GlennWest Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 I got a week long shutdown to go to so booked hotel, and took off this evening. About a few miles from my destination got transmission malfunction, then clutch hot, and then slipping badly. Well, stuck in hotel with clutch shot. This not good. Quote 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cowdog353 Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 Could this be flood related. Where are you located? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted January 28, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 In Baytown. Job is La Port, Texas. Good question. It has had a whine not normally there since I got it back. It has been running great though. This happened all of a sudden. No warning. It did shift a little hard a few days ago though. I was running 70 mph and got warnings. Also not heard of clutch problems with these cars. I will get to talk to dealer tomorrow. Getting loaner car. I thinking I may need to trade. Quote 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darryl&Rita Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 What year? Given the flood, if the clutch actuator wasn't changed, now's the time. Easiest to change, among all the other clutch parts, and most likely to fail following wet conditions. Quote I have been wrong before, I'll probably be wrong again. 2000 Kenworth T 2000 w/N-14 and 10 speed Gen1 Autoshift, deck built by Star Fabrication 2006 smart fourtwo cdi cabriolet 2007 32.5' Fleetwood QuantumPlease e-mail us here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted January 28, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 (edited) It still under warranty. It is a 2016. Model 453. It slipping badly and drove it several miles so it shot. Edited January 28, 2020 by GlennWest Quote 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darryl&Rita Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 That's a bummer, Glenn. I'm betting the clutch actuator went, but the clutch itself should be checked now, too. Keep us in the loop. Quote I have been wrong before, I'll probably be wrong again. 2000 Kenworth T 2000 w/N-14 and 10 speed Gen1 Autoshift, deck built by Star Fabrication 2006 smart fourtwo cdi cabriolet 2007 32.5' Fleetwood QuantumPlease e-mail us here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickeieio Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 Is it the manual, or the dual clutch? If the latter, you have two clutches as the name implies. Quote KW T-680, POPEMOBILE Newmar X-Aire, VATICAN Lots of old motorcycles, Moto Guzzi Griso and Spyder F3 currently in the front row Young enough to play in the dirt as a retired farmer. contact me at rickeieio1@comcast.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted January 28, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 It is the dual clutch system. All the 453 models do Quote 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted January 28, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 You probably right about the actuator. Clutch should have gave some warning. Quote 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darryl&Rita Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 51 minutes ago, GlennWest said: It is the dual clutch system. All the 453 models do Not true. There's two versions of clutches on the 453. Quote I have been wrong before, I'll probably be wrong again. 2000 Kenworth T 2000 w/N-14 and 10 speed Gen1 Autoshift, deck built by Star Fabrication 2006 smart fourtwo cdi cabriolet 2007 32.5' Fleetwood QuantumPlease e-mail us here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted January 28, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 That news to me. It shifts like a fluid drive tranny. Not like the 2013 I had. Quote 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darryl&Rita Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 41 minutes ago, GlennWest said: That news to me. It shifts like a fluid drive tranny. Not like the 2013 I had. Then you have the twin disk. Yours isn't flat towable, while the manual is. There's a difference in the option code. Quote I have been wrong before, I'll probably be wrong again. 2000 Kenworth T 2000 w/N-14 and 10 speed Gen1 Autoshift, deck built by Star Fabrication 2006 smart fourtwo cdi cabriolet 2007 32.5' Fleetwood QuantumPlease e-mail us here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickeieio Posted January 29, 2020 Report Share Posted January 29, 2020 Yup, the more common one is the Dual Clutch Transmission, aka dct. It has two separate clutches, each handling alternating gear sets. One engages as the other dis-engages. That's why they're so smooth. Honda has offered this on some of their motorcycles, notably the Gold Wing. Many high end sports cars use them. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual-clutch_transmission Quote KW T-680, POPEMOBILE Newmar X-Aire, VATICAN Lots of old motorcycles, Moto Guzzi Griso and Spyder F3 currently in the front row Young enough to play in the dirt as a retired farmer. contact me at rickeieio1@comcast.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcussen Posted January 29, 2020 Report Share Posted January 29, 2020 Porsche has had them for years. {PDK] Because one clutch engages before the other one disengages, the PDK automatic is actually faster in the 1/4 mile than the 6 speed manual. Quote Foretravel 40ft tag 500hp Cummins ISM 1455 watts on the roof, 600 a/h's lithium in the basement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdickinson Posted January 29, 2020 Report Share Posted January 29, 2020 (edited) On 1/28/2020 at 7:51 AM, Darryl&Rita said: Then you have the twin disk. Yours isn't flat towable, while the manual is. There's a difference in the option code. The business of towing the 453's came up a year or 2 ago. I asked the local dealer, one of the two biggest in Canada. Both Service and Parts said no. This would be for the Automatic. I'm not aware of a Standard being available. I'm also told no more Smarts are being exported to NA after 2019. So someone trying to prove me wrong posted some documentation contradicting what I'd been told. Put something in this setting and disconnect something else, can't recall exactly. So