Loading dead Smart car.

[rdickinson]

I may have to move someone's '05 Smart from Vancouver to Victoria for repairs if the Dealer figures they can fix it. Anyway, thinking about the best way to load it on the truck. There is no bar on the back of the dead car to hook onto with the winch. I could use both my towing eye and hers as well but pulling them on an angle could damage the car. Probably too heavy to push up that steep an incline.

I am thinking of doing what Ian did with his MDT shipped from Vancouver to Nova Scotia. Get a tilt deck wrecker, pull it onto the deck, back up to drivers side of my truck then push it on. Blocks of plywood or 2x material to make up any difference in height between the deck levels.

 

Input??

[Jack Mayer]

Building a bar would be far cheaper and easier if you already have the eye inserts for yours. Any welder can easily build the bar. See my truck pictures for what it looks like. You will have to put the eye in the right location for your winch - I forget where yours is. I "think" it is close to mine. Pics start HERE.

[SuiteSuccess]

For a one time load a single tow eye hooked to your winch should suffice. Remember Smart only supplies one with the car so they must think their frame can handle it. If you feel you need to build a bar you can do it without paying a welder. My present one is bolted together and took less than an hour to fabricate. Will post a pic if you need to see it.

[rdickinson]

Jack, I could take my bar, it has a second hole to the left of the one used on my car. Maybe it was a mistake or meant for Gen 2's. I'd need to know specific tools to re and re on both. No sense generating an expense for a single use item.

 

Suite, Good point. I have the eye from mine as well but maybe a single eye would be better. It would still be pulling on an angle.

 

This lady is plenty upset. Seems several have had a go at it possibly making things worse. It would be a big pick me upper for her if this could be pulled off. I should post pics.

 

R

[sclord2002]

Roger, I load our Smart with the one factory tow eye and have seen no problems with doing so....so far, anyway. Charlie

[Dennis M]

I loaded our '05 with a nylon strap between the eye bolts and hooked to the winch for more than a year before the aluminum bar the tow eyes thread into started to deform. Should be no problem for a one time load.

[rdickinson]

I was concerned about a strap b/w both eyes, thinking it would want to pull in towards the center of the car rather than toward the winch.

[Darryl&Rita]

What's wrong with the car? What generation(year)?

[rdickinson]

'05 Diesel, original owner, all service work done, woman owner is original owner.

Below is what she sent to me. Service records plus this were sent to 3 Point in Victoria.

The lady has been hung out to dry, hate seeing that so I figured I would stick my nose in it to see what could be done. I'm no gearhead but I know those who are.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The car will not start.

 

Prior to it no longer starting there was a gradual decline in the performance of the vehicle. The car became very sluggish and had trouble going up hills, sometimes you felt you wanted to help by pushing.

 

Starting would be harder where you would turn the key and it would take a while to catch. And then one day it just would not start. Sluggish decline happened over a period of a few months.

 

There's a valve, I would have to look up the name, but it's EGH or something like that. The part was replaced but the car still would not start.

 

The oil filter was looked into however that did not help anything. And then there was a turbo something that was replaced and it still would not start.

 

I don't know that I can spend as much as some have on it but I guess That is yet to be seen. I'm the original owner of the vehicle, a 2005 diesel and it was 25,500 when I purchased it.

 

It has had its regular maintenance and with the exception of one recommendation all work has been done. I don't recall what it was that I chose not to do however the mechanic said it would only impact me if I had a problem on long drives outside of the city.

 

Repair was part of a larger package recommendation and it was either 3000 or 6000 to do all of the work. I did the first 50% that was deemed the most important.

 

Thank you will send the other emails in a moment

 

 

LL

[Livingillusions]

Sounds like a clogged EGR valve. It that's it I would fix it where the car sits.

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

Sounds like an injector pump went out.

[Dennis M]

Strange, from everything I have seen and my dealings with him long distance, Eddy at Flying Tiger is a pretty straight shooter.

 

If I had to guess, and this is strictly a guess, it sounds like a "dusted" diesel engine to me. Gradual loss of compression until there is not enough to run. Seen fairly often on industrial applications with a lot of dust and leaks in the air intake.

[Darryl&Rita]

Not really enough info in her email to make an educated guess, so I'll refrain. Doesn't sound cheap, however. Eddie is recognized as the west coast go-to guy. If she has any intention to sell, I may have a buyers contact info.

[Bob Cochran]

It is really a guessing game. Engine compression is easy and cheap to test which will tell you if engine is got a major problem. Do these cars have a lift pump? That could be going bad and not enough pressure to the injection pump. The output pressure of the injection pump can be tested, high pressure, but cold crack fuel lines to injectors to see if you are getting any fuel to them. Injection pump usually cooled by fuel flow so if something in tank or lift pump is bad could destroy injection pump. Multiple bad or plugged injectors could have them POP tested or replaced. Plugged or plugging fuel filter and the one that can really reek havoc is getting gasoline put into the tank instead of diesel!!! Multiple ways for that to happen and not even the the owners fault.

 

I think I ran out.

[rdickinson]

My high pressure fuel pump was leaking a little so it was able to be repaired before total failure. I have also been cautioned not to run the fuel down low. When it gets to 2 bubbles start looking for fuel. Something about a wire to the fuel pump over heating and causing failure. I will have to look that up. We should be so lucky to have that be the problem. It is a $500 fix.

[jkennell]

Every time I see the discussions about hook/eyes and spreader bars---all I can think of is an old horse drawn single tree...

 

So would the "Smart" thing to do be to call up a local Amish guy???

 

As far as troubleshooting...it sure sounds like a low compression issue. Have the compression tested before replacing anything else.

[stolpsaddles]

Don't take it to Victoria.

Eddy at Flying Tiger in Richmond on Westminster Hwy East of knight st is the best, not just the best for the money but the best.

[SIBERNUT]

"No good deed goes unpunished"

Better check your ins coverage if something befalls it on the trip & you are not the owner.

[rdickinson]

"No good deed goes unpunished"

Better check your ins coverage if something befalls it on the trip & you are not the owner.

Good point, I will look into it.

Eddy has had his kick at the can with no success.

[Dennis M]

Every time I see the discussions about hook/eyes and spreader bars---all I can think of is an old horse drawn single tree...single-tree.jpg

 

So would the "Smart" thing to do be to call up a local Amish guy???

 

As far as troubleshooting...it sure sounds like a low compression issue. Have the compression tested before replacing anything else.

 

Ha! That's great Jeff, and exactly what they look like - what's old is new again!

[GoldRush]

I would say Bob has it about right. I have a 99 Dodge Cummins and that is exactly how it died. Lack of fuel flow from the lift pump slowly did in my injection pump. The truck felt so sluggish I thought I was losing my tranny as the engine still "Sounded ok" but wasnt.