MG4 Water ingress - soggy headliner

[TechNick]

There seem to have been a few posts relating to water ingress, but I noticed on ours, yesterday, that the headliner above the driver was very wet.
(It's misted up quite a bit since collection a couple or so weeks ago, but I had previously put that down to the almost endless rain!).



(I should add that the water around the seat base, in the video, was from when we first pressed the headliner and it dripped down).

Given the fact that water tends to run down rather than up, and the dampness seems to be in the headliner above the driver only, I've largely ruled out the driver door seals and am wondering whether it is perhaps the windscreen seal instead(?).
Your thoughts?

I've not performed hose pipe tests, etc. yet, although have removed and reseated the top of the door seal, just in case that wasn't quite seated properly from factory (and to try to determine how much water was trapped behind the headliner/seal).

I guess there's a chance the door may have been left slightly ajar, one day, and the water ran along the top of the door and got soaked up by the headliner, but that feels unlikely.
Nevertheless, I've dried it up and will keep and eye on it (in the hope it was just a one-off).

If anyone else has experienced any water ingress, I'd be interested to know if your headliner was affected also, or whether I need to further investigate the effectiveness of the windscreen seal...

 

[Alb]

Windscreen seal would be my first suspicion too.

 

[Simler51]

There seem to have been a few posts relating to water ingress, but I noticed on ours, yesterday, that the headliner above the driver was very wet.
(It's misted up quite a bit since collection a couple or so weeks ago, but I had previously put that down to the almost endless rain!).



(I should add that the water around the seat base, in the video, was from when we first pressed the headliner and it dripped down).

Given the fact that water tends to run down rather than up, and the dampness seems to be in the headliner above the driver only, I've largely ruled out the driver door seals and am wondering whether it is perhaps the windscreen seal instead(?).
Your thoughts?

View attachment 14535

I've not performed hose pipe tests, etc. yet, although have removed and reseated the top of the door seal, just in case that wasn't quite seated properly from factory (and to try to determine how much water was trapped behind the headliner/seal).

I guess there's a chance the door may have been left slightly ajar, one day, and the water ran along the top of the door and got soaked up by the headliner, but that feels unlikely.
Nevertheless, I've dried it up and will keep and eye on it (in the hope it was just a one-off).

If anyone else has experienced any water ingress, I'd be interested to know if your headliner was affected also, or whether I need to further investigate the effectiveness of the windscreen seal...

Hi I picked up my MG4 SE last Saturday in torrential rain- windscreen wipers and demist going two to the dozen no sign of any rain ingress and if I didn’t not keep demist on -steams up very quickly. Yesterday after a heavy frost put A/C on and manually scraped off most ice but when started driving a lot of condensation was literally dripping off the windscreen on to dashboard front and had to mop up. I will check again today and change the a/c settings to auto or exterior only. I think that if there is no internal ventilation so much moisture from occupants that it does not have a chance to all dissipate. I do not think my windows have a bad seal.

 

[Cocijo]

There seem to have been a few posts relating to water ingress, but I noticed on ours, yesterday, that the headliner above the driver was very wet.
(It's misted up quite a bit since collection a couple or so weeks ago, but I had previously put that down to the almost endless rain!).



(I should add that the water around the seat base, in the video, was from when we first pressed the headliner and it dripped down).

Given the fact that water tends to run down rather than up, and the dampness seems to be in the headliner above the driver only, I've largely ruled out the driver door seals and am wondering whether it is perhaps the windscreen seal instead(?).
Your thoughts?

View attachment 14535

I've not performed hose pipe tests, etc. yet, although have removed and reseated the top of the door seal, just in case that wasn't quite seated properly from factory (and to try to determine how much water was trapped behind the headliner/seal).

I guess there's a chance the door may have been left slightly ajar, one day, and the water ran along the top of the door and got soaked up by the headliner, but that feels unlikely.
Nevertheless, I've dried it up and will keep and eye on it (in the hope it was just a one-off).

If anyone else has experienced any water ingress, I'd be interested to know if your headliner was affected also, or whether I need to further investigate the effectiveness of the windscreen seal...

It sounds like you have checked all the usual things. I would say windscreen seal is the most likely culprit. Dropping the headlining above the door might be worth a look and a hose test if you feel that you’re comfortable. It’s really a back to the dealer thing I’m afraid.

 

[TechNick]

It sounds like you have checked all the usual things. I would say windscreen seal is the most likely culprit. Dropping the headlining above the door might be worth a look and a hose test if you feel that you’re comfortable. It’s really a back to the dealer thing I’m afraid.

Yeah, I'm understandably reluctant to start pulling the brand-new car apart, if I can avoid it.
Equally, though, don't really want to have to lose the car for an extended stay at the dealer's workshop either, as it is serving its intended purpose well (many journeys per day), so will impact us.
For the time-being, I'm keeping a close eye on it.
When it's not subzero temperatures, I may try a few further tests with a hose pipe but, until then, mainly just keeping ??

 

[Cocijo]

Yeah, I'm understandably reluctant to start pulling the brand-new car apart, if I can avoid it.
Equally, though, don't really want to have to lose the car for an extended stay at the dealer's workshop either, as it is serving its intended purpose well (many journeys per day), so will impact us.
For the time-being, I'm keeping a close eye on it.
When it's not subzero temperatures, I may try a few further tests with a hose pipe but, until then, mainly just keeping ??

