Dab radio

[Jomarkh]

Hi, is this a face-lift model and SR or LR?
What is wrong the the usb socket and is it the left or right one?

 

[ronnie the rep]

My trophy has a really annoying glitch. When I am listening to DAB and a traffic announcement appears. You cannot get rid of it even when pressing “close” on the screen. You have to press the mute on the steering wheel. Also, it stays on the station that the traffic report came from until you tune it back in. Anyone know how to fix this?

 

[Tweed98]

My trophy has a really annoying glitch. When I am listening to DAB and a traffic announcement appears. You cannot get rid of it even when pressing “close” on the screen. You have to press the mute on the steering wheel. Also, it stays on the station that the traffic report came from until you tune it back in. Anyone know how to fix this?

You're in the MG5 forum not the HS one so repost there for a better chance of someone knowing what to do, it might also be better starting a new thread rather than piggybacking a different conversation.

 

[ronnie the rep]

You're in the MG5 forum not the HS one so repost there for a better chance of someone knowing what to do, it might also be better starting a new thread rather than piggybacking a different conversation.

Oops. Thanks for the heads up

 

[Klangster]

My mg5 is coming up to its first service so I asked what's going on with the DAB radio, apparently MG still have no fix for it. It's been a great car so far, but that's pretty crappy in my opinion.

On the MG Electric Owners group on Facebook there are plenty on owners who say that their DAB is working fine. I'm in the same position as you - picked mine up yesterday and was very shocked that the DAB wasn't working.

Maybe it is a chip shortage but very frustrating.

 

[ronnie the rep]

On the MG Electric Owners group on Facebook there are plenty on owners who say that their DAB is working fine. I'm in the same position as you - picked mine up yesterday and was very shocked that the DAB wasn't working.

Maybe it is a chip shortage but very frustrating.

On my trophy there was a reset icon top right of the screen (two arrows in a circle) pressed it and it worked! Hope this helps

 

[FDL Gareth]

I have the same issue. I was told about it on handover and also told the fix was temporary and my car would be recalled "soon". 10 months and dozens of call to the dealer later and they told me to complain to MG directly, as they were hearing nothing about it. MG customer services sent me a standard, its not their fault letter when contacted, but when I pointed out that IF the problem had been a chip shortage, the chips are available now, as current models are not being supplied with the dongle. They (on the second time of asking) replied that the fix was "imminent" but that there was "no time scale", which seems like a non-sequitur to me. I'm left thinking that this is not going to get fixed unless customers let MG know that they aren't happy. I suggest everyone affected writes to MG to let them know they are also waiting for the promised fix. [email protected].

 

[FDL Gareth]

The fix for the DAB Radio Antenna / dongle on the windscreen issue has been released now, but some dealers have been told it is just for the HS model.
There is a fix for the MG5, which may or may not be the same one, but he dealer needs to
'order an RBRM which removes the antenna from the windscreen and restores the vehicle to what customers would consider to be the ‘original specification’.
I hope that helps.

 

[Tobemeister]

The fix for the DAB Radio Antenna / dongle on the windscreen issue has been released now, but some dealers have been told it is just for the HS model.
There is a fix for the MG5, which may or may not be the same one, but he dealer needs to
'order an RBRM which removes the antenna from the windscreen and restores the vehicle to what customers would consider to be the ‘original specification’.
I hope that helps.

I've told my dealer, but they still say there is no fix, only one for the HS.... Coming up to a year now.

 

[FDL Gareth]

That is what they have been told by MG, to be fair, but if you go back the the dealer and insist that they enquire with MG they should be able do it. The issue might be that they are trying to stagger the recalls, so as not to swamp the dealers, but I copied the correspondence I got from MG Customer Services to the dealer and vice versa and they authorized it - I have it booked in to be done next week. You could wait the the 5 to be recalled or, if you really want it done sooner, ask them to actually check with MG or contact them directly.
I hope that helps.

 

[Alslad]

Has anyone got to the bottom of which head units they have actually put in without DAB chips? I unclipped the trim above the radio (that has two vents and the hazard switch) and you can then see the info label on the head unit. I have a 2022 Exclusive on a 72 plate with the dongle and the details are as follows:

P/N.:11313707 EP2273111 P30001662958
SW: 11313710/01
HW: 11313709/01
Identity Status: N1
Supplier Number 654556455
Supplier Name: Huizhou Desay SV Automotive Co., Ltd. (which seems to still be trading - contradicting some of the suspected reasons MG are being slow to address) - The name was in Chinese characters on mine but I did a translation. Some of the older ZS head units on Ebay have the supplier name in English too against the same supplier number

I have searched the product number to see if it comes up in alternative markets but drawn a blank. Also asked MG customer services for model number info but they are eerily quiet on the subject

Anyone else happy to take a peak behind the trim and report what the model number is and whether it has native DAB or the dongle?

 

[FDL Gareth]

I haven't done that, because I was supposed to have the radio fixed, but the car has been backwards and forwards to the garage for 2 weeks now and still no further forward. There have been dozens of suggestions by MG Technical, but no-one appears to know how to fix it or is giving any explanation as to why it is not as simple as replacing a chip or radio module. My 5 is the first the dealer has seen and they are saying that the fix is for the HS, but when I query why the radio should be model specific, I don't get an answer. There is definitely more to it than meets the eye, but I don't know what, I'm afraid.

