2012 SMART FORTWO COUPE warning

Gearshift pattern for transmission
:
Release button j
Park position
k
Reverse gear
i
Neutral position
h
Drive position
p
Manual gearshifting
q
Upshifting
±
Downshifting
Starting the engine
!
Shift the transmission into park
position P
or reverse gear R only when the
vehicle is stopped in order to avoid
damaging the transmission.
X Make sure the gear selector lever is set
to park position P.
The transmission position indicator
should be on P.
X Do not depress the accelerator pedal.
X Turn the key to starter switch position
2 and release it.
The

engine starts automatically (“touch-
start” function). Driving
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Press release button : (Y page 79) to
disengage the gear selector lever lock. X
Move the gear selector lever to drive
position D.
D appears in the transmission position
indicator.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Carefully depress the accelerator pedal. G
WARNING
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
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 position P or neutral position
N 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.
! Do not run a 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
accelerator pedal and applying the
brakes reduces engine performance and
causes premature brake and drivetrain
wear. Reversing the vehicle
! Shift the transmission into reverse
gear R only when the vehicle is stopped
in order to avoid damaging the
transmission.
You can drive in reverse gear at a speed
of up to 9 mph (15 km/h). Driving and parking
79
>> Controls. Z

X
Depress the brake pedal.
X Press the release button (Y page 79) to
disengage the gear selector lever lock.
X Move the gear selector lever to reverse
gear R.
R appears in the transmission position
indicator.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Carefully depress the accelerator pedal. Parking
G
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. These materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
Vehicle movement can cause serious
personal injury or damage to the vehicle or
the vehicle drivetrain. Therefore, always
do the following before turning off the
engine and leaving the vehicle:
R Keep right foot on the brake pedal.
R Engage the parking brake.
R Move the gear selector lever to park
position P.
R Slowly release the brake pedal.
R When parked on an incline, always turn
the front wheels towards the curb.
R Turn the key to starter switch position 0
and remove the key from the starter
switch.
R 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 and
steering* systems. In this case, it is
important to keep in mind that a
considerably higher degree of effort is
necessary to brake and steer the vehicle.
Adapt your driving accordingly. X
Properly stop and park the vehicle.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Engage the parking brake ( Y page 80).
When the ignition is switched on or the
engine is running, the brake warning
lamp $ (USA only) or J (Canada
only)

in the instrument cluster comes on.
X Release the brake pedal.
Parking brake The parking brake serves to secure the
vehicle against rolling away when it is
stationary or parked.
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. X
Releasing: Depress the brake pedal.
X Pull up slightly on parking brake
lever ; and press release button :.
X Push parking brake lever ; down as far
as it will go.
When the ignition is switched on or the
engine is running, the brake warning
lamp $ (USA only) or J (Canada
only)

in the instrument cluster goes out.
X Engaging: Pull up parking brake
lever ; firmly.
When the ignition is switched on or the
engine is running, the brake warning 80
Driving and parking
>> Controls.
* optional

lamp $ (USA only) or J (Canada
only)
in the instrument cluster comes on. G
WARNING
Getting out of your vehicle with the
transmission not fully engaged in park
position P

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 except park
position P. Also, when parked on an incline,
park position P alone may not prevent your
vehicle from moving, possibly hitting
people or objects.
Always engage the parking brake in
addition to shifting to park position P.
When parked on an incline, always turn the
front wheels towards the curb. 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
position P, either of which could result in
an accident and/or serious personal
injury.
Brake pedal The brake pedal has two brake circuits
independent

of each other. A brake servo is
used during braking (when the engine is
running) to increase pedal force. G
WARNING
Make sure absolutely no objects are
obstructing the pedals’ range of motion.
Keep the driver’s footwell clear of all
obstacles. If there are any floormats*

or
carpets in the footwell, make sure the
pedals still have sufficient clearance.
During sudden acceleration or braking
maneuvers, the objects could get caught between or beneath the pedals and restrict
your ability to brake or accelerate. This
could lead to accidents and/or injury.
G
WARNING
Considerably more effort will be required
to apply the brakes if
R the brake servo has failed
R a brake circuit has failed
R the engine is switched off, e.g. for
towing the vehicle
The braking distance is likewise greater.
Make sure 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. If a brake circuit has failed (
Y page 164),
you must depress brake pedal : further
down to achieve the same effect and the
braking distance is increased.
i The

brake servo will only function with
the engine switched on. 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. Driving and parking
81
>> Controls.
* optional Z

