MGZS EV problems starting

[Steve Kaye]

Ok, b

When waiting in the car you should keep it in ready mode or you would deplete the 12 volt battery and not have enough energy left in it to run the solenoid that connect to the high volt battery the car will warn you of the if you press start without foot on brake

OK but i was only waiting about 10 mins
Are you saying that the 12v battery will potentially drain enough in a sort space of time to render it useless?

 

[aserraric]

Assuming the 12V battery is in good condition and has been properly charged (in other words, the car has been driven recently), it will take hours (if not days) to discharge it to the point that the car can't start anymore.

I keep it in Ready mode while waiting in the car mostly so the A/C will continue running.

 

[N2STY]

Ok, b

OK but i was only waiting about 10 mins
Are you saying that the 12v battery will potentially drain enough in a sort space of time to render it useless?

Yes the screens and entertainment system not to mention the fans easily drain a battery fast that why the car warns you

 

[aserraric]

If your infotainment drains your 12V battery in 10 minutes, something is seriously broken...

 

[N2STY]

If your infotainment drains your 12V battery in 10 minutes, something is seriously broken...

Unfortunately auxiliary mode is more than just entertainment system

 

[aserraric]

What do you mean by "auxiliary mode"? If you turn the car on without pressing the brake pedal, you end up in some weird "prestart" mode (orange light on the start button), but I assume that the HV battery is connected already, so the 12V battery would be charging. That mode is absolutely useless, though, I don't know why it even exists.

If you turn the car off (from Ready mode), the HV battery is disconnected and only 12V is used, but basically nothing works aside from the infotainment (which will automatically turn off after 10 minutes if you don't press a button or touch the screen). There are no fans, no A/C, not even the windows work. I don't see what would drain your battery quickly in that state.

edit: I went and tried it out, and I think I see what you mean. When you press start first (without brake), you are in the "orange" mode, which seems like the "soft-off mode" (same as you get when turning off from Ready, but not locking the car) where most things are off, but the infotainment continues to play. But if you press start a second time (still without brake), you get a green light on the start button, but the car is not ready, and the HV battery is off, but A/C and all kinds of things are running. So yeah, don't do that, that will drain the 12V battery very quickly.

 

[Lovemyev]

If I am going to waiting to collect somebody and I will waiting any longer than five minutes, then I leave the car in ready mode regardless.
It is likely I will be running the info unit and could be charging my phone maybe, could even be running the HVAC.
In ready mode the 12 volt battery is being charged by the traction battery and therefore little chance of getting caught out with a flat battery.
I never use standby mode, it has no real purpose in my mind ?.
Other than running the risk of flattening the 12 volt battery of course ?.

 

[Susanna]

@aserraric
When the car is turned off, in addition to the music still playing, windows/sunroof/mirrors etc., can still be closed or adjusted in my car. Likewise, if you put the car in ‘accessory’ mode by pressing the start button without using brake, I can do those same things. However, I appreciate that they would all put a drain on the 12v.

 

[Lovemyev]

On a side note, has anybody noticed that the info screen is lightly part active, even if the car has been switched off all night.
Try this, open the car and before doing anything, touch the info screen and it will omit a bleeping sound.
No graphics on the screen, but it will respond with a auditable bleep if you touch it.
This suggested to me that there is a small parasitic drain via the screen.
Not important, just an observation ?.

 

[N2STY]

It's hard to tell as unlocking the car in the 1st place wakes up some of the equipment on the car there is always going to be small parasitic drain no getting round it what with alarm and the ability to send your car instructions with out stuff staying awake it would be impossible that's probably why the car can go into a deep sleep if left a few days

 

[Ruislip Resident]

Bit of a curved ball. If in a stationary car at the road side you cant use a hand held phone if you have the engine running either. Presumably an EV in drive mode in neutral is the same as having the engine running. Obviously you can use it hands free or AA or car play. Some plod at some point will issue a ticket for this. Its inevitable.

 

[Lovemyev]

It's hard to tell as unlocking the car in the 1st place wakes up some of the equipment on the car there is always going to be small parasitic drain no getting round it what with alarm and the ability to send your car instructions with out stuff staying awake it would be impossible that's probably why the car can go into a deep sleep if left a few days

Yeah - I had consider that myself.
I only spotted one day when I was cleaning it.
The car had been unlocked all day and I entered from the N/S to clean the info screen.
When my hand brushed the screen, it bleeped.
I guess you could prove it by dropping one of the windows and locking the car.
Then the following day, reach in and touch the screen to see if it’s awake ( car would need to be in a secure place like garage etc ).
I do seem to remember that in another thread, that one of the AA guys had attended a problem with a customers car and he said that he could detect a slight drain from the info unit, when the car was powered down.
You would expect the whole 12 volt system to enter a deep sleep after a number of hours.
But then, how do you communicate with the car from the App ?,
I expect requesting a command, should bring it back from a deep sleep, or not because we know of some instances where the App struggles to connect to the car, when it has been left for a number of days ??.
Just food for thought folks ?.

 

[Jazzymobil]

3 time over the last couple of days, I was unable to start my ZS EV, information panel warning that the HV Battery has a fault, only way to start the car was to `Lock and Unlock the car, and then it will start
Local MG Dealer advises that they can find nothing wrong when they plug in diagnostics, problem has be escalated to MG, anybody else having twos problem?

yes me too

 

[Seve]

3 time over the last couple of days, I was unable to start my ZS EV, information panel warning that the HV Battery has a fault, only way to start the car was to `Lock and Unlock the car, and then it will start
Local MG Dealer advises that they can find nothing wrong when they plug in diagnostics, problem has be escalated to MG, anybody else having twos problem?

As mentioned by others experiencing this problem, don't rush the start procedure, wait until you hear the "BEEP" before engaging R or D, works every time my ZS EV Gen 1. You also get the Hogh Voltage Batter Warning in Red if you have a door not closed properly or tailgate.

 

[Lovemyev]

As mentioned by others experiencing this problem, don't rush the start procedure, wait until you hear the "BEEP" before engaging R or D, works every time my ZS EV Gen 1. You also get the Hogh Voltage Batter Warning in Red if you have a door not closed properly or tailgate.

The 12 volt system has to run through a checking cycle and be 100% fully booted and then contactors will be pulled in, before you should try selecting a drive function or the car will protest !.

 

[RajMG]

You are probably rushing the start sequence. It all needs time. Here is what I do:
Jump in car. Foot HARD on the brake pedal, push start
Put on seat belt By this time, the brake pedal has stopped going down
Keep foot hard on brake and put into D or R
Drive off

I had the same problem as you when I first had the car. Once I learnt to slow down the start sequence by putting on my seatbelt before selecting D, all was well.

I had similar issues when I first got my car. It likes things done sequentially. It won’t start unless you have your seatbelt on. A good safety feature.