smart65

Jake has company; I am also dealing with congestive heart failure. I have the additional problem of not being able to walk more than a few steps at a time, so the most valuable benefits of light exercise are unavailable to me. This will probably shorten my life expectancy further as water builds up in my lower extremities. Utilizing the ability to walk, stimulates blood flow through lymph node stimulation, so I'm told.

I think that the writer of the article was addressing Tesla's problem of producing cars without annoying body defects, rather than the basic design of the body. When I was in high school in 1955-60, I recall that GM cars still had badges proudly proclaiming "Body by Fisher".

Borrowing from automotive history: Ford Model T's were commonly produced as a chassis only, with multiple coach builders completing each one independently. A recent article published by Jalopnik suggests that Tesla might similarly benefit from building its Model 3 as a chassis only, and contracting the body building to experts in the field,such as Mazda or Subaru. https://jalopnik.com/tesla-needs-subaru-or-maybe-mazda-to-succeed-1830782668

Why Mazda Is Betting its Future on Gasoline While others look to hybrids and EVs, Mazda is refining the gasoline engine for the next 30 years, and keeping the manual transmission alive. Written by Bob Sorokanich and published by Road and Track on Nov 30, 2018. https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-shows/los-angeles-auto-show/a25356804/mazda3-skyactiv-x-future-internal-combustion/

I was curious about where "Shoptictoc" was physically located. The Facebook page for the business had a "get directions" button. When I clicked on it, the map which came up was obviously of an area in Germany. After moving the display, looking for a familiar place name, I finally found Berlin. It's amazing that they can send product all the way to Canada with no shipping charge. An import fee may be applied though; we shall see. As part of the same Amazon transaction, I ordered a 0.5mm lead size mechanical pencil, which also featured free shipping. Amazon correspondence that I've received about that part of the order, indicates that the pencil is being sent from China.

Economical source for CR1225 batteries I opened the key up and found that the battery was a quality Swiss made Renata brand. An Internet search found an Amazon.ca seller (Shoptictoc) offering a 2-pack of Renata CR1225 batteries for $4.95 including free shipping! I ordered that item, and then added an order for a Renata 315 cell for my Longines watch (offered at $5.49, also including free shipping). I have bought batteries several times through the Internet, and found that the sellers just pop the items into an envelope and send it by Canada Post. This is the only way I buy small batteries any more.

Today, after well over 13 years, my smart's key battery finally failed. The spare key was in a magnetic key holder under the dash, and it worked!. It is the same age as the other one, but had only rarely been used. Mercedes supplied an extra battery when the car was new, but I don't know where it ended up. Pill batteries can have a pretty amazing life span.

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/autos/news/smart-brand-might-be-doomed/ar-BBOTgZP?ocid=spartandhp

This note has been posted in order to compile a list of potential buyers to be contacted when the time comes to part with my smart. I have been driving the car less and less each year due to arthritis, among other things. In a couple of years, I'll be an octogenarian, and am already pretty creaky. Eventually, it will be sold, either by me, or my wife, if I'm no longer around. I'd like to see it go to someone who values diesel smart car ownership. Selling it is complicated by the fact that it has hand controls, which cost over $1000 to have legally installed by a licensed specialist. When the time comes, if a person who needs a car with hand controls could be found, that would be ideal; the car could be signed over to him/her as long as the person has first legally qualified for driving using hand controls. If that ideal recipient can't be found, the hand controls would have to be removed before the title could be transferred. The odometer just passed 98,000 km this year. At the current rate of use, it will certainly be less than 100,000 km when it finally goes onto the market. It's fuel consumption records are available online on www.spritmonitor.de under user "smart65". Those records show that the odometer reading was 75,626 km on the day in October, 2008 when I filled the tank just prior to having the surgery which ultimately left me a paraplegic. The A/C was reconditioned a couple of years ago by M-B Oakville. It worked last year, but unfortunately has again lost its refrigerant. A couple of years ago, I had CsC member "Bessy", an apprentice mechanic at the time, replace the reluctor rings on the rear axles. He remarked that it was the first diesel smart that he had seen that had an intact original intercooler scoop. He described the car as "almost perfect". The Optima Redtop AGM maintenance-free battery is kept fully charged by being constantly monitored by a Battery Tender (TM) whenever parked at home in the garage. Every time I take it for a spin, it starts and performs flawlessly. Whenever it is started up (only on nice days), it's taken for at least a 20 km spin, guaranteeing that the engine reaches full operating temperature before shutdown. The thermostat has been upgraded, so operating temperature is in the range of 88-91C. The following text was copied from the text that appears at the bottom of my CsC posts, which describes the factory features that I ordered, and mods that I've made to the car: Some of extras on smart: tach & clock pods, heated seats, sound upgrade, underseat storage tray, electric P/S, softtouch, steelies & Blizzak winter tires, hand controls, MDC cruise control with W/W arm control, MDC armrest, front signal lights converted to Euro-style with original signal lights running as DRLs and front side lighting converted to act only as signal repeaters (now LED), Grundig 6 CD changer, MDC ultimate window package, Scangauge II, 3-spoke steering wheel with paddle shifters, Technine stage 2 remap, LED footlights under dash. I also have miscellaneous bits and pieces which would accompany the car (including a desktop model purchased from M-B). Maintenance records from day 1 included. Anyone who is interested in purchasing this unique car, is invited to send a CsC PM to me, supplying name and phone number and/or email address. The selling price will depend upon bids received at the time that I decide that I am ready to say goodbye to the car, or, if I delay too long, when my wife sells it after my passing. Anyone in the GTA area is welcome to visit my residence in Mississauga to check out the car in person. If it's a nice day, and not during the period when the on-road insurance is deactivated for winter, I'd be happy to demonstrate its performance on the road.

My car has both the restrictor plug and an upgraded thermostat. Prior to those modifications, the normal operating temperature was 78-80C. It now runs at 88-91C due to the T-stat upgrade. I store the car over winter nowadays, but I'm pretty sure it would produce sufficient heat if I were to use it in winter. With regard to defrosting ... a working air conditioner is quite effective in dissipating excess humidity. Also, if the heater control is set to recirculate, humidity rapidly rises, and windows will fog up.

I think you meant to say it's a 450 coupe; it looks just like my 2005 model.

It's smart142, not smart124.

Munich is/was the jumping off point for the 3 week European motorcycle tour that my wife and I enjoyed in 1983 (Beach's Motorcycle Adventures https://www.bmca.com), They have connections with BMW GmbH which can supply motorcycles and cars for tour participants (and with other companies for other vehicles). We rode a rental 1976 BMW R90S. The Beach organization owned it and had imported it back to Germany from the USA. Since it carried a NY license plate, people would have assumed that we were Americans. I can believe how tired you both must be at this point, but this is the trip of a lifetime, so enjoy it to its fullest! I'm looking forward to seeing your roadster here in Canada.

I thought that the replacement of CV shafts was to solve the problem of corroded/cracked reluctor rings. If so, replacement of the rings was deemed to be the most economical solution, after much discussion on this forum and others. Dealers cannot source them from M-B, but they are available. I can confirm that they work as well as the originals.

Bosch GmbH claims to have developed a system which can reduce emissions from diesel engines to well below acceptable levels. The downside is that it cannot be retrofitted to existing engines. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-04-25/bosch-says-it-s-made-a-breakthrough-that-can-save-diesel-engines