Turning off the engine
G
WARNING
Do not turn off the engine before the
vehicle has come to a complete stop. With
the engine not running, there is no power
assistance for the brake and steering*
systems. In this case, it is important to
keep in mind that a considerably higher
degree of effort is necessary to brake and
steer the vehicle.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Press the release button (Y page 79) to
disengage the gear selector lever lock.
X Move the gear selector lever to park
position P.
The transmission position indicator
should be on P
! Always engage the parking brake in
addition to shifting to park position P.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Turn the key to starter switch position
0.
X Remove the key from the starter switch.
The electronic immobilizer is
activated. Transmission
Introduction
Your vehicle is equipped with a 5‑speed
automated transmission with manual or
automatic mode. For information on
driving with the transmission see also
“Starting” ( Y page 78).G
WARNING
Make sure absolutely no objects are
obstructing the pedals’ range of motion.
Keep the driver’s footwell clear of all
obstacles. If there are any floormats*
or
carpets in the footwell, make sure the
pedals still have sufficient clearance. During sudden acceleration or braking
maneuvers, the objects could get caught
between

or beneath the pedals and restrict
your ability to brake or accelerate. This
could lead to accidents and/or injury. Gear selector lever
Gearshift pattern for transmission
:
Release button j
Park position
k
Reverse gear
i
Neutral position
h
Drive position
p
Manual gearshifting
q
Upshifting
±
Downshifting
The current gear selector lever position
appears in the transmission position
indicator. When manual gearshifting M is
selected, the currently selected gear
appears ( Y page 88). G
WARNING
It is dangerous to shift the transmission
out of park position P or neutral position
N 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 82
Transmission
>> Controls.
* optional

The current gear selector lever position
appears in the transmission position
indicator (Y page 88).
Driving tips
Accelerator pedal 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.
X
Press the accelerator pedal past the
point of resistance.
Depending on the engine speed the
transmission shifts into a lower gear.
X Ease up on the accelerator pedal when you
have reached the desired speed.
The transmission shifts up again.
Stopping When you stop briefly, e.g. at traffic
lights:
X
Leave the transmission in gear.
X Hold the vehicle with the brake.
When you stop for a longer period with the
engine idling and/or on a hill:
X Engage the parking brake.
X Move the gear selector lever to park
position P.
Working on the vehicle G
WARNING
When working on the vehicle, engage the
parking brake and move the gear selector
lever to park position P. Otherwise the
vehicle could roll away which could result in an accident and/or serious personal
injury.
Driving on uphill grades Your vehicle has a hill‑start assist system.
G
WARNING
The hill-start assist system is not
designed to function as a parking brake and
does not prevent the vehicle from moving
when parked on an incline.
Always engage the parking brake in
addition to shifting to park position P.
On uphill grades the hill‑start assist
system maintains the pressure in the brake
system for approximately one second after
you have released the brake pedal.
Therefore, you can start off smoothly
without the vehicle moving immediately
after releasing the brake pedal.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Apply sufficient pressure to the
accelerator pedal.
! After approximately one second, the
hill‑start assist system stops braking
the vehicle, which then can roll
backwards. If you open the driver’s door
within this time, the hill‑start assist
system is deactivated and a warning
signal sounds.
i The

hill‑start assist system is inactive
if you start off with the parking brake
engaged. Manual gearshifting
With manual gearshifting M selected,
system-controlled automatic gearshifting
is switched off and you need to change the
gears by upshifting or downshifting
manually using the gear selector lever or
the steering wheel gearshift control 10
.
10 Model passion and BRABUS only. 84
Transmission
>> Controls.

