2008 SMART FORTWO COUPE tow

Transmission
130
>> Controls.The current gear selector lever position
appears in the transmission position indicator
(

page 137).
Effect
í
Reverse gear
Shift into reverse gearR only when
vehicle is stopped.
ë
Neutral position
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive axle. When the
brakes are released, the vehicle
can be moved freely (pushed or
towed).
Effect
ê
Drive position
The transmission shifts auto

matically.
M
Manual gearshifting
System
controlled automatic gear

shifting is switched off. The driver
has to change the gears manually.
G
Warning!
Getting out of your vehicle with the gear
selector lever not fully engaged in park
positionP is dangerous. When the engine
is shut off and the brakes are released,
the vehicle can be moved freely with the
gear selector lever in all positions ex

cept park position P. Also, park
positionP alone is not intended to or
capable of preventing your vehicle from
moving, possibly hitting people or
objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition
to shifting to park positionP
(
page 125).
When parked on an incline, turn the front
wheels towards the road curb.
Do not park this vehicle in areas where
combustible materials such as grass, hay
or leaves can come into contact with the
hot exhaust system, as these materials
could be ignited and cause a vehicle fire.

Transmission
>> Controls.
133
Steering wheel gearshift control
1
1
Left shift paddle
2
Multifunction display
3
Right shift paddleActivating manual gearshifting
>Move the gear selector lever to manual
gearshiftingM (

page 128).
System
controlled automatic gearshifting
is switched off.
You can upshift or downshift through the
gears in succession.
The currently engaged gear appears in the
transmission position indicator (

page 137).
Upshifting
>Briefly push the gear selector lever for

ward in the +direction (

page 128).
or
>Pull right shift paddle
3 (
page 133)
towards you.
The transmission shifts to the next higher
gear.
i
With manual gearshiftingM selected, the
transmission shifts up only to prevent engine
overreving.Downshifting
>Briefly pull the gear selector lever back

ward in the
direction (

page 128).
or
>Pull left shift paddle
1 (
page 133)
towards you.
The transmission shifts to the next lower
gear.
1 Model passion only.
G
Warning!
On slippery road surfaces, never down

shift in order to obtain braking action.
This could result in drive wheel slip and
reduced vehicle control. Your vehicle’s
ABS will not prevent this type of loss of
control.

Transmission
134
>> Controls. Kickdown
You can use kickdown when you want maximum
acceleration.
>Press the accelerator past the point of
resistance.
Depending on the engine speed the
transmission shifts into a lower gear.
>When you have reached the desired speed,
briefly push the gear selector lever for

ward in the +direction (

page 128).
or
>Pull right shift paddle
3 (
page 133)
towards you.
The transmission shifts to the next higher
gear.
Deactivating manual gearshifting
>Move the gear selector lever to drive
positionD (

page 128).
System
controlled automatic gearshifting
is switched on again.
Emergency operation (limp
home
mode)In this mode only a certain gear or a certain
gear combination can be selected. This mode
is triggered in case of transmission malfunc

tions and enables you driving to the nearest
workshop such as a smart center.
If vehicle acceleration becomes less respon

sive or sluggish or the transmission no longer
shifts, the transmission is most likely operat

ing in limp
home (emergency operation)
mode. The transmission position indicator
flashes and the ¬ symbol appears in the mul

tifunction display (

page 136).
Driving in limp
home mode:
>Move the gear selector lever to drive
positionD (

page 128).
>Continue to drive.
>Have the transmission checked at an autho

rized smart center as soon as possible.
i
It is possible that a gear combination in

cluding the reverse gear can not be selected.
Keep in mind when parking, that reversing the
vehicle might be impossible.
In case of a minor transmission malfunction, it
might be possible to teach
in the transmis

sion in order to restore the normal transmis

sion mode.
i
If the attempt to teach
in the transmission
fails, you cannot continue to drive. Therefore
we strongly recommend that you have the
transmission taught
in at a qualified work

shop or at an authorized smart center.
Teaching
in the transmission system:
>Stop the vehicle in a safe location.
>Move the gear selector lever to park
positionP.
>Turn off the engine.
>Wait at least 30 seconds before restarting.

Air vents
146
>> Controls.To make sure that the
•heating
•climate control*
works properly, please observe the following:
• Keep the air intake grill free from deposits,
e.g. ice or snow, to ensure that fresh air can
flow freely into the vehicle interior.
• Do not obstruct air vents or ventilation
grilles in the vehicle interior.
Opening and closing air vents> Opening: Turn slider
2,3,5, or
6
inwards towards the center console.
>Closing: Turn slider
2,3,5, or
6 fully
outwards towards the side window.
Adjusting air vents>Turn slider
2,3,5, or
6 to the left,
right, up, or down.
i
For draft
free ventilation, move the
sliders for the center air vents and side air
vents to the middle position.
G
Warning!
When operating the
•heating
•climate control*
the air that enters the passenger com

partment through the air vents can be
very hot or very cold (depending on the
set temperature). This may cause burns
or frostbite on unprotected skin in the
immediate area of the air vents. Always
keep sufficient distance between unpro

tected parts of the body and the air
vents. If necessary, use the air distribu

tion control to direct the air to air vents
in the vehicle interior that are not in the
immediate area of unprotected skin.

