SMART Car engine rebuild
Discussion
I'd second the suggestion of Rob at S2Smarts in Watford. What he doesn't know about Smarts isn't worth knowing.
I've got a 54-plate Roadster on just over 21,000 miles at the moment. It's been remapped to give better gear response (etc.!) and it's great! It doesn't leak, bits don't fall off it, there's nothing wrong with the engine and my only gripe with it is that the dog can't get comfortable in it.
I'm never quite sure why there's so much hatred of Smarts. I admit, I wouldn't own a ForTwo or a ForFour, but that's just personal preference - they're not my kind of car. They're cheap enough to run and maintain, as long as you go to the good indies and not Mercedes. They do the job they're designed for. They're reasonably good on fuel consumption. If the engine does go pop, you can replace it relatively cheaply compared to other makes and models.
When I bought my Range Rover recently, I had serious thoughts about getting rid of the Roadie. It's garaged behind the RR, so I have to move the RR to get it out and hence it gets little use. But it's bloody good fun to drive and it balances out the truly hideous fuel consumption of the RR.
I've got a 54-plate Roadster on just over 21,000 miles at the moment. It's been remapped to give better gear response (etc.!) and it's great! It doesn't leak, bits don't fall off it, there's nothing wrong with the engine and my only gripe with it is that the dog can't get comfortable in it.
I'm never quite sure why there's so much hatred of Smarts. I admit, I wouldn't own a ForTwo or a ForFour, but that's just personal preference - they're not my kind of car. They're cheap enough to run and maintain, as long as you go to the good indies and not Mercedes. They do the job they're designed for. They're reasonably good on fuel consumption. If the engine does go pop, you can replace it relatively cheaply compared to other makes and models.
When I bought my Range Rover recently, I had serious thoughts about getting rid of the Roadie. It's garaged behind the RR, so I have to move the RR to get it out and hence it gets little use. But it's bloody good fun to drive and it balances out the truly hideous fuel consumption of the RR.
Looked at getting a Smart for the misses a couple of years ago and the life expectancy of the engines put me off, and the costs of servicing, is so expensive it just didn't add up for the novelty value of the car. made more sense to buy a Ka in the end. Shame as i really quite enjoyed driving one
djt100 said:
Looked at getting a Smart for the misses a couple of years ago and the life expectancy of the engines put me off, and the costs of servicing, is so expensive it just didn't add up for the novelty value of the car. made more sense to buy a Ka in the end. Shame as i really quite enjoyed driving one
Where were you looking at service costs?? 
A basic service is £99 inc VAT
http://www.s2smarts.co.uk/servicing.htm
I had a couple of 4/2s years ago and have just sold a Brabus Roadster,after a while it just felt a bit small/cosy esp on fast roads and evry vehicle.But look,the engne needs a rebuild at perhaps 60-80000 mles at a cost of maybe £1000-£1500,is that so bad?
Something goes bang on a diesel and its normally a grand,I think you've got to look at it in the grand scale of things and accept it for what it is,a lot of fun,cheap to run.The biggest down fall of these cars is the leaks,they can be mostly solved,the only big problem one is in the scuttle above the SAM unit,but this is no problem once sealed,my car fortunatly was a dry one but others are too.
P
Something goes bang on a diesel and its normally a grand,I think you've got to look at it in the grand scale of things and accept it for what it is,a lot of fun,cheap to run.The biggest down fall of these cars is the leaks,they can be mostly solved,the only big problem one is in the scuttle above the SAM unit,but this is no problem once sealed,my car fortunatly was a dry one but others are too.
P
shrekimus said:
I'm looking at getting a 2nd gen 1.0, do these have the same issues or has the reliability been amended by Mercedes which a couple of sites suggest. Auto express says the 1ltr doesn't require a mid life rebuild like the 1st gen models? Is this correct?
