2008 SMART FORTWO COUPE warning

Driving and parking
>> Controls.
123
Starting the engine
For information on turning off the engine, see
(
page 127).
!
Shift the transmission into park positionP
or reverse gearR only when the vehicle is
stopped in order to avoid damaging the trans

mission.
>Make sure the gear selector lever is set to
park positionP.
The transmission position indicator should
be on
.
>Do not depress the accelerator.
>Turn the key in the starter switch to
position2 (

page 91) and release it again
immediately.
The engine starts automatically ("touch

start" function).
Driving >Depress the brake pedal.
>Press the release button (

page 122) to
disengage the gear selector lever lock.
>Move the gear selector lever to drive
positionD.
appears in the transmission position
indicator.
>Release the brake pedal.
>Carefully depress the accelerator.
!
Do not run cold engine at high engine
speeds. Running a cold engine at high engine
speeds may shorten the service life of the
engine.
!
Simultaneously depressing the accelera

tor and applying the brakes reduces engine
performance and causes premature brake and
drivetrain wear.
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.
G
Warning!
It is dangerous to shift the transmission
out of park positionP or neutral
positionN if the engine speed is higher
than idle speed. If your foot is not firmly
on the brake pedal, the vehicle could
accelerate quickly forward or in reverse.
You could lose control of the vehicle and
hit someone or something. Only shift into
gear when the engine is idling normally
and when your right foot is firmly on the
brake pedal.

Driving and parking
124
>> Controls.
Reversing the vehicle!
Shift the transmission into reverse gearR
only when the vehicle is stopped in order to
avoid damaging the transmission.
You can drive in reverse gear at a speed of up
to9mph (15km/h).
>Depress the brake pedal.
>Press the release button (

page 122) to
disengage the gear selector lever lock.>Move the gear selector lever to reverse
gearR.
appears in the transmission position
indicator.
>Release the brake pedal.
>Carefully depress the accelerator.
ParkingG
Warning!
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.
To reduce the risk of personal injury or
damage to the drivetrain as a result of
vehicle movement, before turning off the
engine and leaving the vehicle always:
• Keep right foot on the brake pedal.
• Pull the parking brake lever up as many
notches as possible.
• Move the gear selector lever to park
positionP.
• Slowly release the brake pedal.
• When parked on an incline, always turn
the front wheels towards the road curb.
• Turn the key in the starter switch to
position0 and remove.
Take the key with you and lock the vehicle
when leaving.G
Warning!
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake servo and
the steering system. In this case, it is
important to keep in mind that a consid

erably higher degree of effort is neces

sary to brake and steer the vehicle.

Driving and parking
>> Controls.
125
>Properly stop and park the vehicle.
>Depress the brake pedal.
>Pull up the parking brake lever as many
notches as possible (

page 125).
When the ignition is switched on or the
engine is running, the brake warning
lamp; (USA only) or3 (Canada only)
in the instrument cluster comes on.
>Release the brake pedal.
Parking brake
The parking brake serves to secure the vehi

cle against rolling away when it is stationary
or parked.
1
Parking brake lever
2
Release button
>Applying: Pull up parking brake lever
1 as
many notches as possible.
When the ignition is switched on or the
engine is running, the brake warning
lamp; (USA only) or3 (Canada only)
in the instrument cluster comes on.
> Releasing: Depress the brake pedal.
>Pull up slightly on parking brake lever1
and press release button
2.>Push parking brake lever
1 down as far as
it will go.
When the ignition is switched on or the
engine is running, the brake warning
lamp; (USA only) or3 (Canada only)
in the instrument cluster goes out.
G
Warning!
Engaging the parking brake while the
vehicle is in motion can cause the rear
wheels to lock up. You could lose control
of the vehicle and cause an accident. In
addition, the vehicle’s brake lights do not
light up when the parking brake is
engaged.P42.20
2346
31
G
Warning!
Getting out of your vehicle with the
transmission 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, when parked
on an incline, park positionP alone may
not prevent your vehicle from moving,
possibly hitting people or objects.
Always set the parking brake in addition
to shifting to park positionP.
When parked on an incline, always turn
the front wheels towards the road curb.