!
Allow the engine to warm up under low
load use. Do not place full load on the
engine until the operating temperature
has been reached.
Shift into reverse gear R or parking
position P only when the vehicle is
stopped.
Avoid spinning of a drive wheel for an
extended period when driving off on
slippery road surfaces. Otherwise, the
drivetrain could be damaged, which is
not covered by the smart Limited
Warranty. Activating manual gearshifting
X
Move the gear selector lever to drive
position D (Y page 82).
X Pull one of the shift paddles (Y page 85)
towards you.
or
X Move the gear selector lever to manual
gearshifting M (Y page 82).
System-controlled automatic
gearshifting is switched off.
You
can upshift or downshift through the
gears in succession.
The currently engaged gear appears in the
multifunction display ( Y page 85).Upshifting X
Briefly push the gear selector lever
forward in the + direction (Y page 82).
or
X Pull right shift paddle ; (Y page 85)
towards you.
The transmission shifts to the next
higher gear.
i With manual gearshifting M selected,
the transmission shifts up only to
prevent engine overrevving.
Downshifting G
WARNING
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
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.
X Briefly pull the gear selector lever
backward in the - direction (Y page 82).
or
X Pull left shift paddle : (Y page 85)
towards you.
The

transmission shifts to the next lower
gear.
Kickdown You can use kickdown when you want
maximum acceleration.
X
Press the accelerator pedal past the
point of resistance.
Depending on the engine speed the
transmission shifts into a lower gear.
X When you have reached the desired speed,
briefly push the gear selector lever
forward in the + direction (Y page 82).
or
X Pull right shift paddle ; (Y page 85)
towards you.
The transmission shifts to the next
higher gear. Transmission
85
>> Controls. Z

Multifunction display (U.S. vehicles)
:
Maintenance service symbol (status
indicator)
; Main odometer display and days or
distance to next maintenance service
= Transmission position indicator
? Digital clock
A Outside temperature display
B Fuel level display
C Status indicator with:
• Trip odometer display
• Reserve fuel indicator Multifunction display (Canada vehicles)
:
Maintenance service symbol (status
indicator)
; Main odometer display and days or
distance to next maintenance service
= Transmission position indicator
? Digital clock
A Outside temperature display
B Freeze warning
C Fuel level display
D Status indicator with: • Trip odometer display
• Reserve fuel indicator
G
WARNING
No messages will be displayed if either the
instrument cluster or the multifunction
display is inoperative.
As a result, you will not be able to see
information about your driving
conditions, such as speed, outside
temperature, or warning/indicator lamps.
Driving characteristics may be impaired.
If you must continue to drive, please do so
with added caution. Visit an authorized
smart center as soon as possible.
Multifunction display illumination The multifunction display illumination
comes on when the starter switch is in
position
1.
It goes out after approximately
30 seconds when the starter switch is in
position 0.
For adjusting the multifunction display
illumination, see “Adjusting instrument
cluster illumination” ( Y page 92).
Main odometer display Example illustration (U.S. vehicles)
i
Canada vehicles: The main odometer
display shows km instead of miles.
The main odometer display appears in the
multifunction display continuously.
Exception: The next maintenance service
is due. After starting the engine, days or Instrument cluster
87
>> Controls. Z

button ; repeatedly until the desired
time is set.
X Setting the time quickly: Press left
button : or right button ; for longer
than one second.
The setting speed increases.
X Setting the time in 10 minute
increments:
Press left button : or right
button ; for longer than five seconds.
The time is set in 10 minute increments.
X Confirm time setting: Refrain from
pressing either left button : or right
button ; until the colon in the digital
clock stops flashing.
The time is set.
i The digital clock in the multifunction
display is not synchronized with the
cockpit clock* (Y page 92).
Outside temperature display G
WARNING
The outside temperature display is not
designed 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. The road may
still

be icy, especially in wooded areas or
on bridges. Your vehicle could start to skid
if you do not adjust your driving style
accordingly.
Therefore, always adjust your driving style
to the prevailing road and weather
conditions. Example illustration (U.S. vehicles)
i
Canada vehicles: The outside
temperature display shows °C instead
of °F.
The outside temperature display appears
in

the multifunction display continuously.
A change of the outside temperature will be
displayed with delay.
Freeze warning (Canada vehicles only) When the outside temperature falls below
3¥, the multifunction display makes you
aware of the fact that the road may be icy.
An additional freeze warning, i.e. an ice
crystal symbol, in the multifunction
display flashes. After 60 seconds, the
freeze warning stops flashing but
continues to be displayed. When the
outside temperature rises above 3
¥, the
freeze warning goes out. Instrument cluster
89
>> Controls.
* optional Z