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Hatchbacks Smart Car Smart Fortwo
491 messages, Last post on Oct 07, 2009 at 6:46 AM
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| I would still appreciate knowing if Mobil 1 is recommended by the manufacturer or if it is a personal preference. Thanks. | |
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Replying to: gregg_vw (Jun 07, 2008 6:13 am) Dennis
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Mobil 1 is 'recommended' by smart per this press release: http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS130408+07-Apr-2008+BW20080407 If you read it carefully, the reality is that Mobil 1 may or may not be what the factory puts in the car. However, synthetic is definitely recommended. The smart takes only 3.5 quarts for an oil and filter change, and the recommended interval is 10,000 miles. I would never let MY car go 10,000 miles, but maybe you would. The engine is the 2008 smart is made by Mitsubishi. The filter is a Mitsubishi filter. smart puts their name on it and charges over $20 for it. Yeah, right. There are many alternatives. None cost over $8.
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Replying to: dennismau (Jun 07, 2008 5:16 pm)
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Replying to: gregg_vw (Jun 08, 2008 10:12 am) Dennis |
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| Thanks Scottl for the info on Mobil 1 and the link. There is no doubt in my mind what my first oil change interval will be. | |
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I saw one of your cars in person a few weeks ago. Then- oddly another at the same intersection 2 weeks later. It got me curious- so I searched this vehicle. I was very surprised on the MPG. It's little better than my Toyota Corolla- just reverse the city/hwy mileage. Why would you get the SmartCar over a Toyota Corolla, Prius, Civic Hybrid/Regular Civic, or MINI? I expected the vehicle to get at least 50MPG- as small as it is. IIf you folks run out of gas can you pick it up and roll it backwards a few times to let it go forward again?  -Dean |
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Replying to: dean407 (Jun 08, 2008 6:07 pm) the smart is much less expensive than Prius, Civic Hybrid, or Mini. Comparably equipped, it is less expensive than Civc and Corolla, although the gap is a little smaller. One would get a smart because it is less expensive, and gets better mileage. Also, it has side airbags, stability control, traction control and anti lock brakes all standard. The Passion model which is under $15K has climate control A/C, power windows, locks, heated power mirrors, CD with MP3 and Ipod jack, alloy wheels, a totally see through polycarbonate roof, and an automatic transmission than can be shifted manually with paddles on the steering wheel or with the floor shifter. The body panels are plastic, and all the panels can be swapped in an hour for about $900. If you have black and want red, you just swap panels. Options include heated leather seats, rain sensing windshield, 6 disk changer with sub, etc. If you commute alone or with one other person into a tight urban area, the smart can't be beat. It is a niche car, not a general purpose car. There is a 12-18 month waiting list for the smart. You can have a wide choice of Corollas at any Toyota dealer. |
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Replying to: gregg_vw (Jun 08, 2008 10:12 am) A great page all about oil. Of note is the section down at the bottom where it talks about magnetized oil traps and larger filters. "The small oil filters fitted to engines these days run with quite a high back pressure, and the bypass valve trips at about 3500rpm. That means that your oil is not being filtered when the engine is spinning faster than 3500rpm. As the oil filter does its job and starts to clog up, that rpm value can be lower." Since the tiny filter and engine in the Smart runs at 3500rpm a lot of the time, changing the oil early is a good idea. Metal bits in an engine of any kind are "A Bad Thing" and cause excessive wear on everything that they touch. While the original oil may physically last 10K or more itself, the engine will be full of grit and grime long before then. http://www.noria.com/learning_center/category_article.asp?articleid=89&relatedbo- okgroup=ContaminationControl Grit of any kind - be it sand or metal powder and bits drastically hurts the longevity of engines, especially the smaller they are. That's why it's hard to find good working motorcycle engines past 10-20K miles. The Smart's engine is on the very bottom end of the scale. 700-1000CC engines are already at numerous disadvantages to begin with. DC isn't using special oil or pretty much anything. What you're getting here is the same engine that Mitsubishi sells in their second smallest cars in Japan - dropped in and sent on its way. As such, it needs old-school methods to combat early wear/changing oil. Go ahead - the oil change is simple. Change the oil at any time under 1K on a Smart. Rub the oil between your fingers and around the bottom of the collection pan. It's eye-opening. |
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