Pre heat

[rigby44]

Does anyone reguarly use the pre heat button on the app? Tried it this morning now winter seems to have arrived, refused to function and didnt activate.

Does anyone use it reliably?

 

[Rolfe]

Was your car plugged in but not charging at the time?

 

[rigby44]

Was your car plugged in but not charging at the time?

It was Rolfe. Does it not like that?

 

[Rolfe]

This is a known bug. There are some owners who report having had a software update that fixed it but it's an irregular thing and I don't think we know which update. When I asked my dealer about it they said they couldn't investigate it because the car was paired to my phone and I hadn't left the phone with them!

I am expecting a flood of people complaining about it as the cold weather sets in, and hopefully enough people will do this to get MG listening. If there is indeed a software fix it shouldn't be all that difficult to figure it out and apply it. So get complaining.

In the meantime, the workround is to go out into the snow and unplug your car, then come back in the house and get warm while the car pre-heats. I know, it's mental.

 

[Rolfe]

The pre-heating seems to work pretty well otherwise. I used it last night before going to pick a friend up for choir practice, then again just as the conductor seemed to be getting ready to wind up so that the car was cosy for us to return home in.

 

[rigby44]

This is a known bug. There are some owners who report having had a software update that fixed it but it's an irregular thing and I don't think we know which update. When I asked my dealer about it they said they couldn't investigate it because the car was paired to my phone and I hadn't left the phone with them!

I am expecting a flood of people complaining about it as the cold weather sets in, and hopefully enough people will do this to get MG listening. If there is indeed a software fix it shouldn't be all that difficult to figure it out and apply it. So get complaining.

In the meantime, the workround is to go out into the snow and unplug your car, then come back in the house and get warm while the car pre-heats. I know, it's mental.

Thanks Rolfe.

The whole software situation is the gift that keeps on giving.

We charge every other night as the octopus Go window is short, and the missus does 50 miles a day. That means 50% of the time she wont be able to pre-heat the car without first going out and unplugging.

Theyve alot of ironing out to do.

 

[Diggsy]

This works for me every time when plugged in. SE SR with a Zappi 2.1 tethered charge point.

No idea about the software versions aside from infotainment being R13

 

[Rolfe]

I don't think it's anything to do with the infotainment sysem. (I'm also on R13 and I have the issue.) I presume your car has finished charging when you get the heating to work? In that case you don't have the bug. I believe it will pre-heat if the car is still charging though.

Someone dreamed up a complicated work-round involving setting the timer on the charge so that the car doesn't charge to 100%, then starting the charge again from the app before sending the pre-heat command. I think it might just be easier to go out and unplug it!

I swear I saw someone quote an update number that fixed this but I can't remember where, now.

 

[Rolfe]

Thanks Rolfe.

The whole software situation is the gift that keeps on giving.

We charge every other night as the octopus Go window is short, and the missus does 50 miles a day. That means 50% of the time she wont be able to pre-heat the car without first going out and unplugging.

Theyve alot of ironing out to do.

You definitely need to go and scream bloody murder at your dealer, armed with the knowledge that this appears to be fixable.

 

[Diggsy]

I don't think it's anything to do with the infotainment sysem. (I'm also on R13 and I have the issue.) I presume your car has finished charging when you get the heating to work? In that case you don't have the bug. I believe it will pre-heat if the car is still charging though.

Someone dreamed up a complicated work-round involving setting the timer on the charge so that the car doesn't charge to 100%, then starting the charge again from the app before sending the pre-heat command. I think it might just be easier to go out and unplug it!

I swear I saw someone quote an update number that fixed this but I can't remember where, now.

Yes, always when charging complete. Odd that it works for me and not others. Haven’t had any updates done on the car since getting it earlier in the year.

One thing I did notice, not sure if it does this every time as I haven’t checked, is that the Zappi spiked power for a brief second or so when activating the pre heat. Almost as if it was making the car think it was getting a charge, although it definitely wasn’t, and the car was at 100% charge.

 

[Rolfe]

How strange. Mine's just a granny charger, and any time I've tried it with that plugged in I've just got a string of error messages.

 

[MGFour]

If anyone got ohme home charger there is option for preconditioning which will automatically give power for a preset time before your scheduled departure time.

 

[Rolfe]

Workarounds are all very well but this seriously needs fixing by MG.

 

[MGFour]

Agreed it seems a rediculous scenario why it won't work, but you can only play with the cards you are dealt

 

[Rolfe]

Agreed. But one of your cards is to complain to the dealer about it. This is the right time of year to give it a very vociferous go.

 

[graham1311]

The pre-heating seems to work pretty well otherwise. I used it last night before going to pick a friend up for choir practice, then again just as the conductor seemed to be getting ready to wind up so that the car was cosy for us to return home in.

If plugged in but not charging presumably rather than go out in the cold you could just turn on charge for 10 mins (assuming not charged to 100%) as an extra 10 mins at non night rate wouldn’t be much cost?

 

[Torryhun]

Preheat has never worked on my SE LR,plugged in or otherwise, never really needed it since car arrived in April, but its going in next month hopefully for fix .

 

[MoDolph]

I agree that it is something that MG needs to fix.

If it's a Trophy, with the charge limit set to to less than 100%, you can start charging using the app before starting the pre-heat. It will then work.

 

[fnegroni]

@Rolfe does this work for you?
I’m using the supplied granny charger (2.2kW supply -> car gets 1.9kW)
I stopped the charge using the iSMART app.
I left the granny charger plugged in the port and switched on at the wall socket, but car not charging.
I then activated the HVAC to pre heat the car.
The command was sent successfully, it started the HVAC and started charging at the same time.
Supply at 2.2kW still, but HV battery pack receiving between 0.2kW and 1.5kW due to HVAC doing its job.

Is that correct?

I will try later to see if it works with the charger plugged in but switched off at the wall. Although I don’t see a point in doing that as it will use the HV battery I just charged!

EDIT:
It doesn’t seem to work when connected to the charger switched off at the wall.
Also the heating when connected to the granny charger is limited. I think it might be due to the wall supply not being sufficient and cutting out.

 

[Rip Van]

Tried the pre heat this morning for the first time. Plugged in, finished charging, worked perfectly! A/C, drivers seat and cabin temp change. Couldn't see anything in the app to heat the steering wheel though.
Trophy.