MG4 in Australia

[dumpsterfire]

The question is "what" are you plugging into the 15A wall socket?
If you're looking at a 15A "Type 2 to Type 2" cable (aka "BYO cable") you still need to plug it into something (a wall box or similar).
That's where the granny charger point comes in with my earlier comment.

Also be very careful with AliExpress products. Just because they claim 15A doesn't mean you should pull 15A from them. The copper cross section/gauge of cables is critically important, otherwise you risk heating up the cables and making your forum name literal

It's the same problem with extension cables, even compliant ones purchased locally from a reputable source. You might be able to pull 10A from them, but the voltage drop (and heat generation) can pose risks with high current demands. Eg my air compressor specifically states not to operate it with an extension cord. Voltage drop due to crappy copper cables is the primary reason why.
Don't underestimate how much strain charging an EV places on your equipment. It's a substantial amount of current for a substantial duration.

I'm looking at cables that have a 15A plug on one end and a CCS Type 2 plug on the other end. I'm excluding Ali Express cables from those I'm considering.

 

[AusCo]

For anyone having issues with wireless CarPlay dongles in MG4 not reconnecting after power off. The simplest solution is a usb cable with an inline on/off switch. Plug the usb switch line into car usb port, the CarPlay adaptor into the other end of the usb line. When you hop in or out of the car and your phone won’t connect wirelessly, cycle the power button on the usb line. The one below is from eBay. Make sure whatever you may use it is both data & power capable. Power alone will not work, it needs data pass thru.

 

[ChrisR]

For anyone having issues with wireless CarPlay dongles in MG4 not reconnecting after power off. The simplest solution is a usb cable with an inline on/off switch. Plug the usb switch line into car usb port, the CarPlay adaptor into the other end of the usb line. When you hop in or out of the car and your phone won’t connect wirelessly, cycle the power button on the usb line. The one below is from eBay. Make sure whatever you may use it is both data & power capable. Power alone will not work, it needs data pass thru.

I've had this problem with my AAWireless dongle but I solve it by just unplugging and replugging it in the USB socket as I wait for 'ready' to come up. It's now part of my automatic routine along with setting OPD.

 

[AusCo]

I've had this problem with my AAWireless dongle but I solve it by just unplugging and replugging it in the USB socket as I wait for 'ready' to come up. It's now part of my automatic routine along with setting OPD.

The only downside is the wear/ potential damage on the usb port over time. A usb switch is a cheaper ‘sacrificial’ option. I was doing the same until it started to annoy me, the switch is way simpler.

 

[ChrisR]

The only downside is the wear/ potential damage on the usb port over time. A usb switch is a cheaper ‘sacrificial’ option. I was doing the same until it started to annoy me, the switch is way simpler.

Ah yes, I hadn't considered the wear and tear aspect. Also, have you heard any explanation of why it doesn't automatically connect when you power on? I used the exact same unit and cord previously in my ZS EV and it always was ready. I got it because the connection with just USB cord (original data cord)) and phone was totally unreliable.

 

[AusCo]

Ah yes, I hadn't considered the wear and tear aspect. Also, have you heard any explanation of why it doesn't automatically connect when you power on? I used the exact same unit and cord previously in my ZS EV and it always was ready. I got it because the connection with just USB cord (original data cord)) and phone was totally unreliable.

I think it’s a software bug. The usb port doesn’t seem to be being re-initialised on power up. The port is still powered it’s just not allowing data flow ie the ‘handshake’ comms between the dongle and the head unit. Unless of course you pull the usb cable or hit the power switch on the usb cable both of which then re-initialises the usb port then magically everything is fine again.

 

[Coulomb]

I'm looking at cables that have a 15A plug on one end and a CCS Type 2 plug on the other end.

That's good. Note that it's recommended to only draw 80% of the rated power from a general purpose outlet continuously. EV chargers are considered continuous loads. So your EVSE (wall "charger") should be set to 12 A. The granny charger that comes with the car is probably set to 8 A for this reason. So you're still getting 50% more, but you're going 8 to 12 not 10 to 15. Occasionally setting the current to 15 A (e.g. you need this to get enough charge for an important trip) is fine. Running for hours at 100% of rated current tends to wear out the plug and socket, especially outdoor ones. There are plenty of horror stories and photos of melted plugs.

 

[JoeBlow]

If you have carlinkit you can also set a few seconds startup delay.

 

[Business Class]

Hi all. Picked up my MG4 Excite 51 today from Victoria Park, Perth.
FYI the XPower model arrived there today too, and I watched them move it into their garage.

Congrats! I've the same car on order since July. Which colour did you get? I saw some red,blue,grey ones there last week.

 

[wattmatters]

That is interesting. I don't have a USB-C to Lightning data cable but tempted to get one and see.

I picked up a USB-C to Lightning cable today. Didn't work. I only got reminded because CarPlay wasn't working today when I started out. Tried all the usual tricks but no joy. The Carplay logo would briefly activate but grey out again immediately. Gave up.

But at some point on my journey it returned as an active option. No idea when it happened as I didn't notice until I went to remove the phone from the charge cable once I'd arrived at my destination.

I'll give the USB-C another try but I'm not holding out high hopes. Maybe it needs to be a special kind of USB-C?

 

[leonkernan]

I’m pretty sure it’s in the manual that the Type-C socket can’t be used for CarPlay.

 

[wattmatters]

I’m pretty sure it’s in the manual that the Type-C socket can’t be used for CarPlay.

Yes, however... see this:

MG4 in Australia

BUT - Carplay is now dead. It was fine when I drove there and has been OK up to now. I've tested three cables, none of them work. The one I've been using is an Apple cable. All cables work with the rear seat USB port for charging the phone but the USB port in the front is now dead. No charging...

www.mgevs.com

 

[neerav]

When I picked up an MG4 Essence 64 media loan review car recently I did a factory reset to clear out the previous drivers settings. When I tried to open Sat Nav the car displayed "Permission Required". This is how I fixed that error

MG4 - how to enable Sat Nav if you get "permissions required" popup - Electrifying Everything

When I picked up an MG4 Essence 64 media loan review car recently I did a factory reset to clear out the previous drivers settings. However like the new

www.bhatt.id.au

 

[DjDirtboy]

If you have carlinkit you can also set a few seconds startup delay.

Hello, Can you tell me how can i do that?
In carlinkit setup?

 

[JoeBlow]

Hello, Can you tell me how can i do that?
In carlinkit setup?

Yeah in the Carlinkit setup web page you go to on your phone.

It's a pretty clearly named option, I chose I think 25 seconds.

 

[coff33]

I asked local MG AU dealer about software updates and if they will charge for it and I was told it depends on how long it takes they will charge at $196/hr. This is absurd. I work in software and even we don't charge our clients this much for a 'software update'

 

[JoeBlow]

Yeah it's the one part of this car that will suck if it gets too hard to get fixes.

On the other hand at least they also can't force changes with regressions that we don't want onto us like other manufacturers can.

If there's a reason for the update then they will do it for free, they pretty much have to if it's the only solution to what would be a warranty repair job. For example this week I got an upgrade from R04 to R11 (Essence 64) by saying carplay was playing up (which it was occasionally).

The more MG has to pay dealers in warranty hours for software updates the more likely they will let us actually use the OTA update function that is literally built in already - we have the button, it's advertised as a feature in some countries but only actually enabled in china it seems.

 

[neerav]

I asked local MG AU dealer about software updates and if they will charge for it and I was told it depends on how long it takes they will charge at $196/hr. This is absurd. I work in software and even we don't charge our clients this much for a 'software update'

Ask another nearby dealer how much they charge/hr for software updates outside of a normal service visit. I'm curious about the answer.

Not surprised that they charge though, apparently car updates are quite time consuming with different changes to add one by one, not press update and walk away.

 

[Trooper]

I asked local MG AU dealer about software updates and if they will charge for it and I was told it depends on how long it takes they will charge at $196/hr. This is absurd. I work in software and even we don't charge our clients this much for a 'software update'

I took mine in to the local dealer and asked for the software update to get OPD and it took around 30mins or so and they didn’t charge me anything. Maybe that update is a special case though?

In regards to accessories in Australia… has anyone found a reputable brand V2L cable, as opposed to a small adaptor, or the numerous “made to order” (read: home-made) ones.

I’d probably need to run power 20m+ from the vehicle in a power outage so would prefer the first metres be a nice thick V2L cable, before connecting a small power board or regular extension lead.

Apart from being expensive, the Oz genuine MG one appears to be laughably short (40cm) 13A? Not that the official MG website tells you anything about it, as usual.

 

[ChrisR]

In regards to accessories in Australia… has anyone found a reputable brand V2L cable, as opposed to a small adaptor, or the numerous “made to order” (read: home-made) ones.

I’d probably need to run power 20m+ from the vehicle in a power outage so would prefer the first metres be a nice thick V2L cable, before connecting a small power board or regular extension lead.

Apart from being expensive, the Oz genuine MG one appears to be laughably short (40cm) 13A? Not that the official MG website tells you anything about it, as usual.

I just bought one of the cheap adapters off ebay but it doesn't work at all. Not sure if it's just a faulty one but the car reads it as a charging plug rather than discharging. I'm currently in the process of returning it.

I'll probably go with one of these V2L Cable - EVchargers - EV cables and adaptors
It looks good quality and is about half the price of the MG brand one (for the 1m length). It comes in 1, 3, 5, 10 or 20m lengths and with 1, 2 or 4 outlets.