Smart Fortwo Shifting Actuator Fix

How to fix the HARD CLUNK when shifting into gear.

[@anthonymoore8480]

Great job! Your info saves me a lot of money! Thanks 😇

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

I’m glad the video helped! :)

[@sleekitwan]

This is really useful. I am contemplating buying one of these, it’s got advantages to a big, ‘proper’ car, and my daughter could learn to drive easiest in this, an automatic-only licence. So I need to research classic issues, and determine how competently I can handle them, and of course recognise symptoms and figure costs, then make a proper offer that makes sense, an informed one. So, thanks again, this is very useful and covered it professionally and showed the deets I need. Take care and have a good 2023, regards from the UK.

[@clivepearce9766]

I found this really helpful as I have a 2022 with 83,000 miles on the clock which often will not select R. Thanks Mate. 👍

[@samperry2305]

Great video. Very informative and straight to the point. Please upload more about maintenance for this wonderful vehicle

[@andrewsundell2502]

2008 Smart 451, bought a pair of ramps, removed the retaining spring pulled back the boot and sprayed in half a can of lithium grease using the long nozzle the can came with. result, a very quiet and smooth gear change. "Jobs a good un" as we say here in the U.K.

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

I’m glad your method works!! Good to know.

[@peacoc4057]

Cool beans! Well done, sir!👏👏👏 Thank you so much for sharing this amazing upload! My Smart hits hard when selecting reverse only for about 3 years now.

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

Thank you; hopefully my video can get your vehicle to run smoothly once again. ^_^

[@benjaminniemczyk]

Great videos! Some of the best online for smart.

[@singlendhot8628]

Really amazing video! Well done!

[@carl5590]

Best video I have seen on this, Thanks very much

[@tarbetbalfour6811]

Best to use White Lithium Grease as per Factory build specification. also smeared the grease around the rubber seal

[@pinknblues1]

Excellent - you should make these videos for a living ! Thank you

[@rabbitfootedkitty1339]

I also took off the boot and that whole sliding mechanism apart after the gear and used this spray lithium grease. There’s a few slider bearing things that were very dry in there.

[@stevemalone2010]

good information, I hope I don't need to do it but appreciate your video!

[@door2416]

Wow, thanks. I will be doing this. My 2015 clunks and can even spin the rear tires when starting up.

[@almo1202]

Much appreciated 🙏🏻

[@baad89stang]

Great job. just bought a smart car. Thanks again getting a fast exceleration, think that will fix it

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

Great to hear!

[@Stephentaylormills1]

Great informative video my 451cdi does the same so my next job is this 👌

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

I’m glad this helped!

[@WBSoCal]

Excellent!!

[@Mr.Sjottdeig]

nice i am going to do this when spring comes :D

[@randyrobison335]

Thanks for sharing

[@northshoregruni]

I'm glad I found this video, because my clutch actuator sounds exactly like this. So I want to try this before I do something else. What type of grease did you use for that. I have some bike greases here, but I think that's not the right one. Cheers Daniel

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

If the grease is thick like the white OE stuff and doesn’t run when hot, I’m sure it will probably be fine.

[@northshoregruni]

@@ToyotaGR86Maintenance its more like bearing grease, I don'tthink it can take much heat. I'll what I can find here. Another thing, in the transmission fluid flush video you use the Castrol BOT 328 fluid, looks like I can't get it in canada, is there an equivalent I can look for? Much appreciate your help

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

@@northshoregruni in that video about the transmission flush, there is a comment where I found another fluid that will work.

[@dogzero00]

Great video. Would this be the cause of the Smart car being stuck in gear? I have seen some videos where the car won't go into gear. A simple solution is to look for a yellow switch below the shifting gear in the cab. I have a 2013 car with less than 23,000 miles & the yellow switch gets stuck in cold weather, just started doing it. Thank you.

[@phoebelala]

Awesome 👌 thanks for this. I've just bought a smart 452. I smell a clutch smell after every drive. Today I will make sure the actuator is greased and that it is correctly pre loaded. Are there any other adjustments to do in this regard,? Many thanks

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

There’s no other adjustments for the actuator, but if you are smelling clutch every single time you drive, it means it is constantly slipping and it is time to replace the clutch.

[@SlugaBeskorisni]

Thanks!!!

[@simsneon2]

Sweet thank you brother

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

No problem 👍

[@joncan2348]

Thanks for a very informative video. 🏆🏆🏆 So you don't recommend buying a new clutch actuator? Also is there a difference in quality between a Sachs and Mercedes clutch actuator? Thanks.

