Range ANXIETY on a HEV

[Big Ears]

Never in my life have I been so anxious about finding fuel as I have today.

I was our first trip out together since we bought it, all going fine music playing from the phone via Poweramp (more on that later) Google maps doing it's thing, we drove up into the lakes, not the best idea but though mid week it's be quiet, it wasn't, awful place in summer, so we headed out over/through Kirkstone pass, a Bit hairy in a new car.

Range said 235miles so we had more than enough to get back home and last until the weekend.

Oh no it was not, I started drop like a stone due to the terrain being so undulating, we started to head towards Kendal, big mistake there had been a pile up Air Ambulance etc road blocked for miles, so luckily I managed to turn round another 50 feet and we'd have been stuck for hours, I checked the range 60 miles, so a splash and dash in Kendal will do, the range dropped to 50miles then this happened.

What purpose does that serve? it is the most ridculous thingI have ever seen on any vehicle ever, even a broken gauge would be of more use.

You are left with no idea how much petrol you have, you also have no clue ever how much EV range you have, or the ability to switch it to EV so eke the remaining fuel out.

It's beyond stupid.

 

[MG Clive]

Yes it seems ridiculous doesn't it.

A proper fuel gauge for the petrol tank would be the way to go, so even though the overall range would be the combined HEV figure, you'd still now how much actual fuel you still had in the tank.

 

[TonyD 2024]

It scared me too when I bought the car new. It said I had 85 miles left but I could not calculate from that how much fuel was really in the tank. The fuel tank is 36L or just under 8 gallons, I put in 28L meaning that there was about 8L already in the tank. Thus 8L showed 88 miles, but the real trouble is that the car being new has no history of mpg or how many miles you get to the fuel or battery.
It showed distance available to be 328 miles, once I had filled up, the odometer shows I have now done 50 miles and the available distance is still showing 323 miles!
So I agree that in a new car this is very unnerving. My advice is to keep a note of when you had a full tank and allow 8x60 = 480 miles based on 60mpg and 8 gallons of fuel. Anything extra is a bonus!
Hope this helps

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

Good to see SAIC keeping up the software buffoonery on the MG3.?











It's not good obviously.
I've given up trying to figure it out.

The how's, the whys, the what the F were they thinking!

Luckily we can do a work around with various 'foibles' of the MG4, but to leave you with no idea of the fuel remaining does seem like a serious oversight.

 

[MGDriver]

The point of it going blank is literally to stop people from running the car to empty, it will go off around 40 miles remaining so more than enough to get a to a petrol station

 

[Big Ears]

The point of it going blank is literally to stop people from running the car to empty, it will go off around 40 miles remaining so more than enough to get a to a petrol station

Well lets just think about that.

First of all it went off at 50 miles not 40, I know as I was keeping an eye on it with it being our first day out in a new car, normally you get a light come on and from experiences you know how far you can go, plus you have a gauge as well as readout on the dash at least the Fiesta did & I had enough range when I set off.

I was up in the lakes with no signal so Gmaps was no use at all so I couldn't search for fuel, another factor was the pretty rubbish sat nav in the car, it doesn't tell you which way is North, never had one not tell you, I figured it out by having a vague knowledge of the lie of the land in my head, but many petrol stations have closed down, I had pulled into a layby and fortunately someone else pulled in and I asked them where I could get some fuel, they were local and said to head for Newby bridge as that was probably the nearest to me, 45 miles away.

What you are saying may well be okay for you, but we like to get out into the country & in that situation, it was at best arbitrary and of little use, a simple old-fashioned mechanical float gauge would have given me all the info I needed, you CANNOT rely on the MG system, I go Brim to Brim to test MG, I prefer to get to the reserve point to get a greater distance, you can't do it in this car, the miles to empty range tell you virtually nothing useful as it just an estimate and take the EV into account which is fine alongside a proper petrol gauge but crap on it's own as the EV cannot be engaged so is at the whim of some ECU.

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

The point of it going blank is literally to stop people from running the car to empty, it will go off around 40 miles remaining so more than enough to get a to a petrol station

I realise that, but it's still stupid.

My motorbike does it and It really pisses me off.

When it does it, I have 4.5 litres left.

And agreed, plenty of fuel to get me to a petrol station.

