2008 SMART FORTWO COUPE brake

Driving instructions
>> Operation
211 Drinking and driving Pedals Power assistance
G
Warning!
Do not drink alcohol or take drugs and
drive or allow anyone to drive who has
been drinking alcohol or taking drugs.
Even a small amount of alcohol or drugs
can affect your reflexes, perceptions and
judgment.
The possibility of a serious or even fatal
accident greatly increased when you
drink or take drugs and drive.
G
Warning!
Make sure that absolutely no objects are
obstructing the pedals’ range of move

ment. Keep the driver’s footwell clear of
all obstacles. If there are any floormats
or carpets in the footwell, make sure that
the pedals still have sufficient clearance.
During sudden driving or braking maneu

vers, the objects could get caught be

tween or beneath the pedals and restrict
your ability to brake or accelerate. This
could lead to accidents and injury.
G
Warning!
Without the engine running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and the
steering* systems. In this case, it is im

portant to keep in mind that a consider

ably higher degree of effort is necessary
to brake and steer the vehicle.

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.

Driving instructions
>> Operation
213
High and low stresses
After hard braking, it is advisable to drive on
for some time, rather than immediately park,
so that the air stream will cool down the
brakes faster.
If your brake system is normally only
subjected to moderate loads, you should
occasionally test the effectiveness of the
brakes by applying above
normal braking
pressure at higher speeds. This will also
enhance the grip of the brake pads.Wet road surfaceTo help prevent brake disk corrosion after
driving on wet road surfaces (particularly
salted roads), it is advisable to brake the
vehicle with considerable force prior to park

ing. The heat generated serves to dry the
brakes.
Limited braking effect on salted roads
Remember that the effect of the brakes can be
limited on salted road surfaces. A layer of salt
can form on brake disks and brake pads, con

siderably reducing the friction between the
brake disk and the brake pad. The effect is
most noticeable after long trips without brak

ing, e.g. on the highway, and after the vehicle
has been parked for several hours.G
Warning!
Resting your foot on the brake pedal will
cause excessive and premature wear of
the brake pads.
It can also result in the brakes overheat

ing, thereby significantly reducing their
effectiveness and your ability to stop the
vehicle in sufficient time to avoid an ac

cident.
G
Warning!
Make sure not to endanger any other
road users when carrying out these
braking maneuvers.G
Warning!
After driving in heavy rain for some time
without applying the brakes or through
water deep enough to wet brake compo

nents, the first braking action may be
somewhat reduced and increased pedal
pressure may be necessary to obtain
expected braking effect. Maintain a safe
distance from vehicles in front.
G
Warning!
Make sure not to endanger any other
road users when carrying out these
braking maneuvers.

Driving instructions
214
>> OperationNew brake pads
Only install brake pads recommended by
smart.
G
Warning!
The accumulation of salt on break disks
and brake pads reduces braking effec

tiveness and increases the distance nec

essary to come to a complete. This could
potentially cause an accident and/or
personal injury.
To avoid this risk, you should
• brake carefully every now and then on
salted roads in order to remove any
layer of salt on the brake disk and
brake pad, but do so without endanger

ing any other road users.
• keep a good safe distance from the
vehicle in front and drive carefully.
• press the brake carefully at the end of
the trip and again when beginning the
next trip in order to remove any salt
residues from the brake disk.
G
Warning!
If other than recommended brake pads
are installed, or other than recommended
brake fluid is used, the braking proper

ties of the vehicle can be degraded to an
extent that safe braking is substantially
impaired. This could result in an acci

dent.
G
Warning!
New brake pads will not achieve their
optimal braking effect until after several
hundred miles (kilometers). This means
that you must compensate for the re

duced braking effect by pressing harder
on the brake pedal and adapt your driv

ing style accordingly. The same applies
after brake pads or brake disks have
been changed.

