FAQs
What oil should I put in my Smart Fortwo or Roadster engine?
Smart and Mercedes dealers in the UK seem to use Mobil One, which is a fully synthetic oil available in grades such as SAE 0W/40 and 5W/40 fully synthetic. The oil that is recommended by Smart gmbh in Germany is SAE 10W-40. This isn't commonly available, as the winter ratings of most synthetic oils are now lower. We recommend you use a good quality synthetic oil with a specification close to SAE 5W-40 (MB229.5), although we have run our remanufactured engines on semi-synthetic oil of the same grade, for many thousands of miles, without any instance of failure. The quality of the oil, and the frequency of the oil change is very important. We suggest the oil and filter should be changed every 5000 miles. (Please note: the above oil viscosities are based on the UK climate, but they should also be good for other areas where the outside temperature is in the range from 25 degrees down to minus 20 degrees Celsius).
How do i reset the service light?
This applies to ALL models of smart...
1) Turn ignition on
2) Within 4 seconds select the "service" indicator in the Speedo display by pressing the instrument cluster button twice
(Fortwo 450 - located outer left of cluster. Fortwo 451 - located front bottom left hand corner of cluster. Roadster - located on the outer top of the cluster).
3) Turn ignition off within 10 seconds of selecting the display, the "service" indicator will remain in the display.
4) Now press and hold the instrument cluster button down again, and whilst the button is down, turn ignition back on but continue to hold the button down for a further 10 seconds.
5) Service light will flash/re-appear and then clear.
What is the recommended oil for the Smart gearbox?
The gearbox on the Fortwo and Roadster uses hydraulic fluid, to a specification known as ATD11. Typical products are: Triple QX, Castrol ATD (Dexron) II or III, Fuchs Titan ATF 3000, Shell Dexron 11. Do not use ATF type F, as this is a different product.
What should my tyre pressures be?
All of the standard Smart Fortwo and Roadsters should be inflated to 2.0 bar in Summer when the tyre is cold. The Brabus versions depend on the tyre size:
175/50R17: 1.8 bar.
225/35R17, 205/45R16 and 175/55R17: 2.3 bar.
175/55R17, 195/50R17: 2.0 bar.
Where do I top up my power steering fluid?
The power assisted steering on the Smart Fortwo does not use fluid, so you do not need to top it up!
Where is the battery?
In the Fortwo the battery lives beneath the passenger foot well. Lift the carpet, and carefully remove the large foam section that lies beneath. You might even find that the towing eye and the emergency tyre inflation kit is still in place in the top of the foam section!
How long will my engine last?
It is our experience the 599cc Smart engine can sometimes fail at 50,000 to 60,000 miles. The most common problems at this mileage are: Burnt out exhaust valves, worn oil rings, cracked exhaust manifold. If valve or exhaust manifold faults are detected and dealt with early, the problem is not terminal for the engine. The 699cc engine seems to be more reliable.