08-07-2024: Common MG EV issues and how to solve them

[Stuart Wright]

Monday 8th July 2024 at 7:30pm.

The topic for this podcast as voted for by the community is:
Common MG EV issues and how to solve them
We address the common problems that owners have faced with their MG EVs and talk about the causes and solutions that they have found.

If anyone would like to join us on any future podcasts to share your experiences, please start a conversation with Stuart Wright.

You can listen to our audio version within 24 hours of the YouTube live stream.
https://www.mgevs.com/podcast.xml
and on your favourite podcast provider.

If you find the MG EVs forum and this podcast useful, then please consider becoming a Premium Member for just £3+VAT per month. Details at https://www.mgevs.com/account/upgrades

Any MG dealerships wishing to sponsor the podcast or engage with the MGEVs community, please contact us at Contact us

00:00:00 - Welcome
00:03:53 - 12v battery problems, causes and solutions
00:19:02 - Rapid charging problems, causes and solutions
00:32:57 - Rusty brake discs, causes and solutions
00:38:48 - Vibrations at high speeds, causes and solutions
00:46:01 - Lower range than expected

Notes:

1. 12V BATTERY GOES DEAD MG5 (FL) 12V Battery Drain Dead 12V battery - any help and advice please? 12V Battery dead, how to charge? MG4 battery always dead after holiday PROBLEM: The 12V battery becomes discharged and the car is dead, so it doesn't respond to the key fob and cannot be woken up or driven. CAUSES: There are several possible causes for this problem: a) A Bad 12V battery that will not hold its charge - this needs to be replaced with a new one - modern 12V batteries are low quality and don't last many years. Leisure-style batteries are the best replacements although can be expensive. b) The car isn't charging the 12V battery as it should - this usually requires software updates to rectify from the dealer. c) The car has been left for an excessive period without being driven - if the car is laid up for more than 1 month, it is typically recommended that the 12V battery be disconnected to avoid discharge. d) Parasitic drain - something is plugged in to the car (e.g. an OBD2 reader or Dashcam) that is draining the battery much faster than it should be. FIXES: a) Jump start the car with a portable 12V battery (many people carry these for just this circumstance), once woken up, the HV battery should then start charging the 12V battery and you should be able to drive ok. b) Jump start the car with another car (e.g. ICE/EV or using the emergency services). c) Replace the 12V battery with a new one that has been charged. DISCUSSION POINTS: EVs don't care about cranking amps, they simply need a small 12V battery that is happy being gently discharged and charged over many many cycles. Note you must never use an EV to jump-start an ICE car, it could damage your car.

2. RAPID CHARGING PROBLEMS Mk 1 - EVCC update to allow Tesla Charging Free Tesla supercharger update from MG dealerships MG4 Trophy: Idiot’s Guide to Public Charging? Dual CCS BP pulse 150kW charging problem? PROBLEM: The car will not charge at a Rapid (i.e. 50kW+) CCS public charger. CAUSES: There are lot of possible causes: a) That specific public charger isn't working - this can be checked with apps like ZapMap or Plugshare to see when it was last recorded as working. Check the charger screen and consider calling their helpline: many providers have useful helplines and they can often reset chargers remotely or at least tell you if the charger has problems. b) The charger isn't compatible with your car - this is becoming much rarer, but may be true if you have an old MG EV that hasn't been updated to work with the latest chargers. There are various Tesla charger problems that we've mentioned before with some MG EVs, also remember not all Tesla public chargers are open to non-Teslas => use the Tesla app to find out which ones you can use. c) The charger isn't making good enough contact the charge pins - this could be because your pins are dirty or more commonly, if the plug+cable is very heavy, it might sag in the socket and not connect to the top pins to negotiate the charge. For this reason, it is often recommended to hold the plug firmly in at the top of the socket until the negotiation has finished and charging starts. d) Your car needs a software update to charge reliably on the latest chargers - this requires your dealer to update the various components of the charging system, there are several modules involved. e) Your car might just need to reset itself. Lock and unlock the car, remove the charging plug and lock again, wait a few seconds and start again. f) You might not be authorised for payment with your card due to your bank's security policy and/or the large deposit hold some charger take. If this is the problem, check your credit limit, talk to your bank and if possible use the vendor's app or your phone to pay with Apple / Samsung / Google Pay because these will succeed more often. FIXES: a) Try to use a charger that you have seen other people successfully charge at and which is shown as currently working. b) Contact the charger provider if you have problems. c) Contact your dealer if you think you have a persistent problem that may need an update. d) Use a different payment approach. DISCUSSION POINTS: The charge limit is also set in the car (or the app), make sure it is set appropriately.

3. RUSTY BRAKE DISCS Brake discs First Service ... Excessive Corrosion of the rear Disc found First edition MGZSEV 1st MOT PROBLEM: Due to lack of use, because of regenerative braking, any EV can end up with rusted and scoured brake discs that provide poor braking and may require premature replacement. CAUSES: There is one main cause: a) Running a high regen all the time - this means that the brakes are rarely used (particularly the rear brakes) and so over time the discs can rust and become damaged. FIXES: a) Regularly do hard braking from high speeds with regen off, so that you give the brakes a workout. b) Clean the discs yourself. DISCUSSION POINTS: It is normal for brake discs to have a light surface rust when the weather has been wet, we are not talking about this, but rather the damage that can occur over a long period of time if the discs are not cleaned-up.

4. VIBRATIONS AT HIGH SPEEDS MG4 X Power Vibe/Hum 65 to 75mph Wheels not balanced on new car Dealer refuses to help PROBLEM: When running at high speeds (typically motorway or at least over 60+ mph), there's a vibration felt through the steering wheel or seat. CAUSES: There are a number of possible causes of this: a) Mis-shapen tyres - if the car has stood for a long period of time then part of the tyres may have become permanently deformed, this can happen with shipping/port delays, not just normal ownership. b) Unbalanced wheels - some owners have reported that their wheels were not proper balanced on delivery. If wheels become unbalanced then it causes a very similar vibration. c) Vibrations in the driveshafts or suspension components - this can happen in some cases with wear on the suspension components, with higher mileages. d) Motor vibrations - some dual-motor cars (like the MG4 XPower, Cyberster) have been reported to have some vibration problems, these could be caused by the two motors but we don't currently know if this is the cause. FIXES: a) Have your tyres and wheels checked and balance the wheels and replace the tyres as needed for smooth running - this makes a huge difference in many cases. b) If this isn't the problem, have your dealer inspect your suspension system. c) If necessary, pursue a warranty claim with MG and have them investigate further. DISCUSSION POINTS: This seems to vary a lot, some people get vibrations and some don't. It is generally rare but more common on specific models (e.g. MG4 XPower).

5. RANGE IS LOWER THAN EXPECTED 350 miles a week mainly motorway. Is EV a good idea? Tips before setting off on first long journey Poor range on used Trophys - Problem? Disappointing range indication PROBLEM: The range shown by the car is a lot less than I expected it to be. CAUSES: There are a lot of possible causes: a) First of all, the range shown is ONLY A PREDICTION based on your recent driving style and routes and currently selected modes. If you have been driving the car hard or in hilly terrain or windy conditions, this will reduce the range and the predicted range. b) The mode you use will impact the predicted range: for maximum range select ECO mode and turn on any energy-saving features. c) Range is most heavily affected by top speed - so keep your maximum speed to 65mph or less for maximum range, generally the best range will be between 40-50mph (as with ICE cars). d) Weather makes a big impact - it is normal for winter temperatures to reduce the available range by 20-30%. e) Manufacturer's quoted range is not typically what you will get in the real world, expect to get around 85% of what is quoted in summer driving and 70% in winter when considering your purchase. FIXES: a) Reset your trip meter and it will reset your GOM: this will happen automatically every 100 hours or so, depending on your MG. You should then get back the factory prediction - but it may not be the range you'll actually get. b) Change your driving style. c) Change your driving mode and minimise use of AC. d) Pre-heat your battery if this feature is available, if driving in very cold conditions and you can charge at home, this will help extend your range and speed up charging en-route. DISCUSSION POINTS: How much range do you really need if you can home charge? Many people only do short journeys of a few miles.

 

[JCFlippen]

I look forward to the podcast as usual as they are very informative. Could the subject of Gridserve compatibility be covered please . I have 2022 ZS TCLR now with open tesla update. My dealer said back in Sept 2022 to keep away from Gridserve due to bricking issues so never been near a Gridserve hub!

 

[EVsince2016]

I tour Europe a lot so I've encountered 50+ different rapid chargers and they all have their little ways. Tell family to go away, check all doors / windows are shut / car is off then some random options include: -

1 - plug in, activate charger, listen for it to start its start up process, lock doors, await charging to be underway, unlock.
2 - Activate charger, allow it to do its thing to recognise your account, plugin when it says, listen for a lock on the port, if not, lock car as it begins comms.
3 - Yes hold charge lead firmly in place whilst comms happens sometimes.
4 - Lock/unlock car but also sometimes emergency button & reset charger too, maybe ever emergency release pull on car.
5 - Accept that many chargers miss a critical key step in charge activation. Easy-charger units required this random button to be pressed, which lit up, to start charge missed on all instructions or the app.

Try RFID, credit card, another RFID, app or another app until one says hi there & charges your car. Of course apps/cards that take endless deposits & limit re-attempts like chargemap should be avoided in these situations.

Note screaming at charger / car & kicking them doesn't work but telling family to vacate area helps.

 

[salty]

Note screaming at charger / car & kicking them doesn't work but telling family to vacate area helps.

What about hitting it with Branch? ??

 

[leomindel]

I tour Europe a lot so I've encountered 50+ different rapid chargers and they all have their little ways. Tell family to go away, check all doors / windows are shut / car is off then some random options include: -

1 - plug in, activate charger, listen for it to start its start up process, lock doors, await charging to be underway, unlock.
2 - Activate charger, allow it to do its thing to recognise your account, plugin when it says, listen for a lock on the port, if not, lock car as it begins comms.
3 - Yes hold charge lead firmly in place whilst comms happens sometimes.
4 - Lock/unlock car but also sometimes emergency button & reset charger too, maybe ever emergency release pull on car.
5 - Accept that many chargers miss a critical key step in charge activation. Easy-charger units required this random button to be pressed, which lit up, to start charge missed on all instructions or the app.

Try RFID, credit card, another RFID, app or another app until one says hi there & charges your car. Of course apps/cards that take endless deposits & limit re-attempts like chargemap should be avoided in these situations.

Note screaming at charger / car & kicking them doesn't work but telling family to vacate area helps.

Lots of excellent points here however I agree the most critical is to tell all members of the family to go and find me a coffee, preferably 1/2 a mile away while I work it out.

I got caught out with the little button under the flap in France