Unusual windscreen issue…

EX MG Owner

Banned
Joined
Mar 7, 2024
Messages
77
Reaction score
25
Points
17
Location
Berkshire
Driving
Not an MG
More an fyi just in case anyone else notices an issue that I had with my car however I assume it’s not necessarily an Mg issue. I noticed in the winter that my windscreen was creaking , it became quite annoying , one of those noises that once you’ve heard it …you can’t stop hearing it or at least waiting for it.

Anyway, my local mg dealer looked at it and had the windscreen re-fitted and basically said it needed to be done properly.

Problem solved….or so you’d think because lo and behold the end of 2023 just before I sold it, the creaking noise came back again when it got really cold. When I spoke to Mg this time the mechanic chap said it might be something to do with the car itself however the only option would be to refit the windscreen again but this time I’d need to pay for it myself.

Was I just unlucky and the screen was never fitted correctly (twice) ….or was there something with the frame of the car maybe 🤔
 
The clicking / cracking noise you have heard has been a common issue on both Gen1 and Gen2 models of the ZS EV.
A number of owners have experienced the same problem ( including myself ) and believe the noise is coming either from the screen itself, or from the dash crash pad in the car.
Owners have also stated that the creaking / clicking noise is at its worst when the temperature is very low.
As the cabin warms up, the level of the noise becomes less noticeable.
You are correct in thinking that the noise is coming from the front screen area and ask if it could be caused by the frame if the car ?.
Well it is part due In part to both items really, but replacing the glass is not the fix.
This problem has been the subject of one of the threads reaching back as 2020.
The problem is caused because the hard rubber / plastic gasket, that is the interface between the wiper scuttle panel and the glass, is a hard on foul condition between glass and gasket.
When the ambient temperature is low, the gasket between the glass and the scuttle panel becomes extremely hard.
As the bodyshell flexes, the gasket shifts on the glass surface and it produces the creak / clicking noise heard in the cabin.
The quick fix is to use either spray silicone spray and direct it between the gasket and the glass.
Or remove the wiper scuttle panel and install some silent tape to the back contact surface of the rubber / plastic gasket.
This cures the hard foul condition and the horrible clicking / creaking noise.
 
I have the exact same. I was told that I could get the windscreen replaced under warranty but it was all sealed correctly so I left it. Ironically after they had checked the scuttle etc the creak was cured but that was the spring and it returned in the autumn with the cold weather. It's the last really annoying issue with my car. When the weather is better I may try the silicone spray or tape but it will be gone then so maybe I won't:unsure:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The clicking / cracking noise you have heard has been a common issue on both Gen1 and Gen2 models of the ZS EV.
A number of owners have experienced the same problem ( including myself ) and believe the noise is coming either from the screen itself, or from the dash crash pad in the car.
Owners have also stated that the creaking / clicking noise is at its worst when the temperature is very low.
As the cabin warms up, the level of the noise becomes less noticeable.
You are correct in thinking that the noise is coming from the front screen area and ask if it could be caused by the frame if the car ?.
Well it is part due In part to both items really, but replacing the glass is not the fix.
This problem has been the subject of one of the threads reaching back as 2020.
The problem is caused because the hard rubber / plastic gasket, that is the interface between the wiper scuttle panel and the glass, is a hard on foul condition between glass and gasket.
When the ambient temperature is low, the gasket between the glass and the scuttle panel becomes extremely hard.
As the bodyshell flexes, the gasket shifts on the glass surface and it produces the creak / clicking noise heard in the cabin.
The quick fix is to use either spray silicone spray and direct it between the gasket and the glass.
Or remove the wiper scuttle panel and install some silent tape to the back contact surface of the rubber / plastic gasket.
This cures the hard foul condition and the horrible clicking / creaking noise.
Exactly 👍
 
On this windscreen creak crack rattle issue, on our 2022 ZS EV its actually possible to pull off the rubber seal gently from the plastic scuttle tray, clean it and the window, apply some silicone grease, and push it back on, without the need to remove windscreen wipers or the tray itself. Helps to have a pry tool to gently work the rubber seal up and off initially, but then very easily pulls off without damaging anything. Didnt even open the bonnet! if/when the grease stops doing its job ill take a video and share.
 
On this windscreen creak crack rattle issue, on our 2022 ZS EV its actually possible to pull off the rubber seal gently from the plastic scuttle tray, clean it and the window, apply some silicone grease, and push it back on, without the need to remove windscreen wipers or the tray itself. Helps to have a pry tool to gently work the rubber seal up and off initially, but then very easily pulls off without damaging anything. Didnt even open the bonnet! if/when the grease stops doing its job ill take a video and share.
You really only need to release the wiper scuttle panel, in order to make installing / refitting the silent tape to the plastic gasket.
That's if you intend to go down this route.
It's a "top tip" though, if you only intend to clean and apply the lub to the gasket and refit (y) .
 
If the rubber gasket is the only part in touch with the glass wouldn’t you apply the tape to the rubber?
You really only need to release the wiper scuttle panel, in order to make installing / refitting the silent tape to the plastic gasket.
That's if you intend to go down this route.
It's a "top tip" though, if you only intend to clean wouldnt you want to apply the tape to the rubber, not the plastic?
 
As an eBay Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
On this windscreen creak crack rattle issue, on our 2022 ZS EV its actually possible to pull off the rubber seal gently from the plastic scuttle tray, clean it and the window, apply some silicone grease, and push it back on, without the need to remove windscreen wipers or the tray itself. Helps to have a pry tool to gently work the rubber seal up and off initially, but then very easily pulls off without damaging anything. Didnt even open the bonnet! if/when the grease stops doing its job ill take a video and share.
I just ran a trim tool down from the center closely followed by a spray of silicone, I should have removed the trim, I thought it would be a pain to refit!
 
Support us by becoming a Premium Member

Latest MG EVs video

New EVs from MG: MG S9 & MG9 plus hot topics from the forums
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom