smartnhappy

My rattles came and went also. I finally noticed that the wind direction at highway speeds determined the level of noise.I could travel a section of road 'with' the wind and all was quiet. Returning along the same road 'against' the wind andthe noise was back. This showed up big time while I had an MB technician in the car to demo the noise. They had trouble recreating the noises until I drove into the wind at 90+kph on the same highway they tried at 80 kph.

I had this last summer. Sounded like something in the dash, on either or both sides, but only at 80 kph and above.London dealer had car for a day, removed both door panels and did some sealing and insulating.The sound(s) have not returned. Completely gone.I posted this when it occurred, but I don't know how to find it. Maybe an administrator could look it up and post a link.I'm sure the London MB dealer could explain their repair to any dealer that contacts them.Kudos to the dealer for their investigative skills and solution.Other possible rattle centres are the triangle trim pieces at the side mirrors (hold Pure/Pulse/Passion plaques), and theremoveable access covers to fluids, under the wipers and above the headlights. These can all rattle in highway winds.Good luck.

Got my CD/calendar in London, Ontario yesterday. Nothing wall-sized, though.

SMARTING said... "Does this affect your original status Bill or do you not count this as a mod? I love it."Actually I'm already corrupted by Glenn with mudflaps, window and running light mods along with tinted windows.I don't view the plates as a mod. I think of them as an attitude. A badge of pride.Smug a zell, ah?

I got Lil' Toot a Christmas present, in hopes it would both make a strong statement and ward off some of the questions about the fuel economy. Instead now I get "Do you really get that kind of mileage?" all the time. Oh well.Have a happy and safe holiday season everyone.

Bought cars for fun until 1973, when I needed them for work (travelling salesman)...1954 Chev 4 door (cost $25), green on green - carried spare transmission in trunk and could switch out on side of road1960 Chev Biscayne 2-door - 235 3-on-tree (cost $100), white on blue - lots of fiberglass to pass safety1965 Chev Impala SS 2 door - 283 auto, turquoise with white vinyl interior...very pretty1966 Ford Mustang 2+2 fastback - 289 auto, maroon on black - jacked up rear end with big meats and chrome reverse1966 Sunbeam Alpine Conv. green on tan1968 AMC Javelin SST - 290 auto, red on black - reclining seats.....oh yea!1969 Chev Nova SS - 350 4 speed (wish I had this one back!), platinum on black1970 Challenger R/T - 383 auto (this one, too!), plunb crazy on white1972 Dodge Colt stationwagon. red on grey1973 Chev Impala stationwagon, brown on tan - huge car, with rear window and door that dissapeared into roof and floor1975 Dodge Charger SE - 360 auto, silver on black with half black vinyl roof 1978 Pontiac Parisienne 4 door, brown on tan1978 Pontiac 2000 4 door, silver on black1982 Cadillac Sedan de Ville (4/6/8 worked great!), dark blue on dark blue valour....gorgeous when clean1984 Chev Celebrity 4 door (2 of them), one brown and one maroon1985 Chev S10 Blazer 2 door, white/brown on tan1989 Chev S10 Blazer 4 door, grey on black1991 Dodge minivan, white on tan1992 Chev S10 Blazer 4 door, grey on black1994 Dodge minivan, green on tan1996 Chev Tahoe LT 2 door (with snow plow blade), black on grey leather1997 Chev Tahoe LT 4 door (for snow plow blade), black on grey leather1998 Chev Venture minivan, red on tan2002 Olds Bravada, white on grey leather2002 Chrysler PT cruiser, dark grey on grey leather/suade 1996 Chev Tahoe LT 2 door (bought Dec/03, 35k Km, mint shape, but was stolen on Sept 10th), maroon on grey leather2005 Smart Passion, Phat red on black leather2005 Cadillac CTS, stealth grey on black leatherProbably a couple more I forgot, but oh well.

Should have called me Glenn. Together we could have taken them! (or at least the 3 Smarts would have been as long as the Suburban, for both photographic and dose-of-reality reasons).

Has anyone heard anything about the draws for sets of body panels in conjunction with the DaVinci Code scavenger hunts held in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver ??? Have they drawn for them yet ? If so, who won ?

I don't have pictures, but door skins were taken off and thin strips of adhesive-backed insulation (possibly foam) were stuck to the edges of door panels where they fasten to the door frame, probably on all edges although the bottom edge is noticeable. I'll try to forward pictures when I can. You would naturally eliminate possible causes like things in the storage tray, the ash tray, the cup holder or the under-dash trays before you resort to this fix. Another possible rattle source can be the small triangle model-marker pieces (Pure, Pulse or Passion) up by the mirrors. Dealers should know about my fix, as London MD was forwarding their findings and solution to head office.

