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Cait

Whysmycargottabesuchpoo????

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Recently I have been quite aggravated with my car... here is a list of things that make me want to shoot someone :banghead: 1. Retarded wiper set up - have you noticed that you passenger (or empty passenger seat) has a perfectly clear view of the road, as you are squirming to try to see through the streaks of road dirt, salt, and unidentified goo? Seems to me the wiper blades should be set up so the driver's side wiper blade is on top (this way most of the washer fluid will be wiped across the windshield in front of the driver).2. Doesn’t start in the bitter cold - ok, so it DOES start, but not on the first try. Or the second. Or he third...3. Doesn’t go faster than 115 facing headwinds - what if I'm in a hurry? What if I’m already in the slow lane and people are coming up behind me so fast, ad the "fast lane" is also full of cars and the person behind me can't change lanes to get around me and its icy and the person behind me doesn't have good tires OR brakes??? WHAT THEN!!!!!????!?!??!!?!?4. Makes REDICULOUS WIND NOISES when going fast - and I don’t think this is a problem just in the cabrio. The cabrio whistles and moans. And I hate it!5. Sucks at going up hills......even very slight ones at high speeds - even after I shift from 6th to 5th, and sometimes to 4th. NOTHING HELPS! The car is just POO in this scenario6. the air flow to the feet is located directly over the driving foot, so the other one freezes - or on the contrary, the driving foot BURNS!...or freezes for those of you who have A/C and are driving in the blistering heat.7. Windshields have a very short life span - that's just crap. There are so many of us who have replaced windshields or who should but refuse to8. Headlights have an even shorter one - and they aren't even under warranty (after 20 000kms). :bs: 9. Doesn’t go faster than 135 on a good day - down hill, with the wind going the same direction10. Doesn’t come with an alarm....what’s with that!?!?! - A few things should be standard on vehicles. An alarm being one of them11. Sound system SUCKS - a decent sound system should also come standard. "Get an upgrade!" that's possibly the most aggravating thing about everyday driving; no matter what I listen to, it sounds like its coming from a tiny box.12. Clock is an OPTION... :wtf:Just had to let that out... What makes you angry about le smart?

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My comments:1. Agreed, insofar as the washer function goes - haven't tried the wiper arm mod, but it shouldn't be necessary2. I haven't experienced this problem - car starts on 1st try (after waiting for glow plug indicator to extinguish) even at -203. I haven't driven on a rush-hour freeway so my experiences are different, but I don't drive over 110 and if the roads are icy the others drivers shouldn't be going over 115 themselves (but that's not your or the smart's fault)4. Oxymoron - the car doesn't go fast enough for wind noises5. Agreed - too slow on hills6. Again you are correct, but it's no different than any other car I've driven in the past 10 years7. Huh? Are you saying that smart windshields get broken more often than others? 8. No problem so far, but I'm only at around 11,000km so knock on wood.9. See #3 - I've not yet tried to go that fast - I'm trying to stay under 4 l/100km.10. Does anyone pay attention to alarms? I know you've had a bad experience at home and an alarm may have helped, but generally alarms go off accidentally far too often and are more of an annoyance.11. Agreed. I have the sound upgrade, and took it back to the dealer on day two to complain that I paid for it but didn't receive it. Turns out that the sound system just sucks.12. Clock as an option is kinda silly, but that's because we have the fancy pods rather than a digital clock somewhere. They could have easily included one in the stereo display.What makes me angry is my gulp cup tipping over when I turn a corner (at city speeds) and when the car downshifts on its own just as I'm about to accelerate out of a corner. Well, angry is a little too strong, but at least miffed or peeved. Perhaps ticked.

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Sounds like you have just come to realize it is not the car for you. Most of those issues I have not noticed but then again I didn't get the cab either. I did get the digi wire and even before that I never noticed any lack of speed but then again I am not on the high speed highways you are. I remember the 401 in a sprint and as long as I didn't mind a little more time to get up to speed I was OK on the 401 but a few times the grill of a semi at close range in my back mirror did make me wish I had a jonny pot on board, or could wear an adult diaper like someone has recently. I find that with the window washer, if you hit the pusher thing at different times of the sweep of the blades it gets to the window well, maybe we use a little more but it does get done. I have had cars that that happened to before as well. Was disappointed that it did not come with an alarm but many still do not and some don't have the immobilizer yet either. Plus some alarms do not have the panic button just the alarm should a guy touch the car. I could have used the alarm with panic button the other night when I was home alone and a drunk decided he was at his house and continually banged on my door at 1 am in the morning. I called 911 and had the cops pick him up while I waited behind my angry dogs. three cars blocked both of my driveways in a hurry and took him by surprise. The alarm might have scared him off but the cops probably made him look like a fool and maybe he won't do that again. He really had me scared because I thought he was trying to break in since he was kicking and pounding on the glass (glass never broke thank god). He was so drunk he fell in our gardens in three different places and broke two yard lampsI really think since it is still fairly new if these are really a problem for you, you should consider getting something that is more suited to the 401 type driving you need to do although there are many who do the same ride and seem to have what they need.Good luck figuring it out, maybe a remap is what you need.

