces and paint finish may
be damaged.
Washing your vehicle in an automatic car wash
i
When running your vehicle through an
automatic car wash, water droplets can run
down the inside of the side windows.Unscrew your vehicle’s antenna before
driving into an automatic car wash.
1
Antenna
>Removing: Unscrew antenna
1 counter

clockwise.
>Fitting: Screw antenna
1 in clockwise. P82.62
3091
31

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229
Power washer!
Never use a round nozzle to powerwash
tires. The intense jet of water can result in
damage to the tires. Always replace a dam

aged tire.
Do not aim directly at electrical parts,
electrical connectors, seals, or other rubber
parts. The distance should be at least 4 in
(10 cm) and the water temperature must not
exceed 140°F (60°C). Follow the instructions
provided by the power washer manufacturer
on maintaining a distance between the vehicle
and the nozzle of the power washer.
Always keep the jet of water moving across the
surface.Wheel trim cap
>Wash the wheel trim cap with shampoo and a
soft brush or in the car wash.
Decorative foils
!
Decorative foils are permanently adhered
to the painted parts of the vehicle and cannot
be removed.
!
Do not expose the foils to solvents, gaso

line or diesel.
i
When cleaning with a power washer, note
the following guideline values:
• Water temperature max. 176°F (80°C)
• Minimum distance 11.81 in (30 cm)
• Jet of water strike at a right angle
Paintwork careThe frequency with which you care for your
paintwork is dependent on
• how much the vehicle is used
• where you normally park the vehicle
(e.g. in a garage or under a tree)
•the season
• weather and environmental influences
Rectifying paintwork damage
You can use a touch
up paint pen to repair
minimal stone chip damage and scratches.
Recommended touch
up paint pens can be ob

tained in a smart center.i
For any major paintwork damage, please
contact a smart center.

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Soft top system (cabrio only)Regular care will protect the retractable soft
top and the rear soft top against external
influences, helping to preserve its value. Use
only an approved soft top cleaner when re

moving dirt from the soft top.!
Never clean the soft top using a power
washer, as water could get into the inside of
the vehicle.
Cleaning the soft top fabric
!
Only clean the retractable soft top and the
rear soft top when they are closed.
Dry cleaning
>Brush the soft top fabric with a soft brush,
always working in the same direction, i.e.
from front to back.Wet cleaning
smart recommends that you use an approved
car shampoo concentrate and soft top clean

er.
>"Dry clean" the vehicle first.
>Wash the soft top off using a soft brush or
sponge and plenty of lukewarm water.
>Then rinse thoroughly with clear water.
i
If you have the vehicle cleaned in a car
wash, you may find that some water gets into
the interior.
Exterior
Repair options
Plastic parts (body
panels) with
clearcoat
Clearcoat touch
up
paint pen
Body panels with
base coat and
clearcoat
recommended touch

up paint pen set in
the relevant color
tridion safety cell
recommended
touch
up paint pen
set in the relevant
color

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