New MG4 owner, couple of questions?

[Sparky Matt]

Hey guys, just bought a 2023 (23 plate) MG4 Trophy in bright orange! With 12500 miles.

Firstly i think its a fantastic car for the money! Drives really well, the 150KW motor is plenty for normal driving.

Couple of questions if anyone can help:

I have installed the app, and paired to the car. However i have been trying to use the “Digital Key” on my iphone.

It connects to the car, allows me to unlock and lock the car, but when i press the “keyless start” button it comes up with this message about needing to recalibrate, or re-install the app.

I am doing this in the driver seat, with my foot on the brake, but just get this message on the app, and no key present on the car display.

Anyone any ideas, or do i need to try deleting the app, and trying again?


Also the dealer could not give me any info on when the car has been serviced, as this is held by MG (it was not a MG dealer).

What is the easiest way of finding out the service history, and when the next service is due?

It seems it has been to MG fairly recent, as it is running R63 software, and has the newer climate display.

So i am a assuming it has been serviced at MG and the system updated.

However “one foot driving” is not an option on the car, i thought i read this gets added with a software update? Or is this a different update?

Anyone any info?

Thanks,
Matt

 

[salty]

To the forum, Matt. Enjoy your new motor.
(Best colour obviously)

 

[Tight Git]

Welcome Matt.

One pedal driving is only available on the later models and is not retro fittable to the early ones. Assuming that yours is an early Trophy (missing the rear window wiper) I suggest you read the thread about the 3 phase CCU failure as you may encounter this issue at some point!

The service interval is one year or 15,000 miles (whichever comes first) and you will need to check with an MG dealer to see when it was last done. Service prices do vary between dealers and you can also get a service plan on-line through MG if you want.

Enjoy your car!

 

[Sparky Matt]

View attachment 38672

To the forum, Matt. Enjoy your new motor.
(Best colour obviously)

Welcome Matt.

One pedal driving is only available on the later models and is not retro fittable to the early ones. Assuming that yours is an early Trophy (missing the rear window wiper) I suggest you read the thread about the 3 phase CCU failure as you may encounter this issue at some point!

The service interval is one year or 15,000 miles (whichever comes first) and you will need to check with an MG dealer to see when it was last done. Service prices do vary between dealers and you can also get a service plan on-line through MG if you want.

Enjoy your car!

Thanks, just searched regarding the CCU failure.

Its charging fine at the moment, using the 3 phase charger at work, its charging at around 10KW.

Hopefully its already been replaced!

 

[nogbad]

Hey guys, just bought a 2023 (23 plate) MG4 Trophy in bright orange! With 12500 miles.

Firstly i think its a fantastic car for the money! Drives really well, the 150KW motor is plenty for normal driving.

Couple of questions if anyone can help:

I have installed the app, and paired to the car. However i have been trying to use the “Digital Key” on my iphone.

It connects to the car, allows me to unlock and lock the car, but when i press the “keyless start” button it comes up with this message about needing to recalibrate, or re-install the app.

View attachment 38669I am doing this in the driver seat, with my foot on the brake, but just get this message on the app, and no key present on the car display.

Anyone any ideas, or do i need to try deleting the app, and trying again?


Also the dealer could not give me any info on when the car has been serviced, as this is held by MG (it was not a MG dealer).

What is the easiest way of finding out the service history, and when the next service is due?

It seems it has been to MG fairly recent, as it is running R63 software, and has the newer climate display.

So i am a assuming it has been serviced at MG and the system updated.

However “one foot driving” is not an option on the car, i thought i read this gets added with a software update? Or is this a different update?

Anyone any info?

Thanks,
Matt

Welcome to the Tango Club, Matt!

 

[Martinonline]

Welcome.

From another thread:

Hi, my original 2022 Trophy MG4 does allow true keyless entry and driving. For unlocking, I get within Bluetooth range (Bluetooth logo goes from greyed out to blue in the homescreen of the app). I get in the car, it pings like crazy saying ‘key not detected’ (or something like that). Then after a short while and pressing the brake pedal (not sure if that actually does anything) the app tells me to calibrate. It shows a picture of holding the phone in the centre of the steering wheel. So I hold mine there and then says ‘calibrating’ after a few seconds. Eventually it’s done and depressing the brake pedal puts the car into the ‘ready’ state.

I’ve had to do this when I can’t find my physical key and need to go to work; it’s been a life saver!

Note that locking/unlocking the car can be done without Bluetooth connected (done via mobile data) but starting the car with the digital key requires a Bluetooth connection.

 

[Sparky Matt]

I have now got the “digital key” to work.

On the App home screen with bluetooth connected to the car, with the car still locked, press the “keyless start” button on the home page. It then says i have 120 seconds to start the car.

Then go into digital key and unlock the car.

Now when i get in, shut the door and put my foot on the brake, it goes into “ready” and i can drive.


So the button inside “digital key” does not work, but the one on the home page does.

 

[Martinonline]

I have not visited the digital key page since I activated the digital key. I just use the home page buttons once the digital key Bluetooth connection is made when close to the car and the Keyless Start button goes blue. On the home page unlock the car, get in, ignore the Smart Key not present warning, press the blue Keyless Start, when confirmed press the brake pedal and away I go.

To check @Sparky Matt's statement about the button on the Digital Key page I opened it and tried the Lock, Unlock and Start buttons and they all worked.

What did I learn:

a. The Digital Key page Lock/Unlock buttons need the digital key Bluetooth connection to work. The Home page buttons can use mobile data as well as Bluetooth.

b. The digital key Bluetooth connection is ended if you leave the Digital Key page.

c. I needed to refresh the Home page to force a Bluetooth reconnection via the Home page but going to the Digital Key page triggered a reconnection.

I don't need to share or disable the digital key so will continue to use the lock/unlock and digital key functions via the Home page.

 

[Evgen K]

are not you guys afraid that if someone steals your phone he can steals your car as well

 

[siteguru]

I can't remember if you need to do the 2FA with the digital key first time (in that session? i.e. enter PIN or fingerprint). If someone steals your phone they need to bypass your lock screen anyway - assuming they haven't stolen it from your hand while you were using it.

 

[Tuareg]

are not you guys afraid that if someone steals your phone he can steals your car as well

Surely you use biometrics to activate your phone?

 

[ReintjeWA]

Yeah I’m not worried about that, it’s harder to break through my lock screen and biometric verifications than it would be to steal the actual keys.

 

[siteguru]

Surely you use biometrics to activate your phone?

Indeed ... but if your phone is unlocked at the time of being taken (e.g. you're on the phone at the time) then that's a moot point.

I've just tested it ... I need to use my PIN/biometrics in the iSmart app to unlock/lock the car. So even if the phone is unlocked, they'd still need to get past the 2FA in the app.

 

[Tuareg]

Indeed ... but if your phone is unlocked at the time of being taken (e.g. you're on the phone at the time) then that's a moot point.

I've just tested it ... I need to use my PIN/biometrics in the iSmart app to unlock/lock the car. So even if the phone is unlocked, they'd still need to get past the 2FA in the app.

So same result, you answered your own question and confirmed what I said - biometrics will protect the access to the digital key.

 

[siteguru]

Indeed ... but you hadn't elaborated on that point and had merely used the locked phone protection angle.

 

[Tuareg]

I should have elaborated for those without any technical knowledge on the subject

 

[pjmmk]

This is where a pin-to-drive setup is useful. I had a Citroen back in the 80's with this feature and Tesla's have it since they use the phone as a key. I'm astonished that so few modern cars have this since they all seem to have huge touch screens these days.