The nomenclature for the vehicle you want is the 451 and yes, they are more reliable. It's a 1000cc Mitsubishi petrol engine.They come in a number of options 1000cc normally aspirated for 71bhp, 1000cc turbo for 84bhp. The mhd is worth avoiding as the belts break, the engine cooks and you need a new lump. Your other engine options are the diesel which is completely bombproof or the Brabus, which now has 120bhp and is a real flying machine.
The 999cc smarts don't seem to have this problem at all. Mine was sold at 50000 miles with no oil burning problems. It was surprisingly rapid for 84bhp. Clutch actuator went immediately before selling, so that cost WD £750. I think maybe a few deep ford crossings had caused water to get into the actuator at some point and grit wore it out. I remember once crossing water that came up to the screen for a few seconds. Scary! But it did it, even if the front did start to float.... Lost the under tray though.
I guess it would have to be a very emotional thing to throw money at a car so compromised by such a fragile engine.
Personally I've never really seenthe attraction but I do know people rave over them.
If I were buying one to fix and keep then it would have to have a more permanent fix that a 'temporary' rebuild fix
Personally I've never really seenthe attraction but I do know people rave over them.
If I were buying one to fix and keep then it would have to have a more permanent fix that a 'temporary' rebuild fix
IME these engines would soldier on for a lot longer after they start to burn oil if it was easier to check and top up the oil.
My octogenarian MIL has owned a ForTwo for ages, low mileage when she bought it, driven gently, covers less than 3K miles pa, serviced every year but it uses oil. Topping up is such a pain that I am sure if she covered more miles between services the sump would have run dry.
Either an oil level gauge or a bigger sump would have been helpful but whoever signed off the oil filler needs shooting.
My octogenarian MIL has owned a ForTwo for ages, low mileage when she bought it, driven gently, covers less than 3K miles pa, serviced every year but it uses oil. Topping up is such a pain that I am sure if she covered more miles between services the sump would have run dry.
Either an oil level gauge or a bigger sump would have been helpful but whoever signed off the oil filler needs shooting.
kev b said:
IME these engines would soldier on for a lot longer after they start to burn oil if it was easier to check and top up the oil.
My octogenarian MIL has owned a ForTwo for ages, low mileage when she bought it, driven gently, covers less than 3K miles pa, serviced every year but it uses oil. Topping up is such a pain that I am sure if she covered more miles between services the sump would have run dry.
Either an oil level gauge or a bigger sump would have been helpful but whoever signed off the oil filler needs shooting.
If the oil consumption is due to oil passing the oil control ring then eventually an exhaust valve will burn out and the engine will missfire, If your mil oil consumption is due to ring passing then checking the oil will not delay the burn out.My octogenarian MIL has owned a ForTwo for ages, low mileage when she bought it, driven gently, covers less than 3K miles pa, serviced every year but it uses oil. Topping up is such a pain that I am sure if she covered more miles between services the sump would have run dry.
Either an oil level gauge or a bigger sump would have been helpful but whoever signed off the oil filler needs shooting.
Interestingly I once bought a volvo artic unit ex demo off volvo. I was alarmed at the oil consumption and rang volvo. Guy on phone suggested that i call back at 100,000 km. Thought I was being fobbed off but oil use stopped abruptly at 100,000. I can only assume the rings finally bedded in ...its time as a demo running around dealer to dealer with no trailer and the engine not working hard almost resulted in glazed bores. Sail boats have similar issues when the engine is used in harbour to turn the alternator for hours at a time and the rings never bed in. The rings are one of the few parts that run metal to meta the honing being there to hold oil on the walls and assist ring seal...Most other surfaces in the engine enjoy a nice layer of liquid engineering.
Maybe the oil control ring problem stems from the car being used gently, to the shops and back and never being worked hard...Light load, barely getting warm... would be a recipe for rings not sealing...perhaps the roadsters get used more and do not suffer the problem?
Edited by Shelsleyf2 on Monday 3rd November 09:05
Edited by Shelsleyf2 on Monday 3rd November 09:08
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