 

[Alslad]

I haven't done that, because I was supposed to have the radio fixed, but the car has been backwards and forwards to the garage for 2 weeks now and still no further forward. There have been dozens of suggestions by MG Technical, but no-one appears to know how to fix it or is giving any explanation as to why it is not as simple as replacing a chip or radio module. My 5 is the first the dealer has seen and they are saying that the fix is for the HS, but when I query why the radio should be model specific, I don't get an answer. There is definitely more to it than meets the eye, but I don't know what, I'm afraid.

In reality it will be because they don't want the expense of fitting a brand new head unit. They probably didn't even keep a record of the ones they sent out with the usb dongle either.

The removed head units would not have any value for reworking as I am guessing it would be entirely new guts to go in and a firmware update as the ones with the dongle have software that reads the DAB as an mp3 file with a lag rather than playing the station live.

I would happily make a contribution to the cost of a brand new unit if offered the opportunity. Be even better if there was a sweetener like adding iSmart functionality. I bet existing customers with the DAB fully working would pay for that type of upgrade too.

 

[FDL Gareth]

Well, as I have this on-going with them, I'll raise that query and let you know what they say.
Thanks for the information.

 

[joes]

Well, as I have this on-going with them, I'll raise that query and let you know what they say.
Thanks for the information.

Any news Gareth? I have the DAB Dongle Bodge in my MG5 pre-facelift and have just booked in for first service. Not holding out much hope of it getting fixed.

 

[Tobemeister]

Any news Gareth? I have the DAB Dongle Bodge in my MG5 pre-facelift and have just booked in for first service. Not holding out much hope of it getting fixed.

Yeah I'm still waiting too. I had first service in July. I've had the car a year now, it would be nice to have some sort of update....

 

[FDL Gareth]

A lot has happened, but I still don't have the radio fixed. The dealer who was doing it closed down at the end of September, having fitted the new radio module (called an RBRM Module), but they were not able to set it up correctly. Anyway, the module is still in the car and it is now booked in with the dealer who has taken over in our area (On November 1st). They seem very confident that they will get it sorted out, so we will see. I'll let you know how I get on.

 

[Alslad]

I've given up any idea of MG doing anything productive on this and customer service isn't worth dealing with. Given that the infotainment and navigation is 'sub par' anyway and MG have confirmed I can't pay for something better than their 'solution' (when/if they get round to it), I've done my own improvement project. Here's what I have done:

- Bought an Android AI (Auto Infotainment) box that mimics a car play connection via USB that I can add software alternatives to the inbuilt music player, navigation, bluetooth phone/call handler and of course, a DAB solution you can actually use, add favourites to, have programme information display etc.. I spent a bit of money on trial and error, as USB tuners don't work on them all. For info, I got an Ottocast Picasou 2 Pro. Through a carplay wired connection, it essentially mimics an Android head unit in the car, with all the original nav unit functionality left in place.

- Connected the window sticker aerial to a better DAB dongle, plugged in to the AI box. I re-routed the cable under the dash by removing the footwell trim either side of the centre console and secured the dongle in the void with some 3m command pads. There is the smallest piece of USB lead showing where it plugs into the AI box that I have tucked into the little side storage area on the driver side of the centre console, but that section of lead is more or less still under the dash. I have a low profile braided usb lead running from the AI box to the carplay/android auto usb port under the sliding cover, which can fully close as the lead is thin and can barely be seen as it is a dark colour lead. Certainly far less horrendous that the original MG effort. Note on the MG dongle - while it looks like standard fare from Amazon, it has been doctored and will only work with the car radio. I tested it on several android phones and head units before buying an alternative.

- Installed DAB-Z for playing over the air digital radio, Tom Tom navigation that I already pay for on other devices (the Picasou comes with Waze and Google Maps anyway, but I also use NavMii which is free and nearly as good as TomTom) and my preferred music playing and organising app that supports playlists

The DAB reception, even using their window sticker aerial, is better, clearer and more reliable than the MG bodge, with the added bonus of having programme information and station logos in addition to being able to set up favourite channels.

With the better music player, I can use playlists, individual songs or albums and use random or loop play that I couldn't with the stock offering

Other than a very short wait for TomTom to start up sometimes (NavMii starts immediately), the navigation experience is much better and more responsive, even when inputting addresses that seem to have a lag with the stock navigation. Connecting to a wifi hotspot on my phone means I also get traffic alerts etc that you can't get with the inbuilt navigation

While I wish MG would have sorted things, I now have something I can live with, and apart from the window stick aerial (which I could address by fitting an external shark fin at a later date), it is hard to spot anything obtrusive in the cabin area, and the sliding cover for the USB and 12v ports can close fully at all times, which wasn't possible when the MG bodge was plugged in.

Without the trial and error bit (wasted money initially on other AI boxes that didn't work and what I thought might be a better DAB box), I spent about £200 for the Picasou box, the slimline USB leads, the DAB dongle and an adapter that converted the window aerial connector from MCX plug in type used by the MG bodge to SMA screw in to match the new dongle

 

[Rayz]

Hi my dab radio button is greyed out on the Mg5ev excite 72 plate so not usable any thoughts anyone

By Rights you should have a Dab + that connects into your usb . To confirm this you should also have an Ariel lead and small 125 mm Ariel stuck on passenger halfway up .To get Dab radio

What I do is install Dab Radio App on my phone plug in usb lead into white marked usb and put your Dab app onto a station and it will play through the car tuner buttons. Press Dab on the car radio software.