MG ZS EV has no under-engine bay splash shield

[Paulie68]

Hi Guys,
Been trying to get to the bottom of this issue and what I am finding is not good.
My EV Buffins are now doing my head in with too much information.
I am becoming worried that MG has made"DOODLES " of us in getting us to buy the MG ZS EV.
I must admit, I just liked the look of the car and how it felt on the test drive. The price and the few details such as range were not the best but I thought were acceptable.
So I bought the ZS EV but now I am becoming aware that there is in fact a lot more that one should look at with EVs, and one of those is the state of the underside.
I do not know whether any of you checked the underside of the ZS EV before buying but I did not. It turns out that for EVs it is very foolish not to have done an underside check.
Did you all know that to achieve the best fuel efficiency, protection and durability the underside of an EV should be completely covered?
Well, do any of you know if any of the manufacturers of EVs are able to achieve near 100% underside cover ? ? ? Tesla in model 3
I am re-checking the information I am getting and when I know that all the information is right/ true, I will share it with you. I must say however that at present I am very worried that if I knew what I know now, then I would not have bought the ZS EV.
I am finding this absolutely disheartening.
I would be grateful if you all double up you efforts to investigate and understand this issue and how we can make the best out of what seems a bad design situation on part of MG.

I was personally fully aware of the underside of the ZS EV when I decided to buy it. I'm probably one of the very few people who will actually get down on the floor and slide about underneath cars in a showroom. (Usually much to the amusement of the staff!) MG appear to have given almost no consideration to aerodynamics under the car and, yes, it would benefit from some appropriately placed plastic cladding to improve this.

However, the range is still perfectly acceptable and efficiency isn't bad at all for the size and shape of the car, so being "absolutely disheartened" seems a bit dramatic!

Long term reliability, durability, & corrosion resistance of the body are things that I do consider important and time will tell how this pans out.

Not so worried that my car could possibly have been 10% more efficient with some strategically placed cladding attached, but if this could help to keep dirt and road debris out of the under bonnet area I'd, of course, prefer it.

 

[Mgkev]

I also looked under the car in the showroom gaining some odd looks in the process. I was interested in what type of rear suspension it has but also noticed how open it was underneath. I concluded that at this price point it was all in line with what I was expecting. My main interest is the lack of a wheel arch shield and if I could retro fit one later as I live in an area with country roads which get quiet dirty during the winter.
I wouldn’t get too concerned if when compared with more costly EVs it appears less sophisticated. I see the MG as a car for local/trips journeys and not really designed for high speed motorway runs. Which is indeed why I bought it.

 

[KasEV]

@ Mark H and @Paulie, @Megkev and all of you ZS folks, I agree.
As @ Paulie said maybe I am being over the top. Well we all know now to follow @ Paulie/ Mgkev and check the underside of the cars we buy even if new.
Very true we are saving money and we should be positive about getting the ZS MG better.
So my research so far suggests several of the the EVs have aeration holes on their undersides. Good example of how it should be done that is Audi e-tron picture inserted.
Worst aeration hole on my books at present unfortunately is the ZS EV. Hopefully we will improve that very soon.
The first issue we face is that where the underside of the EVs are fully covered or maximally covered, the cover material apparently must not to be plastic or metal but rather some special material with sound absorption and certain insulation and thermal flexibility qualities. My EV Buffins are not sure if there are MG post purchase products out there that can do the job and easily fit. They are scouting out sources in India / Thailand where it seems there is more experience with after sales improvement of the ZS EV.
The wheel arches may be more problematic than at first glance and I will need opinion from any of you with the tech know how on this.
My Buffins think the lower inside margin of
the wheel arches is high especially on the right side as one stands facing the car. The reason for this is the way MG have configured the steering and the power transmission shaft to the front wheels. Please have a look and see what you think. Some pictures and opinions will do. My Buffins feel they will need a second and third look and probably some input from someone who has done some reasonable amount of strip down work on ZS EVs to advise but can't find one in the UK. The MG owner's club techs referred back to the dealerships none of whom seem to have done any major repairs on a ZS EV.etc. For now the Biffins recommendation remains do nothing and keep engine bay as clean as possible and water and dirt free as possible. Avoid fitting anything over the aeration hole unless there is sound evidence that the solution is MG approved or from some one we can trust.
Last issue is the warranty. So far as my Buffins are concern any anti rust warranty from any manufacturer is not worth the paper it is written on. It is unlikely that an individual will claim on this warranty and be successful. Also if one looks at the history of "class action" anti rust cases brought before courts apparently the car companies always win. ??? Several examples against Nissan in the USA. So it really falls to us to ensure the car does not rust.