But I want to get petrol when I want to get petrol, and not when the "machine" says I should.

 

[Big Ears]

We are creatures of habit, I need to give mine a wash.

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

No point here.
Raining AGAIN. ?

 

[MGDriver]

Well lets just think about that.

First of all it went off at 50 miles not 40, I know as I was keeping an eye on it with it being our first day out in a new car, normally you get a light come on and from experiences you know how far you can go, plus you have a gauge as well as readout on the dash at least the Fiesta did & I had enough range when I set off.

I was up in the lakes with no signal so Gmaps was no use at all so I couldn't search for fuel, another factor was the pretty rubbish sat nav in the car, it doesn't tell you which way is North, never had one not tell you, I figured it out by having a vague knowledge of the lie of the land in my head, but many petrol stations have closed down, I had pulled into a layby and fortunately someone else pulled in and I asked them where I could get some fuel, they were local and said to head for Newby bridge as that was probably the nearest to me, 45 miles away.

What you are saying may well be okay for you, but we like to get out into the country & in that situation, it was at best arbitrary and of little use, a simple old-fashioned mechanical float gauge would have given me all the info I needed, you CANNOT rely on the MG system, I go Brim to Brim to test MG, I prefer to get to the reserve point to get a greater distance, you can't do it in this car, the miles to empty range tell you virtually nothing useful as it just an estimate and take the EV into account which is fine alongside a proper petrol gauge but crap on it's own as the EV cannot be engaged so is at the whim of some ECU.

I was literally only quoting what MG themselves actually say why it does this, its also because that last bit of the fuel tank that you love to use is actually the reserve to get you to a petrol station,

The SAT NAV's in the car can tell you which way is north if you turn the correct settings on,

The digital only way of doing things is not just MG, but alot of brands now, which is when they dont show you how many miles left after 30/40/50 miles remaining, to ensure that people don't leave it too late to fill up

 

[Big Ears]

I was literally only quoting what MG themselves actually say why it does this, its also because that last bit of the fuel tank that you love to use is actually the reserve to get you to a petrol station,

The SAT NAV's in the car can tell you which way is north if you turn the correct settings on

Do tell how please

The digital only way of doing things is not just MG, but alot of brands now, which is when they dont show you how many miles left after 30/40/50 miles remaining, to ensure that people don't leave it too late to fill up

Yes of course, sorry if you felt I was having a pop, I never do, I PM if I have sterner words to say.

You have MG4 which apart from a few items is totally different so we can't compare like for like, I did look for a show north setting but it's very basic and I didn't find it, it may be under yet another drop down menu somewhere, but I should have to go looking for something so basic.


Yes the Digital is becoming a pain for many I'm afraid, and IO feel it has gone a few steps too far when it is removing several essential information.

Don't get me wrong though we both love the car to bits, it is great to drive but there are some things which are truly bonkers.

 

[MGDriver]

Do tell how please


Yes of course, sorry if you felt I was having a pop, I never do, I PM if I have sterner words to say.

You have MG4 which apart from a few items is totally different so we can't compare like for like, I did look for a show north setting but it's very basic and I didn't find it, it may be under yet another drop down menu somewhere, but I should have to go looking for something so basic.


Yes the Digital is becoming a pain for many I'm afraid, and IO feel it has gone a few steps too far when it is removing several essential information.

Don't get me wrong though we both love the car to bits, it is great to drive but there are some things which are truly bonkers.

I currently drive an MG4 as my demonstrator car at the dealership I work at, having driven the MG3 also they are very comparable and use majority of the same things such as the sat nav system

 

[Big Ears]

I was just going from the reviews I have watched which tell us it is a different car from the ground up part from a few internal bits n pieces, I can't speak to the MG4 or any other MG or other EVs of any type.

I am very fed up of the software reverting back after I have set it how I like it to be, I control the car not the other way round, MG need to come to realise that.

I'm aware that some don't have any problems, the eBoss is one she gets in and drives it and is scared stiff to change anything other than the radio channel, which is not good.

 

[MGDriver]

I was just going from the reviews I have watched which tell us it is a different car from the ground up part from a few internal bits n pieces, I can't speak to the MG4 or any other MG or other EVs of any type.

