Charging Flap Won't Open - SOLVED

[Andrew Sinclair]

Hello All,

The charging flap on my ZS EV 'facelift' won't open.

I am very used to how the flap locks and unlocks as the car locks and unlocks and I cannot hear the short 'zip' noise emanating from the flap lock that I am familiar with when I lock/unlock the car. I am reasonably confident that it isn't a mechanical issue.

I have tried removing the battery with the 10mm spanner trick and that hasn't worked.

Of course, I cannot charge the vehicle at the moment.

Advice welcomed.

Thank you

Andrew

 

[teepee]

If you open the bonnet there is a manual wire you can pull to open it. Give that a try

 

[MG Clive]

If you open the bonnet there is a manual wire you can pull to open it. Give that a try

Isn't that just to release the charging cable?

 

[Andrew Sinclair]

If you open the bonnet there is a manual wire you can pull to open it. Give that a try

That only releases the charging cable it doesn’t open the charging flap.

I am wondering whether the 12 volt battery may need a charge. I’ll connect up a battery charger and give it a good charge over the weekend.

 

[Tim Green]

I suggest disconnecting the battery while you charge it.

 

[Andrew Sinclair]

I suggest disconnecting the battery while you charge it.

Yes, I did that. I am going to leave it charging for 24 hrs to make sure it get a full charge.

 

[T1 Terry]

With the MG4, I had to get my fingers under the plastic cover and lift it, the cover came off with no problems. There was a place to fit a phillip head screw driver, a half twist and the door opens. A spray with dry silicon lube on the locking pin and in the hole where the locking pin goes, and all works again ..... until next time.

It seems to be associated with it raining, or a dust storm or a combination of the above, while the charge door is open, that causes this failure to open problem ....

Hope This helps

T1 Terry

 

[Andrew Sinclair]

Thank you, @T1 Terry, for your advice.

I removed the plastic cover on the inside, under the bonnet, and squirted some lubricant. Initially, that didn't work, so I thought I'd phone MG Assistance for their advice.

[As an aside, when I phoned MG Assistance, I was told that my cover had expired in March 2025, which coincided with the annual service date. I had experienced difficulty proving that my cover had been revalidated when the vehicle was serviced this year; the garage said that, as long as the vehicle had been serviced, MG Assistance was in force, even though MG Assistance didn't agree when I asked them. Anyway, long story short: MG Assistance, after today, initially saying my cover was invalid, then said that as long as I had had it serviced, my cover was valid—go figure?]

Once I had explained the problem, the MG Assistance operator said she would walk through some technical solutions on the telephone before requesting a patrol to attend. Having agreed to this, I was asked to close the vehicle using the central locking key while trying to open the flap. I had tried this several times without success, but I thought it was always worth trying again.

Anyway, it worked, and the flap is now open, and I can charge the vehicle. I suspect it was just mechanically stuck, and I just didn't give the squirt of lubricant I applied sufficient time to work its way in. I will apply a further dose of lubrication and continue to do so periodically.

I was glad that my MG Assistance was valid, but I would not have liked to have experienced a stuck flap while stopping to charge at a public charger on a road trip.

 

[MG Clive]

Good news @Andrew Sinclair , thanks for the useful update.