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1. Uhh... i thought the driver's side wiper IS on top. :unsure: The squirters really suck, though. Why they didn't go with a "fan" style washer nozzle instead of three useless "jets" is a mystery. This is why i added the washer nozzle to the left wiper arm. My windshield gets completely FLOODED with washer fluid now. It's also a good idea to replace your wiper blades every 6-12 months.

2. Even in this week's bitter cold and without a block heater, i haven't had any trouble starting on the first try. It doesn't even have to spin more than 4 or 5 times. Maybe get your battery checked out, or cycle the glow plugs 2 or 3 times before trying to start.

3. Yeah, i hear ya on this one. But i've grown accustomed to it, and i stay in the right lane when i know i don't have any power in reserve. If people are coming up behind you too fast when you're already doing 115, that's their problem, not yours.

4. Sorry, WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU OVER ALL THIS WIND NOISE! It's definitely worse in a cabriolet, but i was quite surprised today when getting a solid-roof loaner while mine is in for service, how much quieter even a coupé is when there's no glass up top.

5. You should be able to go up hills in 5th or 4th... even at 115 km/h. Though i've found that if i have a passenger, it makes everything that much more difficult.

6. This annoys me, too. I'm thinking of designing some kind of duct that will spread the heat more evenly across both feet. Not that it would help much in -15°C mornings... i've arrived at work – after almost an hour on the road – with cold feet nearly every day for the last two weeks.

7. I'm still on my first after 14 months. (knock on wood) Though i was worried for a while when they were re-paving the QEW. I was taking some pretty serious stone hits when the road was all chewed up for WEEKS before they put the new asphalt down. I guess i'm lucky i don't find myself behind too many gravel trucks.

8. This is a serious issue, and as someone else recently pointed out, even expensive bulbs with one-year warranties will burn out, and the manufacturer will only replace them once if you've got some sort of electrical issue that's causing them to blow prematurely. One thing that may help is doing the Euro turn signal mod, deactivating your DRL and using cheaper (and easier to replace) bulbs in your old turn signal location, with those wired up to come on as DRL.

9. Well, you kinda knew that going in... i have one word in response: remap. ;)

10. I agree... there should at least be an alarm AVAILABLE as an OPTION.

11. No dispute there. The stock stereo kinda bites.

12. Indeed. Would it have killed them to put a clock as one of the available modes in the speedo pod display?

Things that bug me:

- The crappy heater. Even with the electric "boost" on. It's a joke, really.

- The fact that i cannot get the upper-right quadrant of the windshield de-fogged or de-iced using the "heater".

- No handbrake boot. Would it have killed them to finish it off a little?

- The interior plastics are hard and get scuffed and scratched VERY easily.

- No speakers in the back... you know, closer to where my EARS ARE.

- The car deciding on its own when to downshift when i'm decelerating. I can't count the number of times i've had the "lurch and hesitate" thing happen when i'm at an intersection, making a turn, etc.

- No driver's-side control for the passenger-side window. Would it have killed them to add another switch to the driver's side door? Or even more sensibly, put BOTH switches in the centre console!

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As far as the down shifting thing Darren. I have gotten used to that, Now I let off the peddle and then give errr and the guy in the big pick up behind me smoking a joint actually thinks I got lots of power as I scoot off and give him a bit of stink. And the passenger window thing,,,, My arms are long enough that I can reach it while driving so no problem there. Some say I look funny when my knuckles drag on the ground when I walk tho, but hey, it's all good.I still gotta say to me it is like they got me to sit inside and built it around me. Everything is at my finger tips like I want it.

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1. I have more problems with the wipers not pressing down hard enough; they just smear or scrape instead of truly wiping. I did what Darren did - installed that extra jet on the driver's side arm, and it makes all the difference in the world.

2. I've never had Nosedive NOT start in less than 5 rotations of the crankshaft :/ I keep hearing about people having to try 4 or 5 times or whatever to get their car to start but I honestly can't even imagine seeing that, since every single time, bam, mine just starts right up. Even in -20...

3. I HEAR YOU ON THE HEAD WINDS. I hate 401 with avec headwinds. Every day, I have a tail wind going to work. It's bliss! Every day coming home, the wind is twice as strong, and is a headwind. It makes me want to STAB THINGS. It is simply impossible for me to go over 120 km/h at any point on my drive home because of the wind. I hate it so much.

At this point I will note that for the last several months I have been very rigidly adhering to the speed limits; ie, driving 100 on 401! It was hard at first, but here's how I look at it: When I drive flat-out, at 135, I get pissed off because people around me drive dumb (ie, don't stay to the right lane except to pass, cut me off, linger, whatever), and any time I have to tap the brakes, that's like, forever to get back up to 135. So I'm the one getting angry. But when I drive the speed limit....

...It's everyone ELSE who gets angry. :) You wouldn't believe how fuming mad people get on country roads if I'm doing 80 and they can't pass. I find it quite hilarious. :)

4. Wind noises are very, very bad in any kind of head or side wind. :/ There is one section on 401, at Homer Watson (275) where they're rebuilding an interchange, and I swear something with the geometry of the bridge has caused some MASSIVE wind tunnel effect laterally. Every time I go under it, PAM you get nailed with a HUGE blast from the right (heading westbound). It's horrific and terrofying!

5. Hills.. yeah, I can hold 100 on hills, but that's about it.

6. I drive in my sock feet 100% of the time, so I find my feet stay very very cozy! I always keep the heat full-on down below, maybe click it over so it's 3/4 feet and 1/4 windshield. I like it when the warmth comes up from below.

7. Haven't had windshield issues

8. Headlights - good lord I've gone through like 237 of them by now.

9. Yeah :/ Mine will... sometimes go above 130. It's sketchy, and I think my intercooler is clogged again. You may have that problem. :(

10. Car alarms are ghey

11. I upgraded my sound system myself and I like how it sounds, I've never heard a stock car with a sound system I was happy with

12. ...want mine? I hate it. :)

What makes you angry about le smart?

  • I can't stand when I come up to a stop sign, and hammer it... and it sits... and sits... and sits... and sits... and SITS... and finally goes, because the gearbox is doing something effed up

[*]heater takes 4-evah (but yeah I know, it's super efficient, so it doesn't get hot)

[*]wind noise/rattles

[*]trying to hold speed on highway driving/insufficient power going up hills

[*]that I always cut my hands on the sharp plastic edges everywhere

[*]passenger seat doesn't recline (but again, I know why it doesn't, and I accept that)

[*]only having a 22 L tank (would much rather have the range, up it to the 33 L tank that we KNOW fits)

[*]glass roof has STUPID DUMB DOTS ALL OVER IT making it LESS glassy and MORE OPAQUÉ

These of course are all issues that smart has fixed quite openly on the new car though! And while they do irk me overall there are so many good points that I can accept the flaws.

-Iain

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1. Nobody works the squirter right here it seems. It's all in the timing. Wait until the arms are just coming to the top then squirt. Perfectly clean. This is no worse than any other car I've driven.2. Never had this problem. Sometimes cranks longer but always starts.3. So what, you didn't buy a sports car. I drive 100 in the right lane on the 400 series and QEW. People go around, no problem. Very few get angry as long as I am in the right lane. That is where slower people drive. To top it off I'm getting way better mileage than smart drivers trying to do 135 into a headwind with their foot ont he floor.4. No worse than many other cars I've driven. Had I paid $60K I'd expect quieter, but for what I paid I get what I woudl expect.5. If you start the hill at 100 instead of 115 you'll notice very little slowdown if any. I can accelerate to 100 up the Hwy 6 hill at Clappison corners and that is saying something. Above that, NOT, but so what.6. How the heck do you know this. I've always got the defroster going. :biglaugh: 7. This has nothing to do with the car and everything to do with where you drive. I will point out that a rock hitting your windshield at 115 has a better chance of cracking it than if you were doing 100.8. Not for me so far. I'm on originals at 31,000km. If they go I'm getting the long life bulbs referred to elsewhere. 9. Did smart ever claim anything different in their advertising.10. Who would steal the car? If they did it sounds like you would be happy to be rid of it. Who would respond to the alarm?11. Can't argue that, buy a subwoofer. Anyone who really cares about sound replaces the sound systems in most cars anyway.12. There's this invention. It's called a wrist watch.I love my smart. From reading this post I expect it to give me some grief, and I'll deal with that. It is what I expected having read a lot about it before I bought. I don't ask more of it than I knew it coudl do when I bought. I'm unlikely to remap it as I would like it to last a long time.Sorry to hear you are disillusioned Cait. Learn to be one with the car. Love it for what it is. Adapt, it won't. If all else fails there's Valium.

