So long and thanks for all the fish

[Kenp1]

Use the parking brake switch to move the car with the seatbelt undone or false alert, I've done it loads of times when moving the car on the drive.

 

[Jamesrr]

I've never seen the seatbelt issue, is this common? Also you can move the car with the seatbelt undone.

I'd hardly call it a problem but this is how you can reproduce the behaviour.

Start driving with the seatbelt on. Pull over to the side of the road and stop, put the car in park and take the seat belt off, open the door and get out, get back in, sit down and try and drive off.

You can't until you put your seatbelt back on ( or get back out and lock the doors turning the car off and then getting back in).

You can certainly drive the car initially without the seatbelt on. The behaviour is subsequent to you driving with it on.

 

[Kenp1]

I'm a bit confused, that sounds correct to me.

In mine it won't move until you put your belt on, if you use the parking brake switch it will move with the belt off.

 

[Jamesrr]

I'm a bit confused, that sounds correct to me.

You're confused that I've described the behaviour of how it works correctly?

...or confused because yours doesn't work that way?

In mine it won't move until you put your belt on, if you use the parking brake switch it will move with the belt off.

Definitely not how it should work. You can drive without the seatbelt on and after you get to 10kph ( or something like that) the "bonging" will start until you put it on, albeit it still won't stop you driving.

I'm unsure what you mean by "using the parking brake switch" to get it going through?

After you put the car in "D"rive, do you still have to manually toggle the parking brake if you haven't put your seat belt on?

 

[pjmmk]

I've never seen the seatbelt issue, is this common? Also you can move the car with the seatbelt undone.

I can't move my car without the drivers seat belt engaged. It just refuses to go into gear, forward or reverse.

You can certainly drive the car initially without the seatbelt on. The behaviour is subsequent to you driving with it on.

I can't. I've tried all sorts of things. Sometimes I have to move it on the drive but I have to put the seatbelt on to do it. Just won't go into forward or reverse without it.

 

[Kenp1]

If I get in the car to move it on the drive without my seatbelt on, it won't move unless I use the parking brake switch to release the parking brake, with the belt on I can just press the accelerator and the car moves.

At least in the MG it always works the same for me. In the Kia I had sometimes it would let you move, and sometimes it wouldn't, never worked out how the car decided what to do, and the only way round it was to put the belt on.

I have only done low speed movements on my drive with the belt off, never been above 10mph without the belt on.

 

[Jamesrr]

I can't. I've tried all sorts of things. Sometimes I have to move it on the drive but I have to put the seatbelt on to do it. Just won't go into forward or reverse without it.

Goodness gracious! That would peeve me no end. Have you asked MG if they can explain it?

From the "ChatGPT expert"...

Should you be able to drive the car before putting the seat belt on?

According to the official MG4 Owner’s Manual and service documents, you can start driving the vehicle before fastening the seat belt, because the MG4 is equipped with a seat belt warning system, not a seat belt interlock that blocks driving:

• The system has a seat belt warning lamp and warning chime to remind the driver and front passenger to fasten the seat belts.
• There is no mention of a system that prevents the car from being driven if the driver seat belt is not fastened.
• The seat belt system does include pre-tensioners that activate in a collision but these do not stop you from moving the car initially.

Therefore, technically the car can move without the driver fastening the seat belt, but for safety and legal compliance, the seat belts must always be worn while driving.


If you'd like, I can also explain how the seat belt warning system works in more detail.

 

[decrep]

All the anti auto-high-beam commentary ... mine just works pretty much as it should; very few erroneous operations.

Basically same here, I leave it on, it works, sometimes better than me sometimes worse, but never too far away from what I'd normally do.

 

[T1 Terry]

The seat belt thing, more often than not, opening and closing the drivers door sorts that out .... I think it's more a door switch problem.
The auto high beam, the only time I find it annoying is on quite country roads, the reflectors on the white posts set it off, so I turn the headlight to manual operation and use the stalk for high/low beam .... until there is more oncoming traffic, then I switch back to auto, it remembers to dip the lights every time

The radio over here is crap anyway, so I plug the Samsung phone in, play one of my music lists and use Google