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

Sachs makes the part for Mercedes. It’s the exact same part but it might have the “Smart” logo ground off. When that’s the case it’s called an OEM part. When it still has the “Smart” logo it’s called an OE part. They are EXACTLY the same. Here is the part number if you need it. 4512500062

[@joncan2348]

Awesome! 🏆🏆🏆

[@autoservicedestollenberg3426]

Did this on a 450 model, also plastic gears, i used acid free vaseline for lubrication , it,s friendlier for the plastic parts inside.

[@svenhansen9618]

Vaseline melts with heat, I would use a heat resistant grease.

[@autoservicedestollenberg3426]

@@svenhansen9618 Good tip, the clutch actuator is mounted on the outside of the gearbox and thus not getting too hot, vaseline still goes fine in this case.

[@bertlzansinger]

Cheers mate

[@ugiit8930]

Will try it tomorrow. Clutch was changed runs smoother but now Sometimes when i Stop fromm Gear 2 to 1 Eco is blinking (MHD) and cant go into N oder R. I think after Clutch was replaced i have to do this showed in your Video. Thank you for the detailed explanation. Greetz from Germany

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

You are very welcome. I hope my video can help you fix your issue for free. :)

[@ugiit8930]

@@ToyotaGR86Maintenance will let you know..

[@ugiit8930]

Did it yesterday. I think my problem is fixed. Thanks a lot and god bless you Sir! If i have problems again next time i ll let you know here again.

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

@@ugiit8930 I’m glad my video help you. If you wanna help me out the best thing you could do subscribe to my channel. :)

[@tylernes54]

Hey wondering since you’ve done this with yours did you ever run into the codes P0805 and P0900? For the life of me I can’t figure out why I keep getting these codes and after I go for a drive in the car and it gets warm, if I put it in park it will lock me out of reverse and drive for a couple minutes

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

I have not had those personally, but if you get P0900, you could technically fix the actuator if you can take it apart, but at that point, it’s much easier and probably better long-term to simply replace the actuator.

[@xxmanekixx]

Do you happen to know how to trigger the actuator re-teach? Was debating trying this, some reason I get clutch slip taking a turn after braking.

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

If you’re getting clutch slip it’s because the clutch is probably worn to the point of needing replacement. As far as a simple trans relearn, it’s the process of cycling shifter positions from P,R,N,D,N,R,P in order. As for clutch relearn, you need specialized software. There are KZbin videos on how it’s done.

[@justahobby5893]

Great video. I greased the gears and the slam sound is no longer there. But the shifter keeps going back to neutral. Do you have an idea what else could be the problem

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

I would have to see it to diagnose. Sorry.

[@kanyons2208]

Did you ever figure out what this problem was. I have a 2008 that goes into neutral while driving. I'm thinking of replacing the actuator but I thought I could try the grease first.

[@alexfiterau4445]

Hi all.... Anyone knows name of the ellectrical connector purple and red name? From where I can buy? And how to replace? Thank you

[@stephenjones271]

Great Video, but you could mention that the motor should also get some greae buy taking the rubber plug out of the top of the motor.

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

I didn’t mention that because if you put the wrong grease in there (electrically conductive grease) and you may very well fry the motor. I have yet to find a good solution that lasts long-term, does not become acidic with time, and can withstand heat and cold fluctuations in the engine bay. Mercedes isn’t just giving away their secret sauce for grease to people like me.

[@pepperrealrobot6580]

Im looking at mine now, from the video I see the heavy-compression-spring is fully compressed, so im theorizing that the release of the spring Via the motor (reversed direction) rapidly actuates the clutch

[@pepperrealrobot6580]

I dismantled the actuator, cleaned, greased all relavant areas, re-installed it, reset the electronics- then did a test drive, it lasted just 5 kilometers and cut out. Nothing helped so was towed back home after. It shows that after 60,00 km only these Sachs devises are utter and complete SHYTE and that's a Fact! This is the third one to fail! "Smart" my rear end, money making inferior Trash =RACKET @ an expensive over-price! Fk 'em/ If it were possible I would install a Manual Master and slave Hydraulic clutch instead of this Bitch 12volts Garbage! 🤬😡

[@northshoregruni]

I greased the actuator but it didn't really improve. One thing could be to move the position of the actuator, or I have to check on the piston again. I'm not sure how exactly that mechanism works, but when I move the piston by hand, like pushing in, it sometimes engages and I can't move it. I'm not sure if it's supposed to do that or if I have to grease the inside mechanism of the piston too.