Driving instructions
>> Operation
217
For more information, see "Tires and wheels"
(
page 182).
HydroplaningDepending on the depth of the water layer on
the road, hydroplaning may occur resulting in
a loss of control, even at low speeds and with
new tires. Reduce vehicle speed, avoid track
grooves in the road and apply brakes cau

tiously when it is raining.
Tire tractionThe safe speed on a wet, snow covered or icy
road is always lower than on a dry road.
You should pay particular attention to the
condition of the road whenever the outside
temperatures are close to the freezing point.smart recommends winter tires
(
page 208)

with a minimum tread depth of approximately 1/6in (4 mm) on all four wheels for the winter
season to ensure normal balanced handling
characteristics. On packed snow, they can
reduce your stopping distance compared to
summer tires.
Stopping distance, however, is still consider

ably greater than when the road is not cov

ered with snow or ice. Exercise appropriate
caution.
!
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an ex

tended period when driving off on slippery
road surfaces. Otherwise, the the drivetrain
c o u l d b e d a m a g e d , w h i c h i s n o t co v e r e d b y t h e
smart Limited Warranty.
G
Warning!
Do not drive with a flat tire. A flat tire will
affect your ability to steer or brake and
may cause you to lose control of the vehi

cle. Continued driving with a flat tire or
driving at high speed with a flat tire will
cause excessive heat build
up and possi

bly a fire.
G
Warning!
If ice has formed on the road, tire trac

tion will be substantially reduced. Under
such weather conditions, drive, steer and
brake with extreme caution.

Driving instructions
>> Operation
219
Road salts and chemicals can adversely affect
braking efficiency. Increased pedal force may
become necessary to produce the normal
braking effect.
Depressing the brake pedal periodically when
traveling at length on salt
strewn roads can
bring road
salt
impaired braking efficiency
back to normal.
If the vehicle is parked after being driven on
salt
treated roads, the braking efficiency
should be tested as soon as possible after
driving is resumed.For more information, see "Winter driving"
(

page 208).
Standing water!
Do not drive through flooded areas or
water of unknown depth. Before driving
through water, determine its depth. Never
accelerate before driving into water. The bow
wave could force water into the engine and
auxiliary equipment, thus damaging them.
If you must drive through standing water,
drive slowly to prevent water from entering
the passenger compartment, the front com

partment, or the engine compartment. Water
in these areas could cause damage to electri

cal components or wiring of the engine or
transmission, or could result in water being
ingested by the engine through the air intake,
causing severe internal engine damage.
Any such damage is not covered by the smart
Limited Warranty.
G
Warning!
Make sure not to endanger any other
road users when carrying out these
braking maneuvers.
G
Warning!
If the vehicle becomes stuck in snow,
make sure snow is kept clear of the
exhaust pipe and from around the vehicle
with the engine running. Otherwise,
deadly carbon monoxide (CO) gases may
enter vehicle interior resulting in uncon

sciousness and death.
To assure sufficient fresh air ventilation,
open a window slightly on the side of the
vehicle not facing the wind.G
Warning!
The outside temperature display is not
designed to serve as an ice
warning
device and is therefore unsuitable for
that purpose. Indicated temperatures
just above the freezing point do not
guarantee that the road surface is free of
ice.

Vehicle care
226
>> Operation
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

What to do if ...
>> Practical hints.
237 Warning and indicator lamps in
the instrument cluster
General information:
If any of the following lamps in the instrument
cluster fails to come on during the bulb
self
check when switching on ignition
(
page 91), have the respective bulb
checked and replaced if necessary.
ABS indicator lamp (USA only)
ABS indicator lamp (Canada only)Illuminates:
• when the ignition is switched on.
Goes out:
• if engine is running or after 10 seconds• when there is a malfunction in the ABS sys

tem.
>Have the ABS system checked at an autho

rized smart center immediately.
• together with the brake warning lamp
(

page 238) when the ABS system fails.
>Stop the vehicle immediately in a safe
location.
>Do not continue to drive.
>Turn off the engine.
>Set the parking brake when leaving the
vehicle.
>Contact Roadside Assistance or an autho

rized smart center.
G
Warning!
When the ABS system is malfunctioning,
the wheels may lock during hard braking,
reducing steering capability and extend

ing the braking distance.
When the ABS is switched off due to a mal

function, the ESP
® is also switched off.
The basic driving and braking functions
are still avaiable.
The risk of your vehicle skidding is then
increased in certain situations. You
should therefore always adapt your
speed and driving style to the prevailing
road and weather conditions.