DIY Smart Car Service

How to Do Smart Car Tuning, Oil Change
and More... Yes, You CAN!

Smart car service is not rocket science. With our checklists and tutorials, you can learn how to do your own smart car tuning, smart car oil change and more!

Are you a DIYer when it comes to smart car maintenance, or are you more likely to get it serviced by a professional? I'm kind of a mix...

I've always done relatively simple things, like oil changes, windshield wiper fluid replacement, battery replacements, changing the air filter, spark plug replacements and installing new wiper blades. I might even do the occasional minor smart car repair, like brake pad replacements.

And, even if you've never done them before... you could learn to do these things too!

Two reasons why it makes sense to learn some smart car service skills...

1. You'll save money.
2. You won't neglect your car, if the nearest place to get service is hours away!

No matter what, learning how to care for your car will save you money. First off, following the recommended smart car maintenance schedule will keep your car healthy and running well for much longer. Second, not having to pay for expensive labor and markup costs on parts and supplies will save you big time. And finally, not having to drive to a distant smart center will save you money.

Driving to a smart center for smart car service is not really even possible for me, since my nearest smart dealership is more than 4 hours away. But even if it was, I've been hearing from other smart owners that sometimes the staff at smart dealer service centers are so used to working with the high end Mercedes line that prices for service and parts on their sideline smart cars are almost ridiculously high.

You could change your own oil in your smart fortwo car in less than an hour, for probably under $50, while a smart center might charge you over $100! Now, do I have you interested in learning how to do your own smart car oil change? Hmmm?

Smart Car Maintenance Schedule & Checks

As I said above, staying on top of your smart car's maintenance can make all the difference in how well and how long it will perform at top notch level. And it's not hard to do.

SmartUSA recommends you do the following every time you stop for gas. I think that's a bit excessive, but you should definitely do these things at least once a month, and/or before any big trips of 200 miles or more:

• Check your engine oil level with the dipstick

• Check your engine coolant level in the reservoir (not in the radiator)

• Check your tire air pressure

• Check your windshield washer fluid level

Also, once a month, be sure to check that all your signal lights, headlights and taillights are working and that your tires aren't showing undue signs of wear. Try to get in the habit of doing this the first Saturday of every month, or some regular time like that, so you don't forget about it and let several months go by.

Keep Good Records

It's just a great practice to keep detailed records of your smart car service, simply so that you know where you are on things and when you did stuff or had it done, if the issue comes up in the future. But aside from that, it's also a good idea to keep a log of when you had your smart car serviced, so that your warranty is not voided.

When you buy a smart car, they'll try to sell you a service contract, telling you that service MUST be done by an authorized dealer. They'll tell you how easy it will be for you to just bring your car in and know that an expert is doing what must be done with authorized smart car parts and supplies.

But, in reality, you or someone else CAN do much of the service. But so no questions come up if you need to exercise your warranty, save all of your receipts and any other evidence of your smart car service, just in case.

Smart Car Maintenance Schedules

smartUSA has organized their recommended maintenance around a 10,000 mile schedule. That's great news, because other cars often need service every 5000 miles or so. But because smart cars use synthetic oil, they can go longer between service. And THAT'S good news, because synthetic oil costs more... so if you can replace it less often, it all evens out.

You can download and print the smart car maintenance log here, if you don't still have the copy that came with your owners packet, but let me give you an overview.

Every time you do smart car service (every 10,000 miles or every year, if you're not putting on 10,000 miles in a year's time), be sure to do the following inspections:

• Check your wiper blades for wear & replace if needed

• Check your brake system and brake hoses for tightness

• Test that your horn, A/C system and seat heating are all working right

• Check that your interior and exterior lights and your warning lights are working

• Make sure your exhaust system is still tight & correctly fixated

• Check your engine coolant level and strength

• Inspect your tires for uneven wear or damage

• Test your tire pressure and measure the tread depth in millimeters

• Make sure your parking brake works, both in going on and coming off

And here are maintenance tasks that should be done on the same schedule:

• Change the oil and oil filter
• Replace the activated charcoal filter for your A/C

Ready to Start DIYing?

Doing most of these smart car tuning up tasks is not hard. To prove it, I'm putting together an ongoing series of video tutorials to help you learn how and master the skills you need for smart car servicing. Don't be afraid... you CAN do it!

Here's what I have so far...

Smart car service is something any smart car owner can take on. It'll save you money and time and it'll keep your smart fortwo car running well for many years. Whether it's a smart car oil change or some other aspect of smart car tuning up and maintenance, learning these skills will pay off, big time.