forfour.co.uk

Forum => General Smart Chat => Topic started by: esme on November 08, 2010, 09:46:16 AM

Title: Independent in North East??
Post by: esme on November 08, 2010, 09:46:16 AM
Hi there

I just bought a forfour from a non smart dealership, and clearly they have no idea how to service the thing! I'm looking for a reliable local dealer who will give the car a really good going over and get it ready for winter. I travel with a baby and toddler in the car, so am possibly over cautious about safety and reliability. Does anyone know of anyone I can trust - I'm based in Darlington near Durham - anywhere near??

Thanks guys
Title: Re: Independent in North East??
Post by: Baggy on November 08, 2010, 10:47:25 AM
Hiya ,
Give Sam from Forsmart a bell , he's a Smart mechanic & has done work for a lot of peops I know as well as work for me , he is mobile so can come to you at a time to suit - i know he's done work up in Newcastle so Darlington will be no problem i'm sure x

email addy
mail@forsmart.co.uk

xx
Title: Re: Independent in North East??
Post by: esme on November 08, 2010, 11:34:02 AM
Oh fab - can I just ask who Forsmart are - totally clueless I am! hehehe
Title: Re: Independent in North East??
Post by: Baggy on November 08, 2010, 11:40:02 AM
He's an ex Smart mechanic now with his own business - his g/f has a forfour too

x
Title: Re: Independent in North East??
Post by: esme on November 08, 2010, 11:49:14 AM
Oh great, I'll give him a buzz when I need him to have a look. Can I just ask how his prices compare with Merc ?
Title: Re: Independent in North East??
Post by: Problemchild on November 08, 2010, 12:01:34 PM
I would seriously suggest checking servicing and MOT costs at Smart/Merc anyway as
you will probably be pleasantly surprised ;)

MOT is normally under £30 and they valet your car for you ;)

JJ
Title: Re: Independent in North East??
Post by: Timelord Mitchturbo on November 08, 2010, 10:56:01 PM
Hello Esme and thank you for joining ff.co.uk  ;D

I travel with a baby and toddler in the car, so am possibly over cautious about safety and reliability.

Don't worry about safety, The Smart ForFour has been rated 4 stars for safety, which is really good.  ;)
I've seen a few crashes with ForFours involved, well broken ForFours on ebay sites and newspapers...
(I'm not helping am I...) Let me assure you that it wasn't the ForFours fault that caused the crashes lol
but the drivers and other vehicles etc...
Straight to the point... Of all the pictures and comment's I've seen, the ForFours have always come out the better
of the other vehicles in the 'accident'.

Thanks to theSmart Safety Tridion that surrounds the drivers and occupants, minimal damage would be caused if such an accident occured.

Also to be noted, with the doors and everything on the exterior (except the chassis, Safety Tridion and most windows) being a special plastic
instead of metal, any dents and bangs that would be permanent on 'other metal' cars and being very expensive to fix sometimes... will not be
a problem for the ForFour ! Haha !
The plastic just pops back out, or in, depending on the suituation  :)  Just a shame the Tridion can still get dents though :-[

4 star safety out of 5... Very Good! :D

I've read that you travel with a baby and child in the ForFour...very good ! I've just become a father myself, well 7+ months ago, and it's been
quite difficult finding the boot space/room for such things such as buggies/push chairs etc. Finally we have discovered the Micro folding push chairs,
like the 'Petit Star Zia' for example which I have demonstrated how easy it is to fold in ones ForFour boot... In this link here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxEQQVNt6Qg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxEQQVNt6Qg)

It's made traveling with a baby so much easier !  ;D
Also 'official smart' rear windblinds are very chic at the moment and can be ordered of German ebay...these are brillant:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180521440311&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180521440311&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT)
And there's a How-To fitting guide on here...

Hope you enjoy your new ForFour ! :D
Title: Re: Independent in North East??
Post by: Problemchild on November 08, 2010, 11:08:17 PM
Every service and MoT I have had has been cheaper at Merc....

They also wash and hoover... ;D

I sit and watch Sky and eat the free cakes and drink the free coffee and coke...

I also wander round and sit in all the yummy Mercs and play with the in car 'toys'....

I have a baby too, and I'm not worried one bit !!

Mine has ISOfix although I have opted for the cheaper (non ISOfix) Recaro child seat that turns into a booster seat !!

We also have a 'Cosatto Yo !' stroller which fits in fine and its huge !

You have discovered the sliding rear seat with reclining seat backs ?!!

For more space, do the very simple 'lounge concept' mod...http://forfour.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=281.0

And the sun-shades/sun-screen guide is here.....http://forfour.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=520.0

(linked just in case you haven't found all the Technical guides and How-To's yet)

Sorry Evil - baby talk :(

JJ
Title: Re: Independent in North East??
Post by: Timelord Mitchturbo on November 08, 2010, 11:26:24 PM

And the sun-shades/sun-screen guide is here.....http://forfour.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=520.0

(linked just in case you haven't found all the Technical guides and How-To's yet)

Sorry Evil - baby talk :(

JJ
Thanks JJ, I could not find the ff.co.uk How-To section  :-[ Awww I even tried the search button for rear sun blinds to no results...
Anyway. Yes no more Baby talk lol... That's what the PM button is for hehe...
Hope you liked the Video  ;)
Title: Re: Independent in North East??
Post by: Problemchild on November 09, 2010, 12:04:22 AM
Quote from: Timelord Mitchturbo
Thanks JJ, I could not find the ff.co.uk How-to section

Technical Guides are within each area (e.g. Interior), and above the threads is another link that takes you to the Technical Guide for that section !!

Also, there is a sticky at the top of each area with a link ;)

JJ
Title: Re: Independent in North East??
Post by: esme on November 09, 2010, 01:17:47 PM
Ooh thanks everyone for the ressurance and baby talk ! Just after I had our first child I drove a Mini Cooper S, so have got travelling with baby in a
small car down to a fine art ! We have the 'Mamas and Papa's Luna', which was designed to fit in the back of a Mini, and fits like a dream in the Smart.
I'll take mine to Merc then. Just out of interest - for a 1.1 petrol manual, what is the service interval ?
Title: Re: Independent in North East??
Post by: Baggy on November 09, 2010, 01:53:51 PM
I have a 1.1 too - i have no idea on the mileage interval but every car I have owned I always get them serviced same time as MOT  - someone on here may say I dont need to, but for peace of mind more than anything I do it every year .
xxx
Title: Re: Independent in North East??
Post by: Problemchild on November 09, 2010, 02:08:45 PM
its something like 9000miles (14000km) OR every 12months - whichever comes first!

JJ
Title: Re: Independent in North East??
Post by: Unknown on November 09, 2010, 06:24:37 PM
Or check the maintenance interval indicator by quickly double pressing the button on the left of the speedo, two spanners 'B', one spanner 'A' or you're in trouble and it will be in minus figures. ;)

Check the service book for the last service and it should tell you where and when it was last serviced.
Title: Re: Independent in North East??
Post by: mr singh on November 09, 2010, 09:44:50 PM
its something like 9000miles (14000km) OR every 12months - whichever comes first!

JJ

i thought it was 10,000 miles or 12 months, which ever comes first (or the service spanners)