Understand the Smart Car Service Interval by the Car Pros of Oakland

As a Smart Car owner, you’re probably aware that Smart Cars differ from traditional vehicles in a variety of ways, including their service schedules. Your Smart Car’s service schedule may be a bit difficult to decipher, especially if you are used to owning and operating more traditional vehicles.

Fortunately, the Smart brand strives to make driving as comfortable and hassle-free as possible, which means that they provide you with all of the tools you need to understand and follow your vehicle’s service schedule. Here is everything you need to know to make the best possible use of these tools:

The Service Interval Indicator System

Because the Smart brand is so dedicated to making driving a safe, enjoyable experience, Smart Cars go above and beyond in warning you when it’s time to have your vehicle serviced. Instead of a simple “service engine” light, your vehicle possesses a complex system that will notify you as to which of its components need to be repaired or replaced at given intervals.

The first aspect of this system is an oil change indicator. This indicator is set to go off approximately every 10,000 miles, but its exact triggering schedule may vary depending on driving conditions, weather, and average vehicle load. Once this indicator goes off, it will begin a countdown of 500 miles, at the end of which you should have your vehicle’s oil replaced if at all possible. If you miss this mark, the countdown will go into the negatives, and will continue to count the miles driven past the recommended service mark until your vehicle’s oil has been changed. Because driving with bad oil can be extremely dangerous for your Smart Car, it is very important that you have your vehicle’s oil changed on or before the recommended service mark.

In addition to the oil change indicator, your Smart Car also possesses an indicator system that is designed to go off when the vehicle requires other kinds of routine maintenance. This system is marked by a wrench symbol that, when illuminated, will be accompanied by an “A,” “B,” or “C,” depending on which parts of your vehicle require service. When this system is triggered, you should take your vehicle to a professional mechanic to have the recommended services completed as soon as possible.

General Smart Car Maintenance Guide

Of course, as your Smart Car gets older, one of the systems that may require maintenance is the service interval indicator system itself. If this system fails, it may be challenging to know when your vehicle is in need of service.

To help with this sort of scenario, Smart has published a general maintenance schedule that all Smart Car owners should follow. This guide can be found on the Smart website and includes an extensive list of service recommendations. For example, here are the recommended maintenance procedures for vehicles that have reached the 10,000 mile mark:

• change engine, oil, and A/C filters
• examine the body for damage (especially undercarriage of vehicle)
• examine engine for coolant level and gear tightness
• examine brake system (particularly hoses)
• examine lights, horn, tires, and wheels
• examine parking brake and disc brakes
• examine exhaust system
• examine windshield wiper blades and fluid

In addition to the above recommendations, the guide also contains recommendations for the 20,000, 30,000, 40,000, 50,000, 60,000, 70,000, 80,000, 90,000, and 100,000 mile marks. If your vehicle is approaching any of these milestones, you should schedule a service appointment with your mechanic as soon as possible, even if the service interval indicator system has not yet illuminated.

Regular maintenance is the best way to keep your Smart Car running smoothly, so it’s imperative that you follow the recommended service schedule as closely as possible.

Germany’s Best, Inc.: Your Smart Car Pros

Smart Cars are innovative vehicles, which means that they should only be entrusted to the experts. Luckily, our talented team here at Germany’s Best has the expertise necessary to handle the unique challenges that Smart Cars present.

For over 25 years, our skilled mechanics have provided top-notch service to customers in Berkeley, Emeryville, Piedmont, and Oakland, CA. We have a proud reputation as the Car Pros of Oakland, so give us a call today or stop by the shop to find out what we can do for you.