I figured OK go ahead. It may be a US thing compared to Canadian...don't know. What I will tell you is that there was a brand new 2016 in a Parts bay with the transmission removed because the owner who had a Motorhome towed it and destroyed the trans. This after being told it was towable by sales dept. The dealer wound up bringing in 2 transmissions, the first one being wrong so a second was shipped in at dealers expense. By this time the owner bought something that was towable and was refunded his purchase price. Eventually the car was repaired and sold with full warranty. So, I take draconian measures to load mine safely. Others want to drive up...hey, go for it. As a member said, ' it is about mitigating risk'. Or like in Robot wars or Battlebotts, you don't build to win, you build to try to not lose...or something like that. So as the lawyers say, 'govern yourself accordingly' Edited January 29, 2020 by rdickinson typo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted January 30, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2020 Had to rent a car. Got a Nissan Sentra. This car gets same mpg as my Smartcar. It's also much more car. I can easier see why sales slumped for Smarts. Just nothing else fits our trucks Quote 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgiaHybrid Posted January 31, 2020 Report Share Posted January 31, 2020 The ONLY 453 model you can tow 4 down is the dual clutch model. I'm on the road right now but when I get home Monday, I will post up the procedure to tow the car that Mercedes Benz smart division sent me. Not a dealer, not a tranny guy nor someone that slept in a Holiday Inn Express last night. The car manufacturer themselves. David Quote 2017 Kenworth T6802015 DRV 38RSSA Elite Suites2016 Smart Prime Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted January 31, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2020 I am seriously considering getting an 2014 451. I can pickup one up for 5k. This is going back thru insurance company and it took 2 months to get it back the first time. Really don't like the turbo lag on the 453s. Don't really care for the shifts on the 451 but it will jump out in traffic where the 453 won't. Quote 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickeieio Posted January 31, 2020 Report Share Posted January 31, 2020 Glenn, I find that odd. Our 2013 was significantly slower than the 2016. I notice little turbo lag, and it gets out a scoots. It also gets about 10 mpg better. Quote KW T-680, POPEMOBILE Newmar X-Aire, VATICAN Lots of old motorcycles, Moto Guzzi Griso and Spyder F3 currently in the front row Young enough to play in the dirt as a retired farmer. contact me at rickeieio1@comcast.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted January 31, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2020 (edited) Rick, my 2013 got bettter mpg. It depends where you drive it. Pull out from a dead stop at an turn and I need to put foot out and push. Now that might have something to do with stability controls. Rolling just a little and it goes. But I got in the 40s mpg with my 2013. Best I ever got with the 2016 is 35. averages bout 32. I like the 453 but it is no longer dependable. And I don't like it 6k better though. People on the Smart forum have called turbo lag on there dangerous.I tend to agree. I have to drive in Houston some. Edited January 31, 2020 by GlennWest Quote 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Mayer Posted February 1, 2020 Report Share Posted February 1, 2020 (edited) I've towed a 2016 453 behind our motorhome for a couple of years and at least 8,000 miles. Seems to be fine to me. I follow the published procedure that Mercedes says to use. From Mercedes. Not some forum. If you want to tow, talk to Mercedes. I'm not posting anything because I'll just be told that it is all wrong, can't be done, etc. Do your research, but I assure you that you can flat tow a 453. I'm sure David will post the proper procedure. Here is a pic - I put a drop hitch on it so it is perfectly level now. Edited February 1, 2020 by Jack Mayer Quote Jack & Danielle Mayer #60376 Lifetime Member Living on the road since 2000PLEASE no PM's. Email me. jackdanmayer AT gmail 2016 DRV Houston 44' 5er (we still have it) 2022 New Horizons 43' 5er 2016 Itasca 27N 28' motorhome 2019 Volvo 860, D13 455/1850, 236" wb, I-Shift, battery-based APU No truck at the moment - we use one of our demo units 2016 smart Passion, piggyback on the truck -------------------------------------------------------------------------See our website for info on New Horizons 5th wheels, HDTs as tow vehicles, communications on the road, and use of solar powerwww.jackdanmayer.com Principal in RVH Lifestyles. RVH-Lifestyles.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted February 4, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2020 REpair estimate is $11,000.00 on my Smartcar. Quote 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickeieio Posted February 4, 2020 Report Share Posted February 4, 2020 That's about what we paid for ours with 8,000 miles....... 2016 Passion. Quote KW T-680, POPEMOBILE Newmar X-Aire, VATICAN Lots of old motorcycles, Moto Guzzi Griso and Spyder F3 currently in the front row Young enough to play in the dirt as a retired farmer. contact me at rickeieio1@comcast.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adept99 Posted February 4, 2020 Report Share Posted February 4, 2020 Not even gonna tell you what the tax folks value our 2013 Barabas at, suffice it to say it would allow us to fill the shop with a whole lot of Smart Cars and have money left. At $11K seems to me a new buggy of some sort would be in order. Quote Paul & Paula + Daisy the amazing wiggle worm dog... 2001 Volvo 770 Autoshift, Singled, w/ Aluminum Bed - Toy Draggin 2013 395AMP XLR Thunderbolt Toy Hauler 2013 Smart Passion 2012 CanAm Spyder RT 2013 Harley Davidson Street Glide Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennWest Posted February 4, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2020 I would believe they will total it. Already spent 11k on it. Yes, I can pick up equal car for under 9k Quote 2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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