Heating
148
>> Controls.
Switching heating on/off>Switching on: Make sure that the key in the
starter switch is turned to position1.
>Push temperature control
4 up.
> Switching off: Push temperature control
4
fully down.
Setting the temperaturei
You should raise or lower the temperature
setting in small increments.
> Increasing or decreasing: Push tempera

ture control
4 up or down.
Rapid cooling
>Push air volume control
1 fully up.
>Turn air distribution control
3 to
positiona.
>Push temperature control
4 fully down.
>Adjust the air vents as desired.
Rapid heating
>Push air volume control
1 to level3.
>Turn air distribution control
3 to a posi

tion betweenP andY.
>Push temperature control
4 fully up.
>Adjust the air vents towards the occupants.
Adjusting air distributionYou can adjust the air distribution using air
distribution control
3.
The following symbols are found on the air
distribution control:
G
Warning!
Follow the recommended settings for
heating and cooling given on the following
pages. Otherwise the windows could fog
up, impairing visibility and endangering
you and others.
Symbol
Function
P
Directs air to the windshield
and side windows
Y
Directs air to the footwells and
air distribution is reduced at
the center and side air vents
a
Directs air through the center
and side air vents

Loading and storing
>> Controls.
163
The gross vehicle weight which is the weight
of the vehicle including fuel, tools, installed
accessories, passengers, and luggage/cargo
must never exceed the load limit and the
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) for your
vehicle as specified on the placard located on
the driver’s door B
pillar (

page 293). In
addition, the load must be distributed in such
a way so that the weight on each axle never
exceeds the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR)
for the front and rear axle. The GVWR and
GAWR for your vehicle are indicated on the
certification label which can be found on the
driver’s door B
pillar (

page 293).
For more information, see "Tire and Loading
Information" (

page 185).
The handling characteristics of a fully loaded
vehicle depend greatly on the load distribu

tion. It is therefore recommended to load the
vehicle with the heaviest items being placed
towards the front of the vehicle.Please pay attention to and comply with the
following instructions when loading the
vehicle and transporting cargo:
• Always place items being carried against
seat backrests, and fasten them as securely
as possible.
• The heaviest portion of the cargo should
always be kept as low as possible against
seat backrests.
• Do not stack loads higher than the top edge
of the head restraints.
• Make sure that no luggage/cargo items can
get above or next to the driver’s and/or
passenger seat into the passenger com

partment.
• Make sure that luggage/cargo is properly
secured.
• Always use, if so equipped, cargo net* when
transporting cargo.
G
Warning!
Do not store any flammable substances
inside the vehicle that could ignite and
start a fire. G
Warning!
The manufacturer has not approved your
vehicle for towing a trailer. A trailer can
permanently impair driving safety.

At the gas station
>> Operation
169 Refueling
!
Do not put diesel in vehicles with gasoline
engines. Do not mix gasoline with diesel. Even
small quantities of diesel will damage the in

jection system. Damage caused by adding die

sel will not be covered by the smart Limited
Warranty.
If diesel has mixed with gasoline, do not start
the engine. Otherwise the catalytic converter
will be irreparably damaged.
Contact an authorized smart center or Road

side Assistance immediately and have the ve

hicle towed.
!
Damage resulting from mixing gasoline
with diesel fuel is not covered by the smart
Limited Warranty.
The fuel filler flap is located on the passenger
side towards the rear.
Locking/unlocking the vehicle with the key
automatically locks/unlocks the fuel filler flap.
i
In case the central locking system does
not release the fuel filler flap, or the opening
mechanisms is clamping, contact Roadside As

sistance or an authorized smart center.
1
Opening the fuel filler flap
2
Tether
3
Fuel type label
G
Warning!
Gasoline is highly flammable and poison

ous. It burns violently and can cause
serious personal injury.
Never allow sparks, flame or smoking
materials near gasoline!
Turn off the engine before refueling.
Never allow fire, sparks, flame, or com

bustible materials near gasoline!
Direct skin contact with gasoline and the
inhalation of gasoline vapors are damag

ing to your health.

Driving instructions
212
>> Operation
BrakesRefer to the description of the hydraulic
brake assistant (

page 75).
!
Because the ESP
® operates automatically,
the engine must be shut off (key in starter
switch position0) when
• the parking brake is being tested on a
brake test dynamometer
• the vehicle is being towed with the front
axle raised
Active braking action through the
ESP
® may
otherwise seriously damage the brake system
which is not covered by the smart Limited
Warranty.Brake pad wear or a leak in the brake system
may be the reason for low brake fluid level in
the brake fluid reservoir.
The brake fluid level in the brake fluid
reservoir may be too low if the brake warning
lamp in the instrument cluster comes on
(

page 34) although the parking brake is
released.
Have the brake system inspected immediately.
Contact an authorized smart center.
All checks and service work on the brake
system should be carried out by qualified
technicians only. Contact an authorized smart
center.
Only install brake pads and use brake fluid
recommended by smart.Inclines
!
When driving down long and steep grades,
relieve the load on the brakes by shifting into
a lower gear to use the engine’s braking
power. This helps prevent overheating of the
brakes and reduces brake pad wear.
When using the engine’s braking power, a
drive wheel may not spin for an extended pe

riod of time, e.g. on slippery road surfaces.
This may cause serious damage to the drive

train which is not covered by the smart
Limited Warranty.
G
Warning!
Make sure not to endanger any other
road users when carrying out braking
maneuvers.