Misting up

[Alex1985]

I find that the car mists up very quickly in even the smallest rain shower and requires the air con to clear it. The air input was set to automatic and changing it to external only made no difference, anybody else had the problem of excess misting. I wonder if the input is stuck on recirc.

 

[Surfdog]

In previous cars I would just turn fan dial and increase air flow over the windscreen. The problem with the MG4 is you have to enter the A/C screen and start fiddling about with the settings which is dangerous to do while driving and i have had to stop at roadside in past to so. Now I have learned to anticipate weather before setting out on journey and if I anticipate rain I will have correct settings and just use right star button to increase fan speed if required.
I would prefer easy to access dashboard controls.

 

[Rolfe]

I wonder if the OP's car is stuck though. I find that the car doesn't really mist unless I don't have the aircon on at all, and I have been very impressed by how fast it clears when I turn it on. I'm not saying that the setting makes no difference, but it clears very well even if it's not set to windscreen, or indeed if the air intake is on auto.

 

[Surfdog]

If you have had cooling on then the windscreen will be cold so when it starts raining and the humidity of the air entering the car increases then the moisture in the air will condense on inside of windscreen. For this reason I never use automatic setting and have only used cooling a couple of times during the recent heat wave when there was no rain forecast.

 

[Alex1985]

I had not been using the Air Con and the air is set to the windscreen. The only car I had that suffered like this was a1957 Ford Popular with a recirc heater!!

 

[Rolfe]

I just haven't had a problem. The car doesn't often mist up, and when it does it clears remarkably quickly when I switch the HVAC on, pretty much regardless of the setting. I find it much better than my Golf, which didn't clear nearly so quickly. This is why I think the OP's car might have a problem.

I appreciate that having to go into the centre screen to change the settings is a pain, that's true. But the actual efficacy of the demisting once you have it on has impressed me quite a lot.

 

[Alex1985]

You do not have to go to the sreen to change the settings just press the front screen demister switch on the row of switches and it will bring the A/C on and clear the screen very quickly as I have found.

 

[DBedford]

I find that the car mists up very quickly in even the smallest rain shower and requires the air con to clear it. The air input was set to automatic and changing it to external only made no difference, anybody else had the problem of excess misting. I wonder if the input is stuck on recirc.

Maybe it’s something to do with the lack of VU coating on the glass, and as a result we are all breathing and getting burnt inside a milk bottle.

 

[siteguru]

You do not have to go to the sreen to change the settings just press the front screen demister switch on the row of switches and it will bring the A/C on and clear the screen very quickly as I have found.

As above - that button forces the airflow to the windscreen and fan to maximum (or at least quite high). Once clear press the button again to go back to normal AC.

 

[Rolfe]

Maybe it’s something to do with the lack of VU coating on the glass, and as a result we are all breathing and getting burnt inside a milk bottle.

That's not my experience. In fact one of the things that has really impressed me about the car is the climate control. In particular, its demisting abilities. I think there's a fault here.

 

[Rolfe]

As above - that button forces the airflow to the windscreen and fan to maximum (or at least quite high). Once clear press the button again to go back to normal AC.

You know, I KNOW about that, and I still keep forgetting it's there! Even not using that switch, which is very effective, I've still been impressed by how well the car has demisted.

 

[tsedge]

With the last few cars I've owned, I've tended to leave the AC on permanently. It is good for the system to be run throughout the year.

With the MG4 I keep it with AC on, ECO off and Fan speed 2 at 21C and this is a good all round setting for me. If I want to save energy, I turn the whole system off with the button and/or crack a window or two.

 

[Rolfe]

I never used the AC in my last car unless I actually wanted the car cooled down. However it didn't have any on/off switch for the heating, just on/off for the aircon, a temperature dial and various fan speeds. In a way the MG4 is more logical.

I took my friend and her husband out driving on a day when there were some very heavy showers. We had three of us in the car. My friend's husband was in the back, and without being asked he spent the journey cracking the window a bit, then a bit more, then closing it and so on, to keep the car mist-free. It worked surprisingly well, although I'd have liked to see how the car worked without that assistance. (I didn't even need to keep the aircon on when he was doing that.)

 

[Ian Key]

With the last few cars I've owned, I've tended to leave the AC on permanently. It is good for the system to be run throughout the year.

With the MG4 I keep it with AC on, ECO off and Fan speed 2 at 21C and this is a good all round setting for me. If I want to save energy, I turn the whole system off with the button and/or crack a window or two.

I'm the same. The AC is on most of the time with fan speed of 2, 21C and the air directed to the screen and feet. I might have to press the windscreen button for a minute when I first get in the car especially with two damp dogs, but after that the windows remain clear.

 

[AndyL61]

Just use the windscreen demist button, that's what it's for and it works very well in a few seconds.

 

[Rolfe]

Reading @Alex1985's posts I'm getting the impression that this isn't working for him, which is why I think he may have an actual defect.

 

[Alex1985]

Thank you Rolfe. I just don't think it should mist up that quickly resulting in continuous use of the “power hungry” Air Con, especially as one has to use the heating alongside it to remain comfortable.

 

[AndyL61]

Thank you Rolfe. I just don't think it should mist up that quickly resulting in continuous use of the “power hungry” Air Con, especially as one has to use the heating alongside it to remain comfortable.

The other thing to check is the recirculation setting. To keep the screen clear it needs to be open (air through the car ), there is an auto setting which I'm not convinced actually does much so I usually set to open and this helps to keep the screen clear.

 

[Diggsy]

I think there’s a total misconception about air con, in that it only cools and perhaps also that it uses a lot of battery power. The air con keeps the car at a consistent temperature, be that cool or hot and in my experience it doesn’t use a lot of power in doing so. Mine is set at Auto and between 22/23/24/25/26 dependant on how warm/cool it is. It’s never ever turned off.

 

[Alex1985]

I'm the same. The AC is on most of the time with fan speed of 2, 21C and the air directed to the screen and feet. I might have to press the windscreen button for a minute when I first get in the car especially with two damp dogs, but after that the windows remain clear.

With the last few cars I've owned, I've tended to leave the AC on permanently. It is good for the system to be run throughout the year.

With the MG4 I keep it with AC on, ECO off and Fan speed 2 at 21C and this is a good all round setting for me. If I want to save energy, I turn the whole system off with the button and/or crack a window or two.

Leaving the Air Con on permanently does not effect the longevity of the system other han wearing it out, occasional use keeps the seals lubricated but the most common cause of failure is a leaking condenser (the radiator at the front of the car) often caused by stone damage or vibration.