smart issue

[rickeieio]

With time to tinker lately, I removed the rear wheels on the 2016 smart to paint the drums.  They were silver, except for the haze of rust between the fins.  In order to do a nice job, I put the car in neutral so I could turn the drums while I painted.  Buttoned it up and it looks so much better with black drums.

But, I neglected to put the car back in park, and left the key on to boot.  So today, it had a dead battery.  Charged it up, but the shifter will only go in neutral or drive, and the key won't turn.  Any ideas?

[Nigel]

Rick

The most common problem for a shifter not moving out of park is a malfunctioning brake switch or blown fuse.  I assume this could be the same issue.  Step on the brake and check the brake lights.  The 451 had a mechanical release under the console but I don’t know where it is on the 453.

 

Nigel

Edited April 11, 2020 by Nigel

[Jim Gell]

I did the same thing last month. I drove our 2016 smart up the ramps onto the truck and left in neutral while I installed chocks and strapped the wheels down.  It's my normal routine. However,  it was dinner time and I forgot to get back in the car, set brake, put it in park and remove key. I got up the next morning to leave Florida for NC and battery was dead. 

I rolled the car off the truck at a smart dealer near Raleigh, NC. It was something to see as the brakes did not work. Fortunately my wife had suggested we not not roll it off toward the new Mercedes where I had thought would be fine. LOL

The dealer has had car since about 3/24/20. They expect the new ignition switch, they seem quite sure is the issue and have seen before,  to arrive from Germany around April 21...unless Covid 19 slows that down.  They said it was covered by warranty. 

One thing I want to share is that the dealer was listed on Google as a smart dealer with a photo showing a line of smarts.  But after talking to them initially and then unloading car I was told they used to be a smart dealer and still had certified smart mechanics, but they would not be allowed to give me a free loaner because they were no longer an official smart repair facility.  I might have tried to find a different dealer to take it to had I realized. 

I will be following this and come back to share what they do with mine.  

Jim

Edited April 11, 2020 by Jim Gell

[rickeieio]

Thanks to you both.  I seems funny that both Jim and I did the same thing, with the same result.  It also seems funny that leaving the key on might toast the switch.  I'm betting there is something else.  Something very simple.

The nearest Mercedes dealer that used to handle smarts is about 45 minutes away.  Whe.n they quit the smarts, they moved all their inventory to Louisville, KY, about 2 hours away.  We'll see where this goes.  Fortunately, the car is in my driveway, facing out.  It would be easy to winch it on a trailer.

[Darryl&Rita]

Jim has a unique talent for finding service work. I don't know the 453 well enough to call BS, but it doesn't smell right. I'll get ahold of my buddy, that works on smart cars everyday, and let all know what he thinks.

[Nigel]

Try page 97 of this manual.  https://www.smartusa.com/resources/downloads/manuals/2016/owners_manual.pdf
 

Nigel

[rickeieio]

Well, at least I didn't leave a bloody trail.  Page 97 of the manual Nigel linked to shows "prise"ing off a cover, behind which should be a yellow tab to release the shifter.  Our car isn't built that way.  We finally got the whole drivers side of the console off and there is no yellow release to be found.  I left it apart in hopes that tomorrow, with day light, I can find something amiss.

BTW, thanks Nigel, for sending that link.  We didn't get a manual with the car, nor did we get a second key.

[Nigel]

Sorry I can’t help with the key.

My thought was if you can get it in park and then disconnect the battery for a few minutes maybe the computer will do a reset.  If you can find the interlock bypass at least you can drive it until Jim finds out the expensive solution.  Please let us know how you make out.

Nigel

Edited April 12, 2020 by Nigel

[ontheroad]

I have a 2016, did the same.  Google the problem and it told me about the yellow.  It is there, very hard to find but with the help of a friend we were able to get it back in park.  It is very hard to understand the solution.  The access is from the driver side of console.  Then on the bottom end of the shift lever, if you google the problem my smart phone told me what to do.  You cannot see the yellow lever very easily.  It was not the ignition switch.

 

[rickeieio]

Ontheroad, first, welcome to the forum.

I've spent a lot of time searching the web, and while I get plenty of hits, but none have been helpful, until this morning.  I stumbled upon an old thread where someone had a similar issue, and all the usual things were suggested, blown fuses, bad switches, etc.  The person accidentally discovered that if he held the brake pedal down for 10 seconds or so, the brake lights came on, and functions returned to normal.  German engineering?  Complexity for the sake of complexity?  After breakfast, I'll go out and try it.

This seems like when we had a Mercedes, and the engine would fail to start.  All systems would function except the starter wouldn't engage.  After spending thousands of dollars trying to get it fixed, I sold the car, to the same guy who'd bought our previous car.  He fussed with it for a few months, and one day while in a salvage yard looking for something else, he struck up a conversation with an old grizzled fellow who told him to lift the trunk mat and pull all the fuses in the fuse panel. Another fuse panel, in the trunk? Yep.  The security system was locking out the engine, and need to be re-set.  