 

[KasEV]

 

[Chrispydoc]

Not quite sure what you are referring too.
I checked every inch of the underside when I waxoyled it and It looked ok to me.

I was particularly impressed that every single fixing had marks on them indicating that not only had they been correctly tightened up, but also that this was then double checked.

I'm still very happy with my purchase. In 50 years of motoring I've owned over 150 cars, just 4 of them new one's. This is as good as any on them. The last one being a Kia Sportage.

I did check with my MG dealer before I Waxoyled it.....as I did 6 years before, with my Kia dealer. When the Kia had its final service before I sold it....the Kia technician took me into the workshop, to look underneath. They all said they had NEVER EVER, seen a 6 year old car with 60K miles that looks so good, I was dead chuffed .

 

[Paulie68]

I also looked under the car in the showroom gaining some odd looks in the process. I was interested in what type of rear suspension it has but also noticed how open it was underneath. I concluded that at this price point it was all in line with what I was expecting. My main interest is the lack of a wheel arch shield and if I could retro fit one later as I live in an area with country roads which get quiet dirty during the winter.
I wouldn’t get too concerned if when compared with more costly EVs it appears less sophisticated. I see the MG as a car for local/trips journeys and not really designed for high speed motorway runs. Which is indeed why I bought it.

It cruises pretty well on the motorway at 70 whilst still doing over 120 miles, and in cold weather That's about as far as I want to go at speed in one stint, so it suits me fine lol!

I'm with you on the wheel arch shield, this is also my only real concern regarding underbody shielding/cladding.

 

[Paulie68]

Not quite sure what you are referring too.
I checked every inch of the underside when I waxoyled it and It looked ok to me.

I was particularly impressed that every single fixing had marks on them indicating that not only had they been correctly tightened up, but also that this was then double checked.

I'm still very happy with my purchase. In 50 years of motoring I've owned over 150 cars, just 4 of them new one's. This is as good as any on them. The last one being a Kia Sportage.

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You look to have done a great job on the waxoyl. It's such a dirty job, I spend 3 times more time covering and removing polythene from the car, the lift, & the floor, than the actual job when I do this, lol!!

 

[Scriv]

When I inspected the ZS EV in the showroom I was most impressed with the spacious under bonnet engine bay. I looked down and saw what I thought was a sealed tray beneath the 'motor'...........it was several weeks later when I took another look under the bonnet and then realised that I had been looking at the showroom floor when I first examined the car! I still like the car but I think that advice is urgently required concerning the lack of protection and waterproofing of the engine bay.

 

[KasEV]

Very nice and stunning pictures @ Chrispydoc. Excellent pictures. Clean and oil/wax is excellent to keep things ticking over as new. The image above your pictures is the underside of the e-tron. Very well done by Audi. Please note that this Audi aeration hole has air ducts for the brakes. It is the opinion of my Buffins instead of having a finned aeration hole with ducts for the brakes like the Audi, MG have been a bit lazy and left a big hole with no fins to cover and protect from dirt or ducts for the brakes. However with the lower inside margins of the wheel arches being high in the ZS EV, the Air bellows about under the bonnet cooling both engine and brakes effectively but also bringing in more dirt than one may have expected in a 2020 car. To assess the lower margin of the wheel arches please look in to the engine bay with the bonnet open from above rather than looking from behind. My Buffins will continue to scout a solution but please ask around as well and post any comments and advice. We may not progress much on this issue much till after lockdown.

 

[KasEV]

@ Mgkev please check these mud guards and protectors to see if they may help with your rural setting issue. They are available on AliExpress

 

[Mgkev]

I have been inspired by the work of Crispydoc so once I’ve finished decorating the dining room I’ll order a couple of tins if waxoil.

