A couple more newbie questions

quilkin

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Location
Truro, UK
Driving
MG5 SE LR
Had my new MG5 SE for a week now, taking it easy on local roads, only done about 100 miles so far. Generally happy, but very disappointed with the speed limit indicator. In various hire cars I have used over the past 2-3 years, these have been reasonably accurate, presumably using mapped data to know what the local limits are. But the MG5 (using just the front camera, it seems) is terrible. Much of the time it just doesn't know what the limit is; very often it is dangerously wrong (e.g. giving the national lmit sign when it is in fact 30 mph) and the pattern recognition algorithm doesn't even know about 20mph signs so they are ignored completely.
  • The satnav must 'know' about speed limits to be able to calculate driving times, so why doesn't it use those?
  • Is there any way of turning off the dashboard speed limit sign?
And a totally unrelated question - should I have had any paperwork provided with the car? All I have is the sales invoice. Previous cars I have had are provided with a booklet for recording servicing, fo example. Is this all saved electronically these days? (I'm OK with the manual being only elecronic, btw).
 
The speed sign recognition is poor and I do not think it integrates with the SATNAV.

The servicing is all done online so you will need to get an account through MG to see it.
 
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Had my new MG5 SE for a week now, taking it easy on local roads, only done about 100 miles so far. Generally happy, but very disappointed with the speed limit indicator. In various hire cars I have used over the past 2-3 years, these have been reasonably accurate, presumably using mapped data to know what the local limits are. But the MG5 (using just the front camera, it seems) is terrible. Much of the time it just doesn't know what the limit is; very often it is dangerously wrong (e.g. giving the national lmit sign when it is in fact 30 mph) and the pattern recognition algorithm doesn't even know about 20mph signs so they are ignored completely.
  • The satnav must 'know' about speed limits to be able to calculate driving times, so why doesn't it use those?
  • Is there any way of turning off the dashboard speed limit sign?
And a totally unrelated question - should I have had any paperwork provided with the car? All I have is the sales invoice. Previous cars I have had are provided with a booklet for recording servicing, fo example. Is this all saved electronically these days? (I'm OK with the manual being only elecronic, btw).
If you haven't got a manual then worth downloading one. Click the link to MG below and go to 'My MG' on the banner at the top and there is access to manuals, and lots of other info. This is in no way meant to suggest that you can't ask any questions on here, there are no daft questions, we have all been there. :)

 
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Servicing records are online so it's crucial to get written confirmation the schedule has been adhered to if you are buying a used car.
 
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Had my new MG5 SE for a week now, taking it easy on local roads, only done about 100 miles so far. Generally happy, but very disappointed with the speed limit indicator. In various hire cars I have used over the past 2-3 years, these have been reasonably accurate, presumably using mapped data to know what the local limits are. But the MG5 (using just the front camera, it seems) is terrible. Much of the time it just doesn't know what the limit is; very often it is dangerously wrong (e.g. giving the national lmit sign when it is in fact 30 mph) and the pattern recognition algorithm doesn't even know about 20mph signs so they are ignored completely.
  • The satnav must 'know' about speed limits to be able to calculate driving times, so why doesn't it use those?
  • Is there any way of turning off the dashboard speed limit sign?
And a totally unrelated question - should I have had any paperwork provided with the car? All I have is the sales invoice. Previous cars I have had are provided with a booklet for recording servicing, fo example. Is this all saved electronically these days? (I'm OK with the manual being only elecronic, btw).

Mine's the same, it hardly ever gets the speed right. You can switch off warnings in settings but not the limit sign display in the dash. I've mostly learned to ignore it.
 
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My PFL was pretty good at reading speed signs, when I first got it. It all went to pieces when the 20mph limits came in, in Wales, and they stuck overlays on the existing signs. The camera tends to (partially) see through the large signs, at the start of a limited stretch, so 20 overlaying 30 is interpreted as 60. It is totally blind to the small repeater signs, within the limited area. Where they have created an additional "buffer zone", approaching the 20mph zone, the completely new signs used are read normally.

I was hoping a bit of exposure to UV light might alter the optical properties of the overlays, over time, so they would become properly visible again. No luck, so far.
 
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they stuck overlays on the existing signs. The camera tends to (partially) see through the large signs
Here in Cornwall, the 20 mph signs are mostly new, not overlays (generally the 20mph zones are 'inside' 30 mph zones). Certainly the ones I passed yesterday were new and very clear. The MG5 camera did not recognise them.
 
