Smart Fortwo Citycoupe '03

[greekCL]

Hello guys,

After a long long longgg thought... I am selling my CL.
I am going to buy something in my budget for now ... A friend of a friend is selling his wife's fortwo (she is buying a brand new SLK), the Smart is 2003 model, pulse edition, A/C, leather/heated seats, uprated CD player with arrow Satnav, glass roof, black/red colour etc etc

As you can see it is fully loaded. and 24.000 miles ...
he sells it to me only £2K , which I think it is a bargain.

Had any of you driven or had any of those? any opinions?

 

[wemorgan]

£2k is excellent value, well done!

My wife has a 2003 Smart ForTwo. It's a decent little car and serves her motoring needs well.

Keep an eye on the oil level.

 

[Smarties]

Great cars, have owned 5 over the past 10 years. 2k is a steal!! Has it got the softouch fully auto option?

 

[Bellow]

By what I can make out at £2k and such low mileage - well, that is suspiciously cheap. If it all stacks up though, current MOT, FSH and no gear selection problems or signs of the engine consuming oil - buy it! It's a steal.

 

[greekCL]

OK Bought it yesterday ... it has done about 1800miles the last 3 yrs and the ex owner just got her new SLK yesterday but she was still sad letting the smart go.
I must admit it drives fantastic and everything works fantastically.
It is a friend of a friend who I bought it from so there was no suspision that something was hidden behind the sale.
There were a lot of money spent on all services and everything was changed on time. Stamps and receips and MOT's all there.

Any chance anyone knowing ... how to get a newer CD for the SATNAV? it is 2002 ... so quite old :-(

 

[Smarties]

Can't help with the CD info, but well done on your purchase and welcome to the world of Smart ownership.

 

[greekCL]

Great cars, have owned 5 over the past 10 years. 2k is a steal!! Has it got the softouch fully auto option?

Thank you

Yes it does have the fully auto soft touch option. I think it was a standard feature for the passion model .

optional Extras are :
Leather upholstery with heated seats
Uprated SMART sound system with CD and SATNAV (Voice - Arrow guidance)
2 side airbags
CD Case
Under seat storage compartment.

standard Extras are :
A/C
Glass panoramic roof
2 front airbags

 

[Bellow]

..

 

[Bellow]

Now you have the car (well done on the deal!) there is something you must be aware of. No cause for panic - but you must be a lot more diligent in checking the engine oil level than with any other car. Get stuck into the handbook and mug up on the procedure, and additionally be very aware of getting level ground to check on as the dipstick is on one side of the engine.
Also, and this is very important, do not overfill! It is better to be no higher than 3/4 on the dipstick, and going above this level when cold will cause problems (it will spit out not just the excess but a load more besides).

A few more things worth mentioning.

Get some silicone lubricant (Halfords do a good aerosol in grey and yellow can for rubber and plastic) and apply to door and boot seals. This rejuvinates the seals which are otherwise prone to leaking. Any leaks into the cabin need attending to immediately or electrical problems will ensue.

The 'security' advice is to leave it in reverse when parked. Take great car to not allow the car to roll forwards with reverse thus selected - the cam chain tensioner will not take kindly to it. While talking security, take care of the keys and replace battery if '9 flashes' of indicators occurs - if left, key and car slip out of synch and need reprogramming.

When it comes to servicing, be sure that whoever is undertaking it understands that there are 6 spark plugs and all 6 MUST be changed.

I've included a couple of links that will help you look after your car. Also there are some excellent independents around - much more clued up than Merc workshops, but MB have excellent parts service.
They take a little bit more maintenance than other cars these smarts, but they repay in spades. Enjoy!

Links below>
Evilution - Smart Car Encyclopaedia
FQ101.co.uk

 

[greekCL]

Well I am speachless for your lengthy and so helpful reply Bellow I will take in concideration all of the hints and tips. Thank you.

 

[manalishi]

Now you have the car (well done on the deal!) there is something you must be aware of. No cause for panic - but you must be a lot more diligent in checking the engine oil level than with any other car. Get stuck into the handbook and mug up on the procedure, and additionally be very aware of getting level ground to check on as the dipstick is on one side of the engine.
Also, and this is very important, do not overfill! It is better to be no higher than 3/4 on the dipstick, and going above this level when cold will cause problems (it will spit out not just the excess but a load more besides).

Ah - I presume this the root cause of all of those premature Smart engine failures? I didn't know what was going on and so I ruled out the Smart when I shopped around for a city car last year (I eventually bought an Aygo).

 

[greekCL]

Well it is expectable from a 599cc engine which is turbocharged ... checking the oil regurarely it is a normal thing.

The Aygo is nice ... but too expensive to buy compared to the Smart i bought.
However ... you need to drive one smart to realise how fun they are!! I never expected to love one so much ...
and trust me they do attract people like flies on the windscreen lol lol

 

[Smarties]

Thank you

Yes it does have the fully auto soft touch option. I think it was a standard feature for the passion model .

An even better deal then, your original post said it was a Pulse (Soft touch is optional on Pulse). And with that specification, what a great find.

 

[greekCL]

my mistake sorry... I haven't bought it back then ... so I had to rely on my memory.
No need now as I can read the side sticker easily lol.
It kind of came and find me ... as it was never advertised for a sale .. it was going to go for a swap for the new car to the dealer.

I bet the dealer must be upset for not making a good chunk of profit out of it lol