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

If you move it by hand like I show in the video and it seizes in a position it might have some internal gears either broken or shaved off. Possibly the electric motor itself corroding and seizing. If it was my car, I would open up the actuator and see if I can move everything freely and go from there.

[@northshoregruni]

@@ToyotaGR86Maintenance I didn't see any broken part coming out of it, but the piston sometimes gets stuck. I will check on that again and see if I can take the piston apart and fix it or add grease to the piston too. I think the motor is fine

[@sleekitwan]

I can only suggest from general repair knowledge…what I do see, is a lot of this car’s gubbins, is exposed under the vehicle. So ingress of ‘stuff’ like salted water from roads in winter, is probably a thing? You seem right though, make sure everything that moves, moves easily. If this does not fix it, it’s just as useful, from a fault-finding point of view. I’d go back to what I said first, and make sure all the electrical connections are cleaned, look inside them, and clean them manually and with light grade oil/WD40 etc. Green rot, setting into the wire ends/connector blades, you want to clear away as much as possible. Plus, with age, a symptom can be that the ‘blade connector’ can have the female part that couples with it, become opened up and thereby, loose? So if you can manually SLIGHTLY force the contacting shape to grip harder on the blade connector, that might help. One thing I had to do once, was take fine-nosed pliers and gently, a tiny bit, twist the blade side of the connection. About maybe 2 degrees or so, this was all it took, and the rear light dluster, which these were moulded into on that car, did not need replaced - which was what the mechanic was gonna do for fifty bucks. I think about that a lot - then there’s the polishing of headlamps to avoid buying entirely new lamps to pass the roadworthy test (called an MOT here in UK). This was on a Passat - it’s £200 a pop. The car cost 3 grand. I bought that de-yellowing kit, and in a day - I’m slow - fixed the lamps 100%. And effectively, ‘earned’ about £400 by doing so. Anyway, good luck, take care.

[@ActiveRideShop100]

Mine doesn’t slide as easy like yours. How can I get it to slide easy to screw in the middle. It wont let me it’s too tight

[@dennisharvey4499]

Did you have to command a re-learn or did it do it automatically?

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

Automatically. Sometimes you will get the three bars on your dash and there is a very simple process to get it to relearn the position without using a scan tool. There are a few videos that show you how to do it. Process takes about two minutes.

[@sharjeelyaseen8042]

Hey i need some infor related from smart forfour 454 .. is there any compulsory software installed in Clutch Actuator.?

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

I have no idea. I only work on 451.

[@KenoStarr]

When my smart shift gears its like my clutch releases to late so its goes higher in rpm and after 2 or 3 seconds it releases. Should this be a cause of no grease on it like this video ?

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

That sounds like actuator delay, so it might fix it.

[@KenoStarr]

@@ToyotaGR86Maintenance thanks for the answer !

[@gabrieldumea5534]

Hello, I have a mitsubishi colt, recently I changed the clutch, everything is ok, while I'm driving, when the gearbox changes from gear 2 to gear 3, there is a noise like a crack and then it goes into gear, do you have any idea what it could be? possible to be from the actuator? Thanks a lot

[@dementedchikenjc]

Is it an auto box similar to the smart? You may need to reset adaptions with a scan tool to get it to drive properly again

[@gabrieldumea5534]

@@dementedchikenjc yes its auto ,similar with smart

[@roz4747]

What’s the most common fix for a “slight miss feeling”under hard acceleration? Ty subd

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

What do you mean about slight miss feeling?

[@roz4747]

@@ToyotaGR86Maintenance idk how else to describe it, under acceleration, maybe in the higher gears it gets dead spots like a bad coil? Only 40k on the clock….2012 smart car

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

@roz4747 sorry, but that is not very much to go on. Could be anything from bad fuel, bad/old, spark, plugs, timing, issue, clogged air filter, or a number of other things reduced power at specific RPM ranges.

[@roz4747]

@@ToyotaGR86Maintenance well ty

[@jansonsynder]

Would this fix a clutch that doesn't like to go into reverse or drive on the 1st attempt?

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

It usually does fix that, yes.

[@ricardoamaral2272]

Hi , i have a 2008 passion and today it show up with 3 bars on the dash . I turn off the key and turn on . The bars disapeared and now its beeping when on drive or reverse and my seat belt ligth stop working. You think its the actuator? Thanks

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

The seatbelt light being on and beeping means your belt detection button isn’t contacting. You can electrically unplug the buckle and use electronic parts cleaner to spray where the buckle gets inserted and it should clean the contact surface. 9/10 times this will fix your issue.

