MG5 Parts Availability

[Tom McConnell]

Hi all,

I picked up my new MG5 at the end of January and on the drive home I noticed a loud metallic grinding noise when the air conditioning is on.

I got the car booked into the dealer on Thursday 18th Feb to be diagnosed.

Turns out the A/C compressor (pump) was failing and has to be replaced along with the a/c piping and condenser (radiator).

Good practice is that if the compressor is failing, metal filings/shards from the bearings or impeller can distribute themselves throughout the pipes and condenser, so all three components should be replaced. If only the compressor is replaced then residual metal shards can damage the new one as they are pumped around the old pipes and condenser. So causing another warranty claim and inconvenience.

The compressor and condenser are in stock at MG UK but currently the pipes are not available. So the dealer is currently working with MG UK to source them. Worse case is they have to be shipped from China on a ship taking 6 weeks.

This time of year not having a/c is not an issue and I can leave it turned off, but the service department told me that the a/c also cools the battery and it can come on automatically when required by the battery computer. So there could be a risk to the battery if the car is run.

So I will keep you updated as I learn more about the pipe back order situation and get the car fixed.

Anyone else had parts availability issues ?

 

[Jake]

Sorry to hear about your troubles. Not a good start having a failure immediately after collection. I hope the Dealer is supplying a courtesy car at the very least until yours is repaired or even offering a straight replacement?

Hopefully the stock of spare parts held in the UK for all eventualities will improve as the model ages as many owners could be affected with their car being off the road for 6 weeks or more. Not good.

Look forward to hearing your update on a speedy (hopefully) repair.

 

[Cocijo]

Isn’t it a Bosch aircon unit? I thought it was.

 

[Jocko]

Isn’t it a Bosch aircon unit? I thought it was.

The unit could be readily available, but pipes will be MG.

 

[Tom McConnell]

It would be interesting to know if the info about the a/c cooling the battery is accutate.

how would this be achieved ? how would the heat transfer take place ?
coolant pipes running through the battery ? Or some fan blowing cool air over the battery via a secondary condenser ?

 

[thefunkystoat]

Almost certainly coolant in pipes, I wouldn’t imagine air cooling would be very effective.

 

[Tom McConnell]

So I picked up my car from the dealer yesterday after leaving it there for the week in case MG UK could find the required air conditioning pipes.

The pipes are now on back order from China where apparently they are not in stock and SAIC has to go back to the manufacturer.

The dealer will call me when the parts are shipped from China.

So in the mean time i have been asked not to use the air conditioning but to leave it on if the car turns it on to cool the batteries.

 

[ALANB]

It would be interesting to know if the info about the a/c cooling the battery is accutate.

how would this be achieved ? how would the heat transfer take place ?
coolant pipes running through the battery ? Or some fan blowing cool air over the battery via a secondary condenser ?

It is a coolant cooled battery, and also cools the electric motor. It shares the same system as the AC. It can also heat the battery in very extreme conditions. It is necessary for heavy usage and rapid charging.

 

[Tom McConnell]

My MG5 has not been able to have its air conditioning fixed today as hoped.

The new compressor and pipes had arrived at the dealer but as they took the old parts off they drained the compressors oil sump and found the oil was full of metal shards as the bearings had failed and the impeller hit the inner walls of the compressor shedding metal. This means that the rest of the a/c system will be full of metal shards and so needs to be replaced. The shards would destroy a new compressor and block the condenser.

MG technical have told the dealer that a new condenser and other parts are now required. A full new set of a/c components are required.

As the a/c cools the battery the car cannot be driven until the parts arrive and installed. MG do not want to have to replace an overheated battery when under warranty. So the car is off the road.

So will learn tomorrow what the parts availability will be like. Getting the compressor and pipes from China took a month.

I will keep you updated !

 

[Tom McConnell]

So I am very happy to have been able to pick up my MG5 after being off the road at the dealer since 7th April.

The whole a/c system has been replaced after the compressor failed with metal shards in its oil sump, so all the pipes and condenser had to be replaced. The parts arrived at the dealer earlier this week 19/20 April. It was due to be picked up yesterday but they did not have some special oil in stock, so this arrived today and the job completed.

So great to have the car back and the a/c working again.

I had noticed the noisy a/c compressor when I first picked up the car new on 30th Jan and it’s been back to the dealer several times for diagnosis and attempted repairs.

The service manager told me my MG5 was the first they had had to get parts for and so had to load all the parts data onto their computer before they could order them from MG.

Next is to have the BP Pulse home charger installed on Monday, hopefully this goes smoothly !!

 

[NellieEV]

In total how long did it take for MG to source the replacement parts for the Aircon replacement? Mines just gone in to the dealer with an Aircon compressor problem, and have been told that the car cannot be driven until the unit is replaced.... now braving myself for a long wait without my 5....

 

[Tom McConnell]

It was the same issue for me. It took 3 weeks for all the parts to ship from China and then a week for installation. The dealer needed to order in some special oil for the compressor sump which was not in stock and this took an extra day at the end of the install. Hopefully MG UK did not only order one set of parts and they now have additional parts in stock in the UK or EU !
Good luck !

 

[NellieEV]

Fingers firmly crossed.

 

[Alb]

Has everyone affected by this been getting a courtesy car?

 

[Tom McConnell]

I was offered one but did not take it as I had a spare weekend car which needed to be used more frequently

 

[Alb]

Do you typically get offered like for like?
MG5 for MG5 for example.

 

[Tom McConnell]

I dont know. My dealer also does Hyundai so it could have been a petrol other brand. Might not be EV.

 

[NellieEV]

Do you typically get offered like for like?
MG5 for MG5 for example.

Nope. Was offered (and accepted as there was little time to negotiate) an MG3 petrol.... will be contacting the dealer next week to see if there is any chance of getting something of a similar size to the 5 as I can't fit my normal EDC tools in the 3!