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I live on a 20 mph street and can confirm that no vehicle of any type currently on the roads recognises the signs...
Maybe, but the last car I hired knew about them perfectly, from the satnav data. Reading signs is a c**p way of getting speed limits, for all sorts of reasons - e.g. slip roads on many motorways have speed signs which are much less than motorway speed, and are in line-of-sight of the front camera.
 
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Maybe, but the last car I hired knew about them perfectly, from the satnav data. Reading signs is a c**p way of getting speed limits, for all sorts of reasons - e.g. slip roads on many motorways have speed signs which are much less than motorway speed, and are in line-of-sight of the front camera.
On the other hand cameras can read temporary speed signs, that won't be on a map database.

When I first had my car it worked pretty much flawlessly but has become virtually useless since. I'm beginning to suspect there may be more than one cause. The overlays are the obvious one but mine now seems to miss some signs that haven't been interfered with.
 
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Try driving in Wales then you will have fun!
As I have an early MG5 (post Covid special) I don`t have a lot gizmos to tell me what to do.
I often leave the satnav on (not set to any destination) and it does clearly show the "current speed limit" of the road I am driving on (except the 20mph).
I recall when I was learning to drive that as a driver you should always be aware of the speed limits at all times (it involves looking out of the windscreen and being aware of the road signs etc).
I accept that some signs are a bit hidden but thats all part of the fun!
 
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Ading one more newbie question to my thread - hope that's OK 😀
In the summer I hired a Polestar 2 and that recommned charging to only 80% unless about to go on a long trip. This apparently prolongs battery life (my phone does the same).
There's no such apparent setting for the MG5 (SE LR). Apparently the MG app will allow this but it won't seem to connect to my car - is the app compatible with the MG5?
 
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Ading one more newbie question to my thread - hope that's OK 😀
In the summer I hired a Polestar 2 and that recommned charging to only 80% unless about to go on a long trip. This apparently prolongs battery life (my phone does the same).
There's no such apparent setting for the MG5 (SE LR). Apparently the MG app will allow this but it won't seem to connect to my car - is the app compatible with the MG5?
From the home screen, swipe to the right page then press the Energy Management icon. Above the picture of the car there's a battery setting bar. Tap on that what you want to limit the charge to, which lets you choose options from 50-100%.

You can also get to this by pressing the background of the card that says Charging/Discharging on the home screen.

At least that's how it is on my Trophy, but I don't think the SE LR is different.
 
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Oh and the app connects by scanning a QR code which can be found somewhere in the settings. If it's not connecting and you live in an area without great phone signal, then I might suggest going to a town and trying again.
 
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From the home screen, swipe to the right page then press the Energy Management icon. Above the picture of the car there's a battery setting bar. Tap on that what you want to limit the charge to, which lets you choose options from 50-100%.

You can also get to this by pressing the background of the card that says Charging/Discharging on the home screen.

At least that's how it is on my Trophy, but I don't think the SE LR is different.
On my SE there's no picture of a car on the Energy Management screen, and no battery seting bar. I can change charge times-of-day but not max charge level. So SE must be different to Trophy.
 
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On my SE there's no picture of a car on the Energy Management screen, and no battery seting bar. I can change charge times-of-day but not max charge level. So SE must be different to Trophy.
Very strange! I think it has the same NMC battery pack (happy to be corrected) so I can't think why they would omit that feature. They don't list it as a selling point for the Trophy when you go to buy one.
 
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Very strange! I think it has the same NMC battery pack (happy to be corrected) so I can't think why they would omit that feature. They don't list it as a selling point for the Trophy when you go to buy one.
A FL SR has an LFP battery, although it seems strange that you can’t set a SoC limit…

Sorry, just realised you’re talking about a SE/LR which has an NMC battery…

Might be helpful to post a pic of that screen?
 
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My daughter's Toyota told me that I could do 70mph through the middle of Leeds... after I followed a van with a 'limited to 70 roundel' on it's back door... :D
Today the system missed a 'National Speed Limit' sign after a 50 zone, so it kept flashing '50' at me for the next ten miles as I was doing 55. Very annoying, I wish I could turn it off.
 
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Today the system missed a 'National Speed Limit' sign after a 50 zone, so it kept flashing '50' at me for the next ten miles as I was doing 55. Very annoying, I wish I could turn it off.

You can... press and hold the OK button on the steering wheel and it will be switched off for your journey....
 
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