Misting up

[Rolfe]

The other thing to check is the recirculation setting. To keep the screen clear it needs to be open (air through the car ), there is an auto setting which I'm not convinced actually does much so I usually set to open and this helps to keep the screen clear.

That was @Alex1985's original question. He was wondering if the hardware that does this is stuck on recirculate in his car, because setting it to open air wasn't curing his problem.

I think there’s a total misconception about air con, in that it only cools and perhaps also that it uses a lot of battery power. The air con keeps the car at a consistent temperature, be that cool or hot and in my experience it doesn’t use a lot of power in doing so. Mine is set at Auto and between 22/23/24/25/26 dependant on how warm/cool it is. It’s never ever turned off.

I set mine to Auto once, but eight or nine miles further on the fan was still blasting at max, so I gave up and turned it down. Is this normal?

 

[Diggsy]

I set mine to Auto once, but eight or nine miles further on the fan was still blasting at max, so I gave up and turned it down. Is this normal?

Wouldn’t think so, I’ve never experienced this on mine and can only think this would happen if the temperature you were seeking was either a lot higher or lower than the ambient temperature. Even still, I’d be amazed if it blasted for that long. I’ve never experienced that even in the really hot weather a month or two ago

 

[okohll]

I set mine to Auto once, but eight or nine miles further on the fan was still blasting at max, so I gave up and turned it down. Is this normal?

I find you just need to get the 'target temperature' and the actual temperature to match, a bit more difficult of course since the reading is 4 or 5 degrees out, but basically on fully auto

• if it's blowing cold, it thinks the cabin's too hot relative to target, turn the target temp. up a notch
• if it's blowing hot, it thinks the cabin's too cold, turn it down a notch

The fan will then reduce. It's also a rough guide to seeing what temperature the car thinks it is, regardless of what it actually is.

Of course, as long as you've set the target temp. to something comfortable and not extreme, and the weather outside isn't too extreme either, then the temperature will stabilise to target and it'll reduce on it's own down to a slow speed after a while, but if you dislike the sound more than being hot or cold then it's a way to reduce the fan quicker whilst still getting a bit of A/C.

 

[bowfer]

Why do people switch aircon off?
Renault have the right idea, the default is ‘on’ and you have to press a button to request ‘off’

 

[Tonych]

I had not been using the Air Con and the air is set to the windscreen. The only car I had that suffered like this was a1957 Ford Popular with a recirc heater!!

I remember those - we had a green one from about the same year when I was a kid! Misting, space for the family and poor brakes I recall as issues. And the exhaust dropping off while on holiday. My tin bucket was cut and used to hold the exhaust together - wrapped by wire coathangers

 

[Rolfe]

Question here. What's the difference between ar conditioning and climate control? I seem to remember back in 2009 when I got the Golf, air conditioning was standard but "climate control" was an optional extra you had to pay for. I didn't see the point, so my car only had air conditioning.

I'm wondering whether I find the MG4 so much better and more comfortable because it has climate control? I don't really know much about it though.

 

[Martinonline]

My Trophy is set to auto HVAC and auto recirc. The latter is to allow rapid cooling/heating. I don't know what happens after the fan reduces in speed as there is no change in the icon.

 

[val33]

Question here. What's the difference between ar conditioning and climate control?

Climate control is a system where you can enter a target temperature for the system to maintain. Air Conditioning will just have a warm/cold dial with no temperature markings. In effect you can just select the amount of heating or cooling, not a target temp.

 

[Rolfe]

Hmm. The Golf did have temperature markings though. It wasn't nearly so easy to get the temperature to maintain as it is in the MG4 though. Or maybe it's the design of the vents in the MG4, which seem to get the cabin comfortable without blasting you with hot or cold air.

 

[tsedge]

Leaving the Air Con on permanently does not effect the longevity of the system other han wearing it out, occasional use keeps the seals lubricated but the most common cause of failure is a leaking condenser (the radiator at the front of the car) often caused by stone damage or vibration.

Well you could not use the car if you are worried about things wearing out. I've had the AC on permanently in at least my last 4 cars (10yrs+) and nothing has ever worn out.

