Useful information
i
This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional
equipment of your vehicle available at the
time of publication of the Operator's Man- ual. Country-specific differences are pos-
sible. Bear in mind that your vehicle may
not feature all functions described here.
This also applies to safety-relevant sys-
tems and functions.
iRead the information on qualified spe-
cialist workshops: (Ypage 20).
Notes on breaking-in a new vehicle
Important safety notes
In certain driving and driving safety sys-
tems, the sensors adjust automatically while
a certain distance is being driven after the
vehicle has been delivered or after repairs.
Full system effectiveness is not reached until
the end of this teach-in procedure.
New and replaced brake pads and discs only
reach their optimum braking effect after sev-
eral hundred kilometers of driving. Compen-
sate for this by applying greater force to the brake pedal.
The first 1000 miles (1500 km)
The more you look after the engine when it is
new, the more satisfied you will be with its
performance in the future.
RYou should therefore drive at varying vehi-
cle and engine speeds for the first
1000 miles (1500 km).
RAvoid heavy loads, e.g. driving at full
throttle, during this period.
RChange gear in good time, before the tach-ometer needle is 00C3of the way to the red
area of the tachometer.
RDo not manually shift to a lower gear to
brake the vehicle.
RVehicles with automatic transmission: if
possible, do not depress the accelerator pedal beyond the pressure point (kick-
down).
RVehicles with automatic transmission:
ideally, for the first 1000 miles(1500 km),
drive in program
E(Comfort).
After 1000 miles (1500 km), you can increase
the engine speed gradually and bring the
vehicle to full speed.
You should also observe these notes on run-
ning-in if the engine or parts of the drive
train on your vehicle have been replaced.
Observe the maximum permissible speed.
Driving
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Objects in the driver's footwell can
restrict the pedal travel or obstruct a
depressed pedal. The operating and road
safety of the vehicle is jeopardized. There
is a risk of an accident.
Make sure that all objects in the vehicle are
stowed correctly, and that they cannot enter
the driver's footwell. Install the floormats securely and as specified in order to
ensure sufficient clearance for the pedals.
Do not use loose floormats and do not place
floormats on top of one another.
GWARNING
Unsuitable footwear can hinder correct
usage of the pedals, e.g.:
Rshoes with thick soles
Rshoes with high heels
Rslippers
There is a risk of an accident.
Wear suitable footwear to ensure correct
usage of the pedals.
GWARNING
If you switch off the ignition while driv-
ing, safety-relevant functions are only
available with limitations, or not at all.
This could affect, for example, the power
86Driving
>> Driving and parking.
tions. Even a small amount of alcohol or
drugs can affect your reflexes, perceptions
and judgment.
The possibility of a serious or even fatal
accident is greatly increased when you
drink or take drugs and drive.
Do not drink or take drugs and drive or
allow anyone to drive who has been drinkingor taking drugs.
Emission control
GWARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous
exhaust gases such as carbon monoxide.
Inhaling these exhaust gases leads to poi-
soning. There is a risk of fatal injury.
Therefore never leave the engine running
in enclosed spaces without sufficient ven- tilation.
Certain engine systems are designed to keep
the level of poisonous components in exhaust
fumes within legal limits.
These systems only work at peak efficiency if
they are serviced exactly in accordance with
the manufacturer's specifications. There-
fore, only allow qualified and authorized
technicians to perform work on the engine.
The engine settings must not be changed
under any circumstances. Furthermore, all
specific service work must be performed at
regular intervals and in accordance with
smart service requirements. Details can be
found in the Maintenance Booklet.
Braking
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface
in an attempt to increase the engine's
braking effect, the drive wheels could lose
their grip. There is an increased danger of
skidding and accidents.
Do not shift down for additional engine
braking on a slippery road surface.
Downhill gradients
!On long and steep gradients, you must
reduce the load on the brakes by shifting to
a lower gear in good time. This allows you
to take advantage of the engine's braking
effect. This helps you to avoid overheating
the brakes and wearing them out exces-
sively.
When you take advantage of the engine's
braking effect, a drive wheel may not turn
for some time, e.g. on a slippery road sur-
face. This could cause damage to the drive
train, which is not covered by the smart
warranty.
Heavy and light loads
GWARNING
If you rest your foot on the brake pedal
while driving, the braking system can
overheat. This increases the stopping dis-
tance and can even cause the braking system
to fail. There is a risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest.
Never depress the brake pedal and the
accelerator pedal at the same time.
!Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If the brakes have been subjected to a heavy
load, do not stop the vehicle immediately.
Drive on for a short while. This allows the
airflow to cool the brakes more quickly.
Wet roads
If you have driven for a long time in heavy
rain without braking, there may be a delayed
reaction from the brakes when braking for the
first time. This may also occur after the vehi-
cle has been washed or driven through deep
water.
You then have to depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain a greater distance from the
vehicle in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the
vehicle washed, brake firmly while paying
attention to the traffic conditions. This will warm up the brake discs, thereby drying them
Driving tips103
>> Driving and parking.
Z
more quickly and protecting them against
corrosion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads
If you drive on salted roads, a layer of salt
residue may form on the brake discs and brake
pads. This can result in a significantly lon-
ger braking distance.
RBrake occasionally to remove any possible
salt residue. Make sure that you do not
endanger other road users when doing so.
RCarefully depress the brake pedal and the
beginning and end of a journey.
RMaintain a greater distance to the vehicle
ahead.
Servicing the brakes
!The brake fluid level may be too low, if:
Rif the red brake warning lamp lights up
in the instrument cluster and
Ryou hear a warning tone while the engine
is running
Observe additional warning messages in
the multifunction display.
The brake fluid level may be too low due to
brake pad wear or leaking brake lines.
Have the brake system checked immedi-
ately. Consult a qualified specialist work-
shop to arrange this.
!A function or performance test should
only be carried out on a 2-axle dynamome-
ter. If you wish to operate the vehicle on
such a dynamometer, please consult a
qualified specialist workshop in advance.
You could otherwise damage the drive train
or the brake system.
!As the ESP®system operates automati-
cally, the engine and the ignition must be
switched off (the SmartKey must be in posi-
tion 0or 1in the ignition lock) if:
Rthe parking brake is tested using a brake
dynamometer (maximum 10 seconds).
Rthe vehicle is towed with the front axle
raised.
Braking triggered automatically by ESP
®
may seriously damage the brake system. All checks and maintenance work on the brake
system must be carried out at a qualified
specialist workshop.
Have brake pads installed and brake fluid
replaced at a qualified specialist workshop.
If the brake system has only been subject to
moderate loads, you should test the function-
ality of your brakes at regular intervals.
When having brake pads/linings fitted, smart
recommends that you only use those which are
approved for smart vehicles or are of an
equivalent quality standard. Brake pads/
linings which have not been approved for
smart vehicles or which are not of an equiv-
alent quality could affect your vehicle's
operating safety.
smart recommends that you only use brake
fluid which is approved for smart vehicles or
is of an equivalent quality standard. Brake
fluid which has not been approved for smart
vehicles or which
is not of an equivalent
quality could affect your vehicle's operating
safety.
Driving on wet roads
Hydroplaning
If water has accumulated to a certain depth on the road surface, there is a danger of hydro-
planing occurring, even if:
Ryou drive at low speeds.
Rthe tires have adequate tread depth.
For this reason, in the event of heavy rain or in conditions in which hydroplaning may
occur, you must drive in the following man-
ner:
Rlower your speed.
Ravoid ruts.
Ravoid sudden steering movements
Rbrake carefully.
Driving on flooded roads
!Bear in mind that vehicles traveling in
front or in the opposite direction create
waves. This may cause the maximum per-
missible water depth to be exceeded.
Failure to observe these notes may result in damage to the engine, electrical systems
and transmission.
104Driving tips
>> Driving and parking.
!For cleaning your vehicle, do not use any
of the following:
Rdry, rough or hard cloths
Rabrasive cleaning agents
Rsolvents
Rcleaning agents containing solvents
Do not scrub.
Do not touch the surfaces or protective
films with hard objects, e.g. a ring or ice
scraper. You could otherwise scratch or
damage the surfaces and protective film.
!Do not park the vehicle for an extended
period straight after cleaning it, partic-
ularly after having cleaned the wheels with
wheel cleaner. Wheel cleaners could cause
increased corrosion of the brake discs and
brake pads/linings. For this reason, you
should drive for a few minutes after clean-
ing. Braking heats the brake discs and the
brake pads/linings, thus drying them. The
vehicle can then be parked.
Regular care of your vehicle is a condition
for retaining the quality in the long term.
Use care products and cleaning agents rec-
ommended and approved by smart.
Exterior care
Automatic car wash
GWARNING
Braking efficiency is reduced after wash-
ing the vehicle. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
After the vehicle has been washed, brake
carefully while paying attention to the
traffic conditions until full braking power
is restored.