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Cait HAS a wrist watch in her car, on her steering wheel! :lol:I don't think Cait is delusional; we're allowed to have lil' things that piss us off.-Iain

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10. Who would steal the car?

Actually, in Europe, quite a few people! smart is the third most frequently stolen car in Europe! And they have an optional alarm over there. Niot sure about theft rates Canada.What don't I llike? Nothing really, it is about what I expected before I bought it. Actually in most respects it has exceeded my expectations!

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In Europe it is kind of understandable since there are so many there. It would be like stealing a Honda Civic here. :PI don't think anyone in their right mind would steal a smart - it's not the fastest car out there, and it garners a LOT of attention!

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Yeah but bear in mind there are ten times as many Peugeot 205s on the road, and yet more smarts are stolen.....

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First of all Duck...Kwaldron called Cait DISSillusioned....NOT Delusional! lol (Although it could be argued :cheeky:)Cait you have to remember you have a 2 year old car with a windshield that has been cracked for what? 2 of those years? You also have a pretty basic pure....that is why you have a crappy sound system and no pods. Remember its a 3 cylinder, 40.2 HP car....not a Mustang. It was never made to be the star of the track.....or the 401!New wipers may help and possibly re-aiming the sprayers if they are wonky. I found the Vertical wiper mod to help alot with cleaning the windshield. You may also want to try Rain-X when it warms up. You will likely not need wipers very often... I am currently using the Rain-X washer fluid and it has the same affect as the wipe on stuff.Its ok Cait...soon the sun will be out and you can put the top down and go for a spin!S

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  • Remap

[*]Wiper arm nozzle mod

[*]Those fancy-dancy $80 Bosch windshield wipers

[*]Subwoofer + Deck + Speakers in the tailgate

I think those could address most of your issues! I'm not using my clock... (its eeeeeevil!) so in theory, we could put it in your car.... :)

-Iain

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Well, at just over 82,000 km my smart is behaving as expected. It is time to change the windshield wipers,'cause they just plain worn out and streakin like crazy. I drive between 120 and 130 without a problem, except in a strong headwind then it is 120 and too much effort to faster. There are times 140 is reached but the reality is not too often because the tickets cost too much. I down shift frequently and have had no brake job as yet. Purchased the sound upgrade but drove for a year before realizing "I" had to activate the darn thing before it would work. Many have the upgrade but are not aware it has to be triggered by them. I find once the car gets going the heat is o.k., but then, I am satisfied because I drove a 1962 VW with no gas gauge and a gas heater. There were vents on the floor which constantly rusted out. Same with my 1973 superbeetle. Those wipers were flimsy. The windshield "pitts" easily, however, someone on the forum pointed out the shape or, positioning of the windshield plays a role in this happening. The only real thing that bugs me is "lurch and slow" to take off when leaving a stop position or, turning a corner then putting the foot on the gas. I often wonder what causes that "hazard" to take place.My car has a glass roof and the wind noise is there, but not so bad I can't live with it. Sometimes I have a good laugh giving thought to the fact the ladies of kemptville are outside having a gabfest causing this phenomena. Would I trade my smart for a "perfect dream car". Not on your life. Some of the quirks make the car "special".Garry

