caveman

thanks David 18, that's exactly what I wanted to know

and just so you can feel more smug, i have worked on thousands of cars and am one of the top trained VW techs in North America, so call me stupid if you want

and it is indeed a 2008. Which begs the question again- can i get access to the crank pulley from the top or does it have to be lifted? cheers

Is every car the same? and I don't have it front of me. better to go on forums where fans know their vehicles. I've been a mechanic for more than 35 years. You think I know exactly how every car in the world is put together? I have learned only to remember the stuff that can't be found in some resource somewhere.

Not sure how tight either are, I just used a long extension with a swivel and impact gun. I do seem to remember spreading the hub to get the strut out. And the strut went deep into the hub by a few inches at least. And sorry it is long ago in the sense that I have worked on a few hundred cars since then!

yes- but long story...

phew- thanks!

I haven't seen it since I changed her srtuts and front brakes last fall so not sure exactly what it looked like as far as the differences are. Now I just read about the issue that if the battery goes dead, it's impossible to unlock the car? Is this true? personally I want her to sell it for parts or scrap it buy another one . Long story but she has already put too much money into this one as it is. What's it worth to part out?

? I'm sure she said it was a 2006, maybe a 2008 which would explain why the forums don't have a place for 2006 gassers! Anyways thanks for the responses, I guess i will have to bring my floor jack to the underground parking garage where she had it towed to and get under it. She really liked driving it and would like to get it fixed, but good used engines don't seem to be always available. There is only one scrap yard i trust around here and they get one maybe once every month or two.

okay thanks for the bolt size, but I would like to know if it can be done from the top or will the car have to be lifted and I would have to crawl under to get at it

and yes, a 2006 gasser

No, she stopped for gas and then it didn't start. What she described sounds like a jammed started ,BUT it was due for an oil change and the level was probably low so...

A good friend of mine may have cooked her 2006 gasser Smart. I want to go and turn the motor over by hand to see if it is seized or if it's just the starter. How easy/hard is it to get to the crank pulley and bolt? And if I can get to it without dropping the engine, what size bolt is it? Is the starter in the same place as a diesel Smart, because i was fortunately blessed with changing one of those once. Cheers