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  • The engines...

    Hello, everybody!
    :newbie:
    Im glad to have found this forum about one of the few small cars I really can consider for myself (or my wife)!
    Being a Mercedes man for decades, Im a bit confused about what I have read here and otherwhere, the car might be stable, and of high quality, but what about the engines...??
    I have no problem rebuilding an engine from bottom, have done it on several Mercedes and are used to find out if a part needs replacement or not, and to find parts to a reasonable price when I need them.
    But I wonder if there are any particular years or engine models I should to avoid when it comes to the oil ring problems Ive understood exists on the Smart?
    Im considering to buy a cheap Smart for2 and have seen that some of them are sold with new or rebuilt engines and dont want to have to do it immediately just because I didnt have some basic information that I could have before the purchase...

    As some might have suspected from my nickname, Im interested in the petrol engines, since I have some plans for changing fuel to something more drinkable than petrol..

    So, please enlighten me of all the interiors of the petrol smart engines!
    I have read about some piston oil-rings, is this what its all about, and will the original spare rings sold now not break like the first rings do in those engines of "bad luck"?
    Other problems, as M102 owner, Im tired of camshaft and hydraulic lash adjuster problems...

    Thanks in advance for all help!:silvertri

  • #2
    Re: The engines...

    its the 600 and 700cc engines that require rebuilding, more so the 600 as the 700 is in 'newer' smarts and roadsters and the 600's have been driven more due to the age of the cars and engines. they are a mercedes unit.
    the 999cc in the new 451 is a mitsubushi engine.
    the 800cc diesel is a much stronger engine... due to it being a diesel engine.

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    • #3
      Re: The engines...

      Thanks, lalli
      OK, so in my case the 6-700 cc:s are of interest since its not so easy (but not impossible) to ethanol convert a diesel...
      But did Mercedes not learn any lesson from the first model years, and improved some parts over the years, just like the have done on the larger engines?
      Are all the 6-700 engines of the same design when it comes to the piston rings or other critical parts?

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      • #4
        Re: The engines...

        No, Merc did NOT learn their lesson! Why would they want to on a car they basically treat as a "second class citezen" in any of their showrooms /workshops? - Seriously, I also find it strange that there wsa no design changes even when they knew the engines were likely to fail afte 50,000 odd mile. I suppose they though that they would be out of warranty by that time as they were supposed to be town cars.
        What i find even more strange is that no one else has produced a "different" design piston / ring set - I am not talking about the odd specialist who has done a limited run really for their own use but needs to sell a few extra to bring the costs down a bit. I mean one of the big automotive accessories companies who provide specialist parts for main stream cars.
        The 600 / 700 petrol engine are basically the same engine with sligt changes to the bore / stroke to provide the increase in CC.
        From what I have read over the last few years, it appears that the very eary cars have got good engines, from about 2001 to 2003 there appear to be a lot of engine rebuilds going on anf then 2004 to 2007 fewer rebuild again. This can of course be explained by the fact that the are very few early cars in this country and so they might not get "hammered" as much. THe 2001 - 2003 car are now reaching the milages and age where rebuilds are needed. THe 2004 - 2007 car are still new enough not to have reached those markers? I am sure there are exceptions to the rule, so the best thing to do:-

        Look over any potential purchase with afine tooth comb. Check any service history. Check the owner for mechanical "sympathy" - a lot of owners do their own servicing as garage costs are high enough to be a major factor in running a car. Ask lots of questions - how much oil does it use, what sort of journeies does it normally get used on, etc. - longer journeys are generally better for an engine.

        John

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        • #5
          Re: The engines...

          Aha, I see, then I maybe should try to stick to 1999-2001 models then, suits the budget perfectly..
          Hmm strange with no design changes, can it be due to a more deep technical background, like if the bores are not perfectly round once the engine is warm (too warm one time only maybe)?
          Some cars have this problem to a degree at least.
          One solution to overcome a non-round bore is to put in stronger springing piston rings, but this costs friction unfortunately.
          But I also heard that it in the Smart case the problem with oil-rings comes from that they are sticking in their groves so they cant function normally.
          On the other hand, this might be a following problem from big leakage in combination with hot pistons for instance (cooking).
          Is there a oil spray cooling for the pistons in the engines?
          Are the turbos as bad, or are they better (or worse)?

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          • #6
            Re: The engines...

            Just linking in my own latest conclusions..:

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