 

[bowfer]

Hmm. The Golf did have temperature markings though. It wasn't nearly so easy to get the temperature to maintain as it is in the MG4 though. Or maybe it's the design of the vents in the MG4, which seem to get the cabin comfortable without blasting you with hot or cold air.

You had VW ‘climatic’, which still had dials.
The fully automatic system which had buttons only and a digital display was called ‘climatronic’
I specified climatronic on my multiple VWs, including 6 x Gtis of various sorts dating back to the 90s, because I thought the dials looked crap and aged the cabin.

 

[Ian Key]

I set mine to Auto once, but eight or nine miles further on the fan was still blasting at max, so I gave up and turned it down. Is this normal?

You can set the fan speed for Auto. On the AC screen below the Auto button tap the cog icon. You can then set the fan speed on auto to low, medium or high.

 

[Rolfe]

You can set the fan speed for Auto. On the AC screen below the Auto button tap the cog icon. You can then set the fan speed on auto to low, medium or high.

Thanks, I didn't know that.

You had VW ‘climatic’, which still had dials.
The fully automatic system which had buttons only and a digital display was called ‘climatronic’
I specified climatronic on my multiple VWs, including 6 x Gtis of various sorts dating back to the 90s, because I thought the dials looked crap and aged the cabin.

I'll take your word for it! I just remember not bothering to shell out for "climate control" because I was happy enough to have aircon. (I sweltered in the Sussex summers in the XR2 and craved aircon, and that was a big part of my decision to go for the larger Peugeot 306 GTi6, because the 306 had aircon and the smaller 206 didn't. Then the Peugeot's aircon broke down in the autumn of 2006, deemed not economic to fix, and I had another three years of sweltering - Scottish summers this time - before I moved on to the Golf.)

I thought climate control also controlled humidity, though I could be mistaken about that. I certainly find the MG4's system very comfortable and unobtrusive.

 

[bowfer]

Thanks, I didn't know that.



I'll take your word for it! I just remember not bothering to shell out for "climate control" because I was happy enough to have aircon. (I sweltered in the Sussex summers in the XR2 and craved aircon, and that was a big part of my decision to go for the larger Peugeot 306 GTi6, because the 306 had aircon and the smaller 206 didn't. Then the Peugeot's aircon broke down in the autumn of 2006, deemed not economic to fix, and I had another three years of sweltering - Scottish summers this time - before I moved on to the Golf.)

I thought climate control also controlled humidity, though I could be mistaken about that. I certainly find the MG4's system very comfortable and unobtrusive.

Climate control doesn’t control humidity any different to manual aircon.
They all dry out the air, you’ve no choice in the humidity level though, I’ve yet to see any car that allows that.
Really, the only difference between the manual aircon you had and climate control is that climate control will do fan speed and vent control itself.
For example, I have my car set to vent onto the windscreen only, but if I get in and the car is roasting it will blast cold air out of every vent available until it’s cool.

 

[Rolfe]

Thanks. Every day is a school day. Although, the Golf did have an auto fan setting. I haven't really lived with the MG4's climate control long enough to know how it differs, only enough to know that I like it.

 

[Bubs]

I had the same with the ZS. Had to practically hold my breath other wise it would steam up.

Turned out it had never been cleaned. Get a good glass cleaner (same as you use for windows in the house) and give it a good going over.

Only mists now if the car is full and it's raining outside which is normal enough.

 

[Rolfe]

My MG4 was fine with three people in the car when it was chucking it down and very humid. I was actually impressed.

 

[ARW]

I find that the car mists up very quickly in even the smallest rain shower and requires the air con to clear it. The air input was set to automatic and changing it to external only made no difference, anybody else had the problem of excess misting. I wonder if the input is stuck on recirc.

Replace the cabin filter

 

[Starplots]

Thank you Rolfe. I just don't think it should mist up that quickly resulting in continuous use of the “power hungry” Air Con, especially as one has to use the heating alongside it to remain comfortable.

MG4’s have a heat pump and are very low power, I run my AC all the time and it makes no noticeable difference to power usage

 

[Rolfe]

The ones in Britain don't. I still find the heating/AC absolutely fine, more comfortable than in my old Golf, and I'm not seeing a great power drain. I notice the GOM drops by 10 miles from a full battery if I have the HVAC on, so approximately 5%. That'll be a nominal value of course but I don't think it's that far off.