[@ricardoamaral2272]

@@ToyotaGR86Maintenance the seat belt ligth is off and its beeping , but i was affraid that was related with the 3 bars code . Thats why i stopped the car until i found whats wrong and if its safe to drive. Thank you very much for the reply .

[@SandyToesDetecting]

Did you retrain the gearbox/ clutch bitting point ?

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

If you are referring to the point where the engaging clutch starts to grab the flywheel then I don’t know. There is no clutch pedal for me to feel if it’s in the same position.

[@SandyToesDetecting]

@@ToyotaGR86Maintenance Its all done via diagnostic kit, that ensures it engages correctly and releases. You need to train clutch.

[@TheDogFather1991]

Can you provide a link to a scan tool that you’d recommend? 2009 Smart Passion Owner here 👋🏼

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

Any simple tool that can give you the code for whatever issue you were having is good enough. The tool that I personally use is Autel MD808P. It’s roughly $230USD.

[@TheDogFather1991]

@@ToyotaGR86Maintenance thank you for the reply! Does your unit also program keys as well?

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

@@TheDogFather1991 no it does not program keys… It is what I would consider, a basic scanner, but a very good basic scanner.

[@jgasparrr69]

Do you think I have the same problem, 09 smart was driving and coming to a stop light car stalled out. Wouldn't start at all. Now I have 3 flashing lights on dash

[@AreezRex]

Literally just got the same issue. did you figure out what was wrong?

[@jgasparrr69]

@@AreezRex yeah ended up being the clutch actuator. But make sure to go with an oem sachs. I bought Amazon at first and had problems and that one jammed. Got an oem one on eBay, but more spendy but worth it. installed and worked perfect and didn't need adjustment at all.

[@AreezRex]

@@jgasparrr69 I had a feeling that was it! Thanks for the advice!

[@BioHazard03]

What type of grease do you recommend? I know you said it was super cheap like 2 bucks, but if I’m going to Walmart or an auto parts store, what would you get? High-temp? Silicone?

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

BTH, I used brake caliper grease because it tends to hold its shape and not become runny when it heats up.

[@BioHazard03]

Awesome. Thank you.

[@BioHazard03]

Alright. Totally assuming this will work, but figured, what the heck…I’ll ask anyway. 😂 I got a 5 oz tube of Permatex Ceramic Extreme Brake Parts Lubricant. Think it will do the job alright for the clutch actuator? Thanks in advance and Happy New Year.

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

@@BioHazard03 if it’s thick like the OE white grease, then I would assume you will be fine.

[@glennash1341]

Help!! I extend the piston and can’t get it to retract! Should have just taken the cover off as planned. I connected the electrical back and it did nothing.

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

Without seeing it I can’t help. Sorry.

[@brandontijerina5908]

I need some help on mine it goes in every other gear except park and when I put it in drive it reverse none of my rear wheels spin

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

Sorry, I can’t help you with this. There’s too many possible causes for what you’re describing.

[@snowball6389]

what is wrong when the dash shows n all the time and wont move at all? please help with answer.thanks

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

It is stuck in neutral. Possibly as simple as a transmission relearn.

[@YSRMOTORSPORT]

You seem to know what's up with these. My smart was running fine, I went from R to D a while I was still ever so slightly moving today. Now it's stuck in R. Have tried the batter reset etc. is there a chance the actuator is bad and needs replaced. I can hear and see some movement in the arm when it's trying to work at start up but won't leave R and is stuck with = on screen. Any advice will be greatly appreciated

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

If you’re stuck with the three bars, it means your transmission needs to be relearned. There are lots of videos on KZbin how to relearn your transmission. If you try those, and they don’t work, then I would completely remove the actuator and see if it is physically stuck in some mode or if there are some gears broken inside of it. If that’s the case, then replace the actuator, if the actuator is fine, then put it back on the car & attempt the relearn again. Sometimes when an actuator is removed, and you attempt to relearn, it may end up simply fixing the issue. If not, come back here and let me know.

[@YSRMOTORSPORT]

I replaced the actuator after finding a possible stripped gear in the original. New one seemed to work fine. Drive reverse neutral etc. Managed to get 1st and 2nd gear driving but as soon as speed increased I got the gear wrench icon, flashing in D and now same thing, stuck in gear at the side of the road and won't re start again it sits on the = sign

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

@@YSRMOTORSPORT 1> Hold down the brake pedal, and2> Turn the key to the on position 1, and3> Move the gear shifter through each of the gears P-R-N-D then +- then D-N-R-P, and4> Turn off, and5> Restart the car.