[alan0043]

Hi Rick,

Please keep us updated. Wish you the best of luck. If it was going to happen, better at home then the road.

Al

[rickeieio]

Holy Crap Batman!!!!  Yes, the little yellow tab was indeed buried way down in the front of the shifter housing.  I had to remove the whole driver's side and top of the console, then pull out the "carpet pad" type material to see it down there.  It may have been easier to dig a hole under the car and use a sawzall to reach it from the bottom.

Anywhoo, it's fixed.  So simple, yet difficult to access.

Jim, call your mechanic in the morning and tell him to find that yellow tab, way down in front of the shifter, left side.  No need to have him throwing expensive parts at it.

And yes Darryl, you were right.....again. 

And thanks to ontheroad for encouraging me to keep digging.

[alan0043]

Hi Rick,

Nice to hear that the Smart is alive again !!!

Al

[Darryl&Rita]

Back to the dance, seemingly after the last slow waltz. My buddy tells me you nearly have to stand on your head to get to the reset. He did say that Jim is receiving the traditional "Gell Shafting", and to get the car out of there before they brick it, or bankrupt you. The reset is a bear to get to, but it's apparently do-able in a parking lot or driveway. The "brakes not working" part has him mildly concerned, as the only thing that he could think of affected by this situation, would be the hill hold. Get it running first, then test the brakes, CAREFULLY.

[rickeieio]

I haven't driven it yet.  But, the brake lights didn't work while the shifter and key were non-operational.  Come to think of it, I did hear clicking sounds when I released the brake after starting the motor.

I can see how an unscrupulous shop could really hose someone over this, especially if the mechanic technician was bumbling through the job, throwing parts at the problem.

[Jim Gell]

UPDATE ON MY REPAIR:   

The ignition switch part arrived from Germany last week when the Mercedes dealer expected it and they made the repair. Car seems to run perfectly.  That is not to say that the car actually needed the part to be repaired.  I am just glad to have the car back and not be charged for the repair.

I had looked around the manual but missed page 97.   I guess I need to spend more time reading through that little manual.  With the "stay at home" social distancing in effect, we did not really miss the car all that much.  If the part had not come in when they expected it to, or if I really needed the car, I might have explored the yellow tab fix.  

Everyone stay safe! 

 

Jim

Edited April 29, 2020 by Jim Gell

[Darryl&Rita]

Thumbs up, Jim!

[rickeieio]

Another happy ending.

  I never would have found that yellow tab on my own, partially because we didn't get a manual with our car.  A big thanks to all who helped us through the process.  This forum, and you guys, are great.

[alan0043]

21 hours ago, rickeieio said:

Another happy ending.

  I never would have found that yellow tab on my own, partially because we didn't get a manual with our car.  A big thanks to all who helped us through the process.  This forum, and you guys, are great.

Hi Rick,

It's nice to have ' Friends in Low Places '. 

Al

[Jim & Wilma]

The dreaded locked shifter and and stuck key got us!  Happened last week after we ignored the Smart for a couple weeks while we drove the Jeep. Battery voltage was way down. 

Charged the battery and found the yellow tab. Was able to drive and load the car but key won’t release from the column and “accessory” stays on. Made our trip to Illinois and got a new battery today.  Fixed the battery issue and car still drives but key won’t remove.
 

Any suggestions on how to remove the key and turn off “accessory”?  In meantime, I'm carrying a 10mm combination wrench to lift the battery negative when parked. Not an altogether totally objectionable process for me. But I don’t think Wilma is too thrilled to carry her own 10mm wrench. 
 

Any suggestions?

[Pappy Yokum]

12 minutes ago, Jim & Wilma said:

 In meantime, I'm carrying a 10mm combination wrench to lift the battery negative when parked. Not an altogether totally objectionable process for me. But I don’t think Wilma is too thrilled to carry her own 10mm wrench. 
 

Any suggestions?

Interesting thread.  Got to your post with...... "In the meantime I'm carrying......."  -

.......thought you were going to say a .40 cal Glock to put it out of it's misery!

Best (only) temp suggestion - is a battery disconnect switch -  the one with two cable connections and the "connection" knob - if there's room.

[rpsinc]

Or a knife type battery disconnect.  Yes, I bet Wilma isnt going to put "10mm wrench" on her grocery list.

[Jim & Wilma]

Got it fixed, though I definitely started giving the switch some thought.  Smiles.

See this new thread for the repair.

[Darryl&Rita]

5 hours ago, Jim & Wilma said:

Got it fixed, though I definitely started giving the switch some thought.  Smiles.

See this new thread for the repair.

Sorry, Jim. I missed this earlier. Your fix thread is a new one for me. Good troubleshooting. Nice write up.