Driving and parking
126
>> Controls.Brake pedal
The brake pedal has two brake circuits inde

pendent of each other. A brake servo is used
during braking (when the engine is running) to
increase pedal force.
G
Warning!
When leaving the vehicle, always remove
the key from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not
leave children unattended in the vehicle,
or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could release the parking brake
and/or move the gear selector lever from
park positionP, either of which could
result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
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, objects could become caught be

tween the pedals, reducing or eliminating
entirely the driver's ability to brake or
accelerate. This could lead to accidents
and injury.
G
Warning!
Considerably more effort will be required
to apply the brakes if
• the brake servo has failed
• a brake circuit has failed
• the engine is switched off, e. g. for
towing the vehicle
The braking distance is likewise greater.
Make sure that the engine is running
whenever the vehicle is rolling. Have the
brake system repaired at an authorized
smart center, if there is a fault in the
brake system.

Driving and parking
>> Controls.
127
1
Brake pedalIf a brake circuit has failed (

page 238),
• you must depress the brake pedal further
down to achieve the same effect
• the braking distance is increased
i
The brake servo will only function with the
engine switched on.
Turning off the engine>Depress the brake pedal.
>Press the release button (

page 122) to
disengage the gear selector lever lock.
>Move the gear selector lever to park
positionP.
!
Always set the parking brake in addition to
shifting to park positionP (

page 125).
>Release the brake pedal.
>Turn the key in the starter switch to
position0.
>Remove the key from the starter switch.
The immobilizer is activated.
P42.10
2591
31
G
Warning!
In the event of the vehicle needing to be
towed, a significantly greater amount of
pedal pressure will be required when the
engine is switched off.

Transmission
128
>> Controls. Your vehicle is equipped with a a 5
speed au

tomated transmission with manual or auto

matic mode. For information on driving with
the transmission see also
"Starting"(

page 122).
Gear selector leverGearshift pattern for transmission1
Release buttonThe current gear selector lever position ap

pears in the transmission position indicator.
When M is selected the currently selected
gear appears (

page 137).
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, objects could become caught be

tween the pedals, reducing or eliminating
entirely the driver's ability to brake or
accelerate. This could lead to accidents
and injury.PPark position
RReverse gear
NNeutral position
DDrive position
MManual gear shifting
+Upshifting

Downshifting
G
Warning!
It is dangerous to shift the transmission
out of park positionP or neutral
positionN if the engine speed is higher
than idle speed. If your foot is not firmly
on the brake pedal, the vehicle could
accelerate quickly forward or in reverse.
You could lose control of the vehicle and
hit someone or something. Only shift into
gear when the engine is idling normally
and when your right foot is firmly on the
brake pedal.

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.
131 Driving tips
Accelerator position
Your driving style influences the
transmission’s shifting behavior:
Less throttle, earlier upshifting
More throttle, later upshifting
Kickdown
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.
>Ease on the accelerator when you have
reached the desired speed.
The transmission shifts up again.Stopping
When you stop briefly, e.g. at traffic lights:
>Leave the transmission in gear.
>Hold the vehicle with the brake.
When you stop for a longer period with the
engine idling and/or on a hill:
>Set the parking brake.
>Move the gear selector lever to park
positionP.
Working on the vehicle
G
Warning!
When leaving the vehicle, always remove
the key from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle. Do not
leave children unattended in the vehicle,
or with access to an unlocked vehicle.
Children could move the gear selector
lever from park positionP, which could
result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
G
Warning!
When working on the vehicle, set the
parking brake and move the gear selec

tor lever to park positionP. Otherwise
the vehicle could roll away.