[@YSRMOTORSPORT]

@@ToyotaGR86Maintenance so I set my camera up under the car. I can hear the gears trying to click through but the actuator isn't doing anything. When I put it in initially you can see the actuator arm pressing the clutch in and out. Now it's not doing that, even with a battery off reset. It's almost like it's not getting its signal to press the clutch from the arm

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

@@YSRMOTORSPORT if it’s not getting a signal then you might have a wiring issue. Sadly I cannot help you with that over the Internet.

[@seanwilliams3059]

Even after having new actuator installed, it didn't fix the problem and I still get stuck multiple times daily and won't go into gear. Have to let sit 5 minutes to reset transmission

[@Nuzzyfipples]

What grease did you use?

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

You should use white lithium grease.

[@driesmyburgh9950]

Fixing stuck handbrake knob on 20005 pulse?

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

? What are you talking about?

[@tonymunford5804]

The electrical connector is a pain in the ass to get off . I broke the top of one side .

[@gplusgplus2286]

Is this for the 451 or for the 450?

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

451.

[@milanjovanovic6259]

is this same actuator as for 450 smart?

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

To be honest I’m not entirely sure.

[@Windtee]

What type grease was applied inside the actuator housing?

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

Lithium.

[@Windtee]

@@ToyotaGR86Maintenance Thanks!

[@Windtee]

@@ToyotaGR86Maintenance Update: I did the DIY rebuild and experienced marginal actuator improvement, but not enough to stop the hard slamming into reverse. Was curious to see what my local MB Smart service would find. They hoped to find $2,400.00 in my wallet... in order to replace the unit as a starting point for diagnosis. In other words, they weren't completely positive if the actuator was faulty. Crazy! Unfortunately, I still had to pay for the expensive diagnostic walk-around by the "smart technician." I'm considering buying a new OEM Sachs and installing myself.

[@Windtee]

@@ToyotaGR86Maintenance Out of curiosity, could the clutch-actuator's electric motor be a contributing issue to the slamming?

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

@@Windtee possibly yes. It is binding somewhere. Usually it starts to bind because there isn’t any more grease from the factory. It just gets dry and crusty and starts to bind and causes slamming. If you have greased everything, and it is still slamming, and still binding, it is possible that it is the motor.

[@jeffsmystic]

Where can I buy a new shift actuator?

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

Any reputable parts store or eBay.

[@jeffsmystic]

@@ToyotaGR86Maintenance thank you.

[@glennash1341]

Can’t you just take off the 6 faceplate screws and lube it?

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

You could, but the reason I took mine off is to show everyone what to do on a bench. It is quite difficult to film underneath a car upside down without a lift.

[@geidsonqueiroz2680]

Hello friend, how are you, I'm an automotive repairman, I have a smart 451 with a transmission problem, I can't release the starter and I don't have the gear selection. Can you help me?

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

You mean you can’t unbolt and remove the starter?

[@geidsonqueiroz2680]

@@ToyotaGR86Maintenance hello, thanks for the reply friend, my problem friend is that I can't start the engine because it doesn't release the blocked start due to some failure in the transmission, you understand. because you have the WhatsApp number that we can communicate with so I could send you a photo of the problem thank you

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

@@geidsonqueiroz2680 sorry, but I don’t have WhatsApp, and it is still unclear what your issue is. Please make a simple video showing the issue and explain what is happening, upload it to KZbin or other site and send me a link.

[@geidsonqueiroz2680]

@@ToyotaGR86Maintenance hello friend do you have an email that can send the video to you

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

@@geidsonqueiroz2680 I do not have a public email. Please just reply here with the link. Thank you.

[@nonamejohnson4809]

I bought a new clutch actuator to replace my old one. Can anyone tell me if I need to lubricate it first before I install it??

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

If it is brand new, no. You can just install it.

[@nonamejohnson4809]

@@ToyotaGR86Maintenance The mechanic told me I had a bad clutch actuator that needed to be replaced and that it would cost over $1000. After watching your video it does not look too difficult. I ordered the part and will replace it myself. I'm not a licensed mechanic just a guy with a toolbox. I hope it works out.

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

@@nonamejohnson4809 you’ll be fine. $1,000.00 is a rip-off.

[@nonamejohnson4809]

@@ToyotaGR86Maintenance Thank you! And the tool you used to remove the clutch actuator is the e10 reverse torque size 10? Am I saying that right?

[@ToyotaGR86Maintenance]

@@nonamejohnson4809 E10 is the socket size, yes.

[@CyberBrySkyNet]

oh that doesnt sound good

[@mirkomasini]

Thanks