smart car FE forum

[MetroMPG]

I guess the smart car owner from 100mpg.ca elected not to sign up here. Too bad - it would have been interesting to learn about his experiences with that unique vehicle.

As it turns out, a link turned up in my web logs from a forum for Canadian Smart car owners.

So if you're interested in peeking in and reading about the fuel economy issues relating to the smart that those folks are talking about, here they are:

http://www.clubsmartcar.ca/forums/viewforum.php?f=30

[MetroMPG]

Here's a thought: who else besides me would be interested in hearing about the particular FE challenges/issues relating to driving the smart car?

Its diesel engine and 6-speed sequential gearbox play by a different set of rules than most of our cars (the transmission in particular, I imagine).

I was thinking of signing up at the smart forum, introducing myself and inviting them to send a delegate as a "guest speaker" to come over here for a Q & A.

Would anybody else like to see that happen?

[SVOboy]

the first thing they might do is explain a sequential gear box to me.

[krousdb]

I dunno either but maybe it means that you have to shift gears in sequence. No skipping gears. Yuck!

[MetroMPG]

It may also mean no going to neutral... I couldn't do that on my motorcycle's sequential transmission anyway (I could get to neutral only from 1st or 2nd).

[krousdb]

OK, so it's like a motorcycle transmission? I wonder if it has the foot pedal for shifting and a hand activated clutch?

[MetroMPG]

Funny ha ha. They're actually like "manumatics". No clutch pedal. All electronic.

If I remember correctly, the base models require you to shift all the time (push shift lever fwd/back to change, no H pattern), the higher ups have steering wheel paddles and an "automatic" logic so you can let the car do it all if you want.

The transmission is one of the most common criticisms I've read about the car. (Actually the only criticism I can recall.) Jerky, laggy shifts in auto mode being the issue.

[95metro]

I'd certainly like to hear about the smart car in general and in regard to FE. Of course, I'd also like to see other vehicles such as the Echo, Yaris, Festiva, Aspire, and other small cars. But, I guess I have to take what I can find.

[kickflipjr]

Cool Link. I am always looking at other fuel economy forums for information.

[thisisntjared]

alright im super tired so ill make this quick. manumatic gear boxes are just those automatic gear boxes in which you can choose the gear, there is delay and it feels largely disconnected.

a sequential box has 1 flywheel and 2 clutches(one for 1,3,5 the other for 2,4,6). when it is in each gear the other clutch has the next gear ready and the flywheel slips to the other clutch seemlessly. it is super fast and all electronically controlled. the best sequential boxes are made by audi, the dsg, and bmw, the smgII. the real advantage is that it can shift crisply and precisely through all the gears 1-6 then back down 6-1 faster than any of us could pull a quick 1-2.

fuel economy implications: less time shifting with better flow with traffic and same gas spent.