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Hi Cait -Don't blame the car1. more crud lands on the driver's side because of passing traffic - blades wear quicker - Jeep included and it sits up high.2. It is a diesel - they are a bit more reluctant in the cold - plug it in - we are spoilt - new cars start a lot easier than the old ones with various degrees of funky carbs3. It is a trade off - good mileage or high speeds - remap helps do both but will use more fuel - 41 hp is not a lot of ponies on tap but it is really frugal with the oats4. Try a soft top Jeep - did you say thin toys???? Oh wind noise - big boxy cars move more air around - more air moving = more noise - convertibles more so as even the best of them have rough edges that will catch air5. see 3 - with a remap you don't even notice the hills 6. There is limited room to put vents in the smart - I find it pretty good compared to some cars - like my old Dodge that you had to wear a parka in.7. All upright windshields are more prone to damage - the Jeep has a tiny one but seems to attract rocks/8. This is a problem - I can't prove it but my thoughts are the short wheel base (more bumpy bits) and diesel vibration (you can't feel it but a glowing white hot filament can) contribute 9. See 3 - I honestly don't know how fast I can go - 'cause I am too busy driving to glance at the GPS and the speedo tops out at 140 - having Gerri in the car to read the GPS would not be a good idea (apparently I drive too fast - but she doesn't - even if she has the needle pegged and I don't)10. It comes with an alarm in Europe - surprisingly most economy cars don't over here. smart had to do some stuff to keep the $ down - hence the lack of some options11. Most OEM systems do - heck the Jeep has a cassette player - and that was with an upgrade! The pop of $ for the sound upgrade was worth it12. When you are driving a smart - time stands still!...... okay - the radio should have a clock in it I agreeWhat I hate about the smart? I don't think I will ever be able to use the full $20 certificate that Shell gave us during the relay to fill the car - it just won't fit all that fuel- sigh.Of all the cars I have owned it is probably one of the best - fit - finish, excellence in engineering and intelligent design. The issues you have mentioned are common on a lot of cars - some of them in a lot higher bracket than the smart - after all we didn't pay $100k for it.Cheers,Cameron

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I was out for a walk the other day when a fellow opened the door of a car and the alarm began to wail. This fellow then proceeded to lean down in the car with the door still open, looking as though he was reaching under the dash. As he monkeyed around looking very much like someone doing something he really shouldn't have been, alarm wailing like a banshee the entire time, a police car drove up... and drove away without even slowing down.

So I ask you, if even the police ignore car alarms all the time, other than creating incredible amounts of noise pollution, what good are they?

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I walk past cars with car alarms...everytime. The other day a car in the parking lot was wailing away.....luckily the OWNER was trapped inside trying to shut it off.They are annoyances...and if no one is paying attention to your car alarm....is it really doing anything?S

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I've had one good car alarm system. My stereo had it's own alarm wired into the dome lights - if someone opened a door while the faceplate was detached, they had 15 seconds to reattach it before the alarm used the speakers to make things uncomfortable INSIDE the car. I supplemented it with a remote paging system that told me when someone was monkeying around. Discomfort for the miscreant, and notification for me. Good stuff.

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What I hate about the smart? I don't think I will ever be able to use the full $20 certificate that Shell gave us during the relay to fill the car - it just won't fit all that fuel- sigh.

I still have my fuel certificate because I have yet to fill enough to use it either ha ha, beware there is a valid date on it.Just a thought Cait... Was this your first car? You may be seeing what other cars can do, IE sitting in the passenger seat of a friends car and wondering if what you have is adequate after all. I will say this, Some of us on here have had many other vehicles old and falling apart but lots of power or new, whatever, so we got what we wanted having had experience with other options. My mustang was old and came with lots of cool stuff, some of the features that had already worn out by the time I bought it but it looked cool and had a kick ass gas peddle on it. It was a baby blue with a fin on the back made by a friend for me. She was sharp looking to me anyway but I paid about forty bucks every couple of days to get to work and Dare I pass a station without checking. I sat on the side of the road with everyone else yelling stuff like, "Can't afford it, get it off the road!" as they had to try to get around me. Only happened to me maybe twice because I was stupid and the stop I made before I could only afford a few bucks so I forgot and ran out of fuel.Some also have other vehicles to opt to when conditions change, but if you ask most, they still drive the smart most for the savings it gives so there is actually more good then there is stuff missing. We have two vehicles so have that option but only use the blazer when a load is going to be bigger then the smart can handle or when the weather is really bad just to save my smart a little longer. I would say 90 some % of my driving is in the smart year round and I don't miss anything I had in other cars, vans and Rec vehicles I have had or still have.

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That would be a cool alarm Gent, Set it to the hardest rock station and they loose it before they get 10K down the road.Actually I think a good one would be one that plays classical music at several hundred decibels and a squirter comes out from below the steering wheel and piddles on the offenders pants and then calls the police and then sends a robotic arm out at the foot area and grabs his leg and shakes it about not letting him go till the cops arrive. I would like to see a guy stealing my car ending up in the loonie bin after the attempt.

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Off topic but:I think the BEST theft detterent system would be in the form of a sticker..."40.2 horsepower... Think about it!"Eddie

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