 

[KasEV]

@ Mgkev do you have assess to a stream cleaner?
How do you plan to clean before waxoiling?

 

[Mgkev]

Early in the lockdown I cleaned the wheel arches etc with soapy water and it hasn’t been driven since. When I first got the car I sprayed aerosol grease all over the floor pan but I’m going to need something to do next week so Waxoil it is.

 

[KasEV]

Good thing, doing all that when new. I did not do anything at all. I will look at doing some clean and wax weather permitting but tempted to ask a pick up, valet and return service to steam clean and do the waxing as well after lock down.

 

[Chrispydoc]

In the late 1960's when I was an apprentice garage mechanic, I remember asking to an 'old boy' about preventing cars rotting. (In those days, British cars used to almost melt away almost in front of your eyes! )
He asked me....."what do you think is the best liquid to prevent rust"?... Oil says I ? His reply surprised me......"No... young man, ......WATER! "

This was in the days before plastic wheel-arch trims, Waxoyl, etc and mud and road crap used to get thrown up and jammed into every crevice and crack.......and it stayed there, damp... for days / weeks.. causing body rot.

To this day, every time I wash my car, I start and finish by sticking the hose pipe under the wheel arches and along the bottom of the car and hosing away until it runs clear...job done. . It's dry again within hours.

The waxoyl is just an extra layer of protection to the areas where you cant really get at....but then again, they usually remain clear of thrown up muck anyway. I just don't like to see rust anywhere on my cars, including nuts bolts suspension...anywhere.

I personally would never use a pressure washer on a car...it forces water into places that were never designed to resist.

I find about half a gallon of waxoyl is enough, by the time you've thinned it down a bit with WD 40 / diesel or similar. Then a compressor and oil gun type sprayer will do the job ....but it so fine it gets everywhere...hence my covering everything up to prevent overspray.

I repeat this procedure every couple of years......but I know I'm a bit odd....most off my family's cars end up on my lift for the same treatment.....rust is not a problem for any of us.

 

[KasEV]

@Chrispydoc,
You are my "Man of the Day".
Experience really counts. I used to wonder why the steam cleaner my uncle use to send his commercial vehicles to when I was child used his steam sparingly and spent a lot of time with the air blower at low pressure over certain spots then claim he has done a good job. Use to think the stream cleaner was a cheat but now I understand.
Ignorance and lack of experience on my part!!!!!!

 

[Chrispydoc]

There are different rules for commercial vehicles. The testers need to be able to examine every inch of the chassis etc. They have to be clean and I don't think you are even allowed to re-paint bits, in case you are disguising potentially fatal cracks etc. But I'm no expert.

If you are an off-roader or green lane mud-chugger ...then yes, pressure washers and steam cleaner are the thing to use. I just don't like to see them being used on regular cars....its OTT in my opinion. And of course if there is any protective wax / grease on there...it will soon be gone.

Getting rid of road-salt and mud is the most important bit. Just my opinion you understand.

 

[Mgkev]

I agree with Crispydoc. I once asked my grand father why the Morris Oxford he used to own never had any rust. He replied that after every 3000 mile oil change he used to spray the underside with the old oil! Experts say that this is dangerous because of the cancer risk but he lived ‘till 93. Incidentally, he also owned an Austin Metro that he eventually sold on due to giving up driving which was on its original engine at 123K miles.

 

[Chrispydoc]

Yep..my first job in the service bay, was spraying (special) oil onto the old leaf springs....some folk did have the whole underside spayed too, but this was a very messy business....drips everywhere ...for days on end.

With these rotten old 50/60's cars, the only bits that weren't rusty, were where the diff oil or prop-shaft grease was thrown on the underbody.....thats what got me thinking.....

When waxoyl came out it was much better.....(the clues in the name) It stops dripping after a short while, as the solvents evaporate......I can see what's coming...... Yes, I do wear a face mask when spraying...as well as a wooly hat and overalls...and I still get filthy....but I have an inner glow knowing its done a good job.

 

[Mgkev]

Another tip, I learned from the TV programme Find it, Fix it, Flog it, is to wipe over items like suspension parts with a rag soaked it two stroke oil. It seems to dry and leave a water resistant coating. Degrease it all at sale time and it all looks like new.