!Never clean your vehicle in a Touchless
Automatic Car Wash as these use special
cleaning agents. These cleaning agents can
damage the paintwork or plastic parts.
!Make sure that:
Rthe side windows are fully closed
Rthe climate control blower is switched
off
Rthe windshield wiper switch is at posi-
tion 0
The vehicle may otherwise be damaged.
You can wash the vehicle in an automatic car
wash from the very start.
If the vehicle is very dirty, pre-wash it
before cleaning it in an automatic car wash.
After using an automatic car wash, wipe off
wax from the windshield and the wiper blades.
This will prevent smears and reduce wiping
noises caused by residue on the windshield.
Washing by hand
In some countries, washing by hand is only
allowed at specially equipped washing bays.
Observe the legal requirements in each coun-
try.
XDo not use hot water and do not wash the
vehicle in direct sunlight.
XUse a soft sponge to clean.
XUse a mild cleaning agent, such as a car
shampoo approved by smart.
XThoroughly hose down the vehicle with a
gentle jet of water.
XDo not point the water jet directly towards
the air inlet.
XUse plenty of water and rinse out the sponge frequently.
XRinse the vehicle with clean water and dry
thoroughly with a chamois.
XDo not let the cleaning agent dry on the
paintwork.
Carefully remove all deposits of road salt as
soon as possible when driving in winter.
Power washers
GWARNING
The water jet from a circular jet nozzle
(dirt blasters) can cause invisible exte-
rior damage to the tires or chassis compo- nents. Components damaged in this way may
fail unexpectedly. There is a risk of an
accident.
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iThe vehicle should preferably be washed
by hand using a soft sponge, car shampoo
and plenty of water.
iUse only insect remover and car shampoo
from the range of approved smart care
products.
Cleaning the panoramic roof
!Only use cleaning agents or cleaning
cloths which are suitable for plastic light
lenses. Unsuitable cleaning agents or
cleaning cloths could scratch or damage
the plastic windows of the panoramic roof.
Do not use cleaning agents which contain
solvents.
XClean the plastic panes of the panoramic
roof using a wet sponge and a mild cleaning
agent, e.g. smart car shampoo, a commer-
cially available glass cleaner or cleaning
cloths.
Cleaning the wheels
GWARNING
The water jet from a circular jet nozzle
(dirt blasters) can cause invisible exte-
rior damage to the tires or chassis compo- nents. Components damaged in this way may
fail unexpectedly. There is a risk of an
accident.
Do not use power washers with circular jet
nozzles to clean the vehicle. Have damaged
tires or chassis components replaced
immediately.
!Do not use acidic wheel cleaning products
to remove brake dust. This could damage
wheel bolts and brake components.
!Do not park the vehicle for an extended
period straight after cleaning it, partic-
ularly after having cleaned the wheels with
wheel cleaner. Wheel cleaners could cause
increased corrosion of the brake discs and
brake pads/linings. For this reason, you
should drive for a few minutes after clean-
ing. Braking heats the brake discs and the
brake pads/linings, thus drying them. The
vehicle can then be parked.
Cleaning the windows
GWARNING
You could become trapped by the wind-
shield wipers if they start moving while
cleaning the windshield or wiper blades.
There is a risk of injury.
Always switch off the windshield wipers
and the ignition before cleaning the wind-
shield or wiper blades.
!Do not use dry cloths, abrasive products,
solvents or cleaning agents containing
solvents to clean the inside of the windows.
Do not touch the insides of the windows with
hard objects, e.g. an ice scraper or ring.
There is otherwise a risk of damaging the
windows.
!Clean the water drainage channels of the
windshield and the rear window at regular
intervals. Deposits such as leaves, petals
and pollen may under certain circumstan-
ces prevent water from draining away. This
can lead to corrosion damage and damage to
electronic components.
XClean the inside and outside of the windows
with a damp cloth and a cleaning agent that
is recommended and approved by smart.
Cleaning wiper blades
GWARNING
You could become trapped by the wind-
shield wipers if they start moving while
cleaning the windshield or wiper blades.
There is a risk of injury.
Always switch off the windshield wipers
and the ignition before cleaning the wind-
shield or wiper blades.
!Do not pull the wiper blade. Otherwise,
the wiper blade could be damaged.
!Do not clean wiper blades too often and do
not rub them too hard. Otherwise, the
graphite coating could be damaged. This
could cause wiper noise.
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