Mercedes smart

[skeptic36]

I wonder if these will "take off" if you'll pardon the pun

 

Projects

 

Regards Bill

 

 

[gofastclint]

I can't open the link, for some reason my phone can't open links on this forum. but IMHO piston diesel is the future in GA and smaller. I saw mercedies smart engine on a trike a few years ago. The thing apparently had 20% better fuel economy at sea level and that increased with altitude. Since then, there have been massive increases in the number of engine management companies working on perfect maps for direct injection timing in diesel engines and this has massively improved efficency.

 

If I had a trike I would hunt through Ebay for a smart car thats been written off and use the engine as a project, adapt a PSRU, throw it on Mule and put it through its paces.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Have they released adiesel smart here in OZ yet?

 

i was looking on a forum about 4 years ago that had a pretty indepth disscussion on these engjnes. unfortunatly we have a different type of diesel fuel in this country and in the US compared to Europe. The electronic fuel control has to be completly reprogrammed to ccope with it. apparently this was going to cost heaps so it was (at the time impratical) only available here powered by unleaded engine. I have not seen this forum online now for about a year but was mainly about auto engine conversions. it would be good if this situation has changed. great little engine.

 

ozzie

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Boy the big Mercedes folks want to play with us now....but NGK doesn't any more.

 

 

[Guest pelorus32]

Have they released adiesel smart here in OZ yet?i was looking on a forum about 4 years ago that had a pretty indepth disscussion on these engjnes. unfortunatly we have a different type of diesel fuel in this country and in the US compared to Europe. The electronic fuel control has to be completly reprogrammed to ccope with it. apparently this was going to cost heaps so it was (at the time impratical) only available here powered by unleaded engine. I have not seen this forum online now for about a year but was mainly about auto engine conversions. it would be good if this situation has changed. great little engine.

ozzie

G'day Ozzie,

 

Diesel quality changed here at some time in the last 2-3 years - the rules changed. We now have diesel that's much lower in sulphur and the equivalent of the European standards. This has allowed many of the newer common rail diesels to be used here. It's this fact alone that has led to the upsurge in the availability of a choice in diesel cars in the last few years. This in turn has driven demand.

 

The Smart diesel however is a renowned dog in Europe. Friends of mine in Italy have had several and in each one the turbine in the turbocharger has crapped itself at low kms and caused quite major engine damage. They are not alone in this regard.

 

They have now resigned themselves to the very good smart petrol engine. I'm 182cm and large build, my friend is 179cm and large build. We jokingly call the Smart the big man's car - a real sight to see the two of us jammed into it!

 

Regards

 

Mike

 

PS: Just looking at that link. It's 6 years old you'll notice and I'm fairly certain that I heard somewhere that it had been ditched. In addition I was told in Europe in January that the Smart diesel was being withdrawn. I can't confirm either of those things.

 

A number of alternate engine attempts have been made over the years in Europe. None seem to have made it to the mainstream for some reason. There must be some reason that Rotax dominates the market, even at the scandalous prices they charge!