Good luck.

 

[DGinUK]

Had my mg4 since 4th Jan and noticing moisture build up is very hight, to the point it dripping of windscreen and with just me in car the windows are fogging up..... I think I will call dealer next week and get it checked out, there is also a rattle from passengers side but cannot put my finger on it. I might get the hose out on the car if it's sunny tomorrow and test wind screen

 

[Ian Key]

there is also a rattle from passengers side but cannot put my finger on it.

As others have reported the rattle is from the heater vents below the glovebox. A piece of sticky backed foam cures the problem or someone else has found tightening the screws helps.
Read more here

 

[Auto Surgeon]

Had my mg4 since 4th Jan and noticing moisture build up is very hight, to the point it dripping of windscreen and with just me in car the windows are fogging up..... I think I will call dealer next week and get it checked out, there is also a rattle from passengers side but cannot put my finger on it. I might get the hose out on the car if it's sunny tomorrow and test wind screen

You will get condensation build up on many vehicles this time of year & especially as of late. Normally happens when there's no insulation. I see it all the time even under headliners with it removed dripping wet on a metal roof with zero insulation ripe to soak through.

 

[Ian Key]

You will get condensation build up on many vehicles this time of year & especially as of late. Normally happens when there's no insulation. I see it all the time even under headliners with it removed dripping wet on a metal roof with zero insulation ripe to soak through.

That's why some buses have carpet on the ceiling to stop the condensation dripping on the passengers and not in case it rolls over as some school kids believe. Goodness knows where they get that idea

 

[Seawolf]

Question:

You say it is a brand new car, so why not take it back to where you bought it and let them sort it out. That will save you a lot of messing about with the car yourself that could invalidate your warranty ! ?

 

[KevW]

Although I would not expect headliners to get damp from general exhalation - that I think suggests (as mentioned) a windscreen seal issue, the fogging of windscreens and more commonly side widows is due to the fact that EVs don't have the continuous heat dump of the ICE. You have to keep some heater output on especially in this winter/damp weather - not high, as you can warm yourself with heated seats and wheel (if you're a Trophy driver) but even then occasionally a blast on defrost settings will be needed to keep things clear.

 

[Sloucher]

Not headlining getting wet, but the seats.
Note to self, do not leave doors open when there's water (or in this case, thawing ice) on the roof

 

[remarkable1967]

Hi I picked up my MG4 SE last Saturday in torrential rain- windscreen wipers and demist going two to the dozen no sign of any rain ingress and if I didn’t not keep demist on -steams up very quickly. Yesterday after a heavy frost put A/C on and manually scraped off most ice but when started driving a lot of condensation was literally dripping off the windscreen on to dashboard front and had to mop up. I will check again today and change the a/c settings to auto or exterior only. I think that if there is no internal ventilation so much moisture from occupants that it does not have a chance to all dissipate. I do not think my windows have a bad seal.

I've watched numerous owner reviews on the MG4 and noticed that a lot of the time the windows were indeed misted up at some point in the video. In nearly all the cases, I put it down to the fact that the reviews were about how much range the owner was getting so they were driving in eco mode. As I understand it, actual A/C turns off in eco which would cause misting. In every car I've owned that has had auto or manual A/C, it is always been on constantly so it never mists up. It was one of the potential bugbears I had about getting an EV and being able to do most of my commuting in eco mode. Just a thought.

 

[Ian Key]

I have the same problem with condensation on the inside of the windscreen and windows in my current ICE car because I only do short journeys with two greyhounds in the back and the A/C is not on long enough to remove the moisture.
Every now and again I put a mains powered house dehumidifier in the back (the seats are already down because of transporting the dogs) gently trapping the cable in the tailgate, for a few hours.

 

[Deleted member 10041]

A lot of new cars have moisture trapped in them, they have been lying about at docks on boats etc this time of year doesn't help. You can buy dehumidifier bags of Amazon, sit them on your dash they work pretty well, change colour when full, you then chuck them in the microwave to recharge them.

 

[Sloucher]

As I understand it, actual A/C turns off in eco which would cause misting.

It doesn't have to. You can set the ac to not follow eco mode in the ac settings.

 

[remarkable1967]

It doesn't have to. You can set the ac to not follow eco mode in the ac settings.

Ok that's good. I thought that the actual A/C was off by default in eco. Thanks. Mark

 

[Simler51]

A lot of new cars have moisture trapped in them, they have been lying about at docks on boats etc this time of year doesn't help. You can buy dehumidifier bags of Amazon, sit them on your dash they work pretty well, change colour when full, you then chuck them in the microwave to recharge them.

Also most new cars have LED lighting these days, which I believe does not create as much heat as standard bulbs, any moisture would not necessarily burn off. After driving, my bonnet and headlights are cooler that conventional vehicles. This could be the cause of all the condensation.

 

[Eber]

A lot of new cars have moisture trapped in them, they have been lying about at docks on boats etc this time of year doesn't help. You can buy dehumidifier bags of Amazon, sit them on your dash they work pretty well, change colour when full, you then chuck them in the microwave to recharge them.

That sounds like a proper explanation to me. The first two weeks after picking it up from the dealer, the car was always moist inside. After humid nights even the surfaces of the dashboard were damp and the car had a really hard time defogging the windscreen and side windows.

About two weeks later all was more or less fine. Since I never turn the A/C off, I suppose it had dehumidified by then.