If anyone has a rattle that seems to come from the dash area but can't be localized, and gets louder and more noticable over 70 kph, I've might have the cure. Had Lil' Toot into MB London for this trouble and they asked for the car all day to investigate several solutions. They were kind enough to give me a C230 to use (nice car, but it's easier to get my fat a** into the Smart). After trying several things to the front end, they found that by insulating the door skin panels, particularly at the bottom, the sound was gone. The service people at MB London are good. I got my car back at 5 PM cleaned and vaccumed (even the bugs on the front were gone), with a Davinci Code T-shirt (I was In Toronto) and a copy of Fins and Skins magazine in it. They suggested I try it thoroughly and let them know the next day if I was satisfied. I did and I was. Now I tool along the 401 daily around 110 kph with no annoying rattles. If you've got front end noise and/or rattles in the dash at speed, look at the plastic door panels as the probable problem. Thankyou MB London.

Nope. They didn't seem surprised at all. Said there was no problem using it.

Just had my first "B" service at MB London. Was able to schedule it within 3 days of request. Done quickly (about 2 hours) as quoted. Car cleaned very well inside and out. Total cost was $209.76 without a new air filter (K&N on order). Everything seems tight and operational. This dealer seems to be doing things right, as they see Smarts from both Windsor and Kitchener/Cambridge areas in for service both in and out of warranty. I'm still a satisfied customer, and isn't that what it's all about for any car dealer? This isn't a paid commercial endorsement, believe me. If it was, I would've paid less.

Has anyone heard about Toyota recalling over a million cars? News broke yesterday by Reuters. Anybody with details??

Speaking as one of the bunch that travelled from London to Toronto and back for the day, I had a great time. The trip, the weather, the people, the event and the BBQ were all first class. Plus I got my best mileage mix yet. Had 'Lil Toot exactly one year, and turned 16,000 km on the way home. Put on 449.5 km and squeezed in 18.01 litres upon arrival, costing $17.00. Worked out to 70.5 mpg, or 4.0 l/100 km. I'm a happy little smarty. Let's do it again next weekend, but everyone comes to London this time. Wadiyasay, MB?

Happy almost-birthday!!

Let's define "little effort and expense".

What's the K&N model #?? Typical cost?? Good sources??Does it include their cleaner and re-oil, or are these sold seperately?

Mine went wonky about 6 months into the car's life.Symptom was also a wrong reading but mine was high, showing 3000+ rpm at idle.Dealer replaced the whole thing no questions.They said the needle spun on it's shaft and they had to replace the entire unit (about an hour job).Too bad 'cause it felt neet to pin the tach at each shift.Good luck with yours.

Glad to see all new members and new Smarts in the London area (the nicest area in the country). What's your car colour and description? (Coupe or cabrio, model, options, etc). I've seen several "newbies" around London. What area(s) do you normally travel? We'll keep our eyes open.

I'm just looking for a front cover to handle the bugs from highway driving in rural southern Ontario all summer and fall. It's the big, juicy ones that harden over the week between car washes that I'm looking for protection from. Also the quintillion ladybug-like beetles we've come to enjoy so much around here over the last few years. Any coverage against stone chips and other nastys is a bonus. Anyone know of such a front cover device ???

Does anyone know if a custom-fit front cover, aka 'Bra', is made for the Smart ?? If so, where, how much, etc. Inquiring minds want to know! Thanks.

Ooo-Ooo.....I know, I know !! But I won't tell. I was at Glenn's this morning, getting my mudflaps installed. He does GOOD WORK. As the first 'formal' paying customer of ModsByGlenn, I presented him with a small bouquet of Guinness as a business warming gift (better than flowers, I thought). Now he wants to mod Lil' Toot to the highest level, which I'll have to think about. Meanwhile, if you need anything done, you can feel confident in calling him (SMART142). Cheers ps..This is a testimonial, not a paid announcement. But maybe if I ask him......?? Just kidding.

I saw it in Glenn's car today. Looks good. It holds a Tim's large perfectly. It won't hold a 64 oz Big Gulp, but then neither can I. Cheers.

I pulled into get fuel today, across from a blinged-out Ford Excursion. He laughed and synically said my car was almost as big as his truck. I said no, my car was almost as big as his gas tank......shut him right up. Later in line to pay, he asked me how much it took and I said $13 dollars filled it up. I asked him how much his fillup totalled and he said "$92 dollars, but that'll take us all the way to Montreal". I paused for a moment to do some mental math, then said "my fillup will take me all the way to Montreal too, but for $92 dollars I could go to Montrael 7 times". This had the whole Esso station snickering. Felt good !! Lucid moments that get the upper hand seem fewer and farther apart as I get older, so when I have a good one I want to share it with an appreciative audience. Any other good comebacks that anyone has come up with lately ????

Where is Kemptville ??