I am very fed up of the software reverting back after I have set it how I like it to be, I control the car not the other way round, MG need to come to realise that.

I'm aware that some don't have any problems, the eBoss is one she gets in and drives it and is scared stiff to change anything other than the radio channel, which is not good.

bear in mind alot of the software things like the lane assist etc will always revert back to on every time the car is turned on due to new UK Law rather than MG

 

[Big Ears]

bear in mind alot of the software things like the lane assist etc will always revert back to on every time the car is turned on due to new UK Law rather than MG

Yes, which would be ok if there was a SIMPLE way to turn them off, I wonder if there are any third-party ways to eliminate them, but restorable when going into the dealers.

 

[MGDriver]

Yes, which would be ok if there was a SIMPLE way to turn them off, I wonder if there are any third-party ways to eliminate them, but restorable when going into the dealers.

on all the new models, LKA is easily turned off just by swiping the pull down menu from the top of the screen, same as the notifications on a mobile phone, however it is called LDP on that screen

 

[Big Ears]

on all the new models, LKA is easily turned off just by swiping the pull down menu from the top of the screen, same as the notifications on a mobile phone, however it is called LDP on that screen

Thank you, I'll have to have a look at that one.

I'm slowly getting to the point that unless I'm going to be driving for an hour or more I just get in.

I put the 360 on the right star this afternoon as it help to get into our driveway, I'd prefer to back in using the mirrors but the front air dam? scrapes the road, it's the best part of the extra £2k for now, seat and wheel heating for 5 minutes each trip in winter might have been worthwhile as I do get cold hands, I'd forego those for a proper key though, dunno why they think that's a premium thing, maybe a Chinese aspiration.

 

[MGDriver]

Thank you, I'll have to have a look at that one.

I'm slowly getting to the point that unless I'm going to be driving for an hour or more I just get in.

I put the 360 on the right star this afternoon as it help to get into our driveway, I'd prefer to back in using the mirrors but the front air dam? scrapes the road, it's the best part of the extra £2k for now, seat and wheel heating for 5 minutes each trip in winter might have been worthwhile as I do get cold hands, I'd forego those for a proper key though, dunno why they think that's a premium thing, maybe a Chinese aspiration.

No problem,

In regards to the chinese aspiration for things such as heated seats and steering wheel on the trophy model, is more to do with the differentiation of the trims, as even the SE model is well equipped with all the nessecities, and the Trophy just has the extra comforts people enjoy, and to maximise the offerings for customers

 

[Big Ears]

on all the new models, LKA is easily turned off just by swiping the pull down menu from the top of the screen, same as the notifications on a mobile phone, however it is called LDP on that screen

Ok I just went up to the farm for some eggs for the shop, only a mile so I tried what you said and I got this screen:-

And tried this But it's all gobbledygook to me

And ended on this one as someone asked how to get the clock up, no need really as there is one on the dash and/or the middle screen all the time it's turned on.

The thing above is a phone holder off Amazon if anyone wants one, the boss isn't keen on all the tech so just plugs it in puts it up there and uses G Maps stayed put all round the lakes n dales last week.

https://amzn.eu/d/9otefuk

Thas dash shows this top left now, will they stay off?

 

[MGDriver]

Ok I just went up to the farm for some eggs for the shop, only a mile so I tried what you said and I got this screen:-

View attachment 29219

And tried this But it's all gobbledygook to me
View attachment 29220


And ended on this one as someone asked how to get the clock up, no need really as there is one on the dash and/or the middle screen all the time it's turned on.

The thing above is a phone holder off Amazon if anyone wants one, the boss isn't keen on all the tech so just plugs it in puts it up there and uses G Maps stayed put all round the lakes n dales last week.

https://amzn.eu/d/9otefuk

View attachment 29221

Thas dash shows this top left now, will they stay off?View attachment 29222

Yes thats correct, on my MG4 its called LDP assuming for Lane Departure Program, whereas yours is ELK, which is presumably Emergency Lane Keeping,


The yellow car between the lanes shows the lane keeping is deactivated, however it looks as though you have also turned the traction control off, also known as ESC, I wouldnt recommend turning that one off, that turns the anti skid off.

the ELK will still turn back on when you turn the car back on