My name is David and I'm a fool.

[DAVID NIXON]

I seem to be in good company. I've just spent £700 fixing the ABS warning light on my wife's car. This is substantially more than any car repair I've ever forked out for in the last 3 decades. I got off lightly, the dealer wanted double that figure. Had I researched these machines before buying this low mileage, fsh, etc 04 example last year, I'd have found out that these cars are just designed for trouble and it's not helped by poor build quality. Both elements recur in this forum repeatedly. I'll leave you now. My continued presence would just be a triumph of hope over experience.

[MrPoo]

When you say fixing the ABS light, what repairs were actually carried out?? Did the dealer do the work in the end?? Seems very steep for a repair

[Yatesey]

Welcome to the forum, and you're not a fool, you just love your smart

[maggi112]

I think that's the opposite of what he said David?

[DAVID NIXON]

The bill comprised a visit to the dealer for diagnostics. "Dunno what is; could be £200 could be £2,000". That cheery news cost seventy odd quid. I then went to a garage that works on Smarts (no beef with these guys they're good and reasonably priced). They changed a switch on the brake pedal (another seventy quid). No warning lights for a couple of weeks then on they came again. Back to this garage and they fitted a refurbished ABS pump assembly. That came to near on 600 quid. Well folks I do understand how you feel about your Smarts. I have an old boat and I feel the same way about that. Guess I'll keep this car a while until I recover my costs in road tax (and free parking in council car parks here on the Isle of Wight). Mind you I'll get hold of a workshop manual and visit the online scrap yards when next I need some work doing.

[meshman]

No David. You did not spend £700 repairing a light. You spent it putting fundamental aspects of the car right. The ABS pump isn't a common fail on these cars - yours is the first I've ever heard - and they do fail on other cars too.
If you had truly done your homework you would have known that a brake light switch costs less than £15 and that there are two excellent 'guide' sites that show you how to replace it. Also for less than £15 you could have bought an OBD to laptop interface and performed the diagnostics yourself.
On top of which you make it sound as if only smart dealers charge for diagnostics and that the dealer of any other manufacturer do theirs for free.

I am not blind to the shortcomings of the smart brand, but they are not as you have said, designed for trouble, but are a beautifully designed car with equipment levels, available options and build quality unavailable elsewhere for the same money.

Had you approached us earlier we could have helped you. As it is, for no reason that is apparent you chose not to, but now turn up venting your anger by way of a rant. Or did you just want to tell us you have a boat?...

[DAVID NIXON]

As it happens, the ABS was functioning fine as were the brakes themselves. An ABS is easy to test given an empty car park and lots of impacted snow. I am completely satisfied that the only result of the repair mentioned in my previous posts was to correct the operation of the warning lights.

ABS warning lights crop up regularly in forums like this as do circuit and sensor defects. It’s reasonable to conclude that, had the circuit been designed differently, the warning lights would be more likely to report accurately and less likely to cause expense. But, of course, you can’t take that chance and so you need to hand over your cash to the trade.

Most makes of car these days give solid reliable service over many years. So, it’s a bit of an eye-opener to be advised to buy a diagnostic cable (and possibly a laptop), find a source of spares and google for workshop advice if you buy a Smart.

[meshman]

correct the operation of the warning lights.

ABS warning lights crop up regularly in forums like this as do circuit and sensor defects. It’s reasonable to conclude that, had the circuit been designed differently, the warning lights would be more likely to report accurately and less likely to cause expense.

Most makes of car these days give solid reliable service over many years. So, it’s a bit of an eye-opener to be advised to buy a diagnostic cable (and possibly a laptop), find a source of spares and google for workshop advice if you buy a Smart.

The ESP system integrates so many sensor inputs and actuator outputs that diagnostic interrogation is the method of identifying which one is causing the fault.
To attempt that on the dashboard would be absurd. The function of the dashboard warning lights are to make the driver aware of activation or problem with the safety systems and does well by managing to monitor and display 3 complete systems.

You seem reluctant to pay a garage to perform the work and reluctant to invest in the tools or knowledge to do the work yourself. To save you the bother of Googling, the links to the repair guides are at the bottom of this post. Perhaps now you will begin to understand the ethos of smart maintenance as promoted by this forum and be a little more respectful to smart owners, who, actually chose and enjoy their cars on merit.

http://www.evilution.co.uk/
http://www.fq101.co.uk/how-to-guides.html

[fatboy08]

black masting tape

[Mel]

I am not blind to the shortcomings of the smart brand, but they are not as you have said, designed for trouble, but are a beautifully designed car with equipment levels, available options and build quality unavailable elsewhere for the same money.

Had you approached us earlier we could have helped you. As it is, for no reason that is apparent you chose not to, but now turn up venting your anger by way of a rant. Or did you just want to tell us you have a boat?...

I'm with you, Meshman, on this. Yes Smarts can be an absolute nightmare of a car. Doesn't stop me loving them. Mine and OMA's has been at Smart since December and we are still awaiting parts to get it fixed. (a 6 month old 451). While the car was there, we have had a basic VW Polo 59 Reg. The build quality on it was shocking! The worst bit though, its worth the same as our top of the range Smart! I don't think you will get the quality on a Smart else where with out paying a lot more.

Yes you are a fool. If you do have problems with your Smart again, just ask. Don't post after the event we cant help then! You can bet you wouldn't have been the first person to ask the question or have the problem. We use to all the time with our first Smart and it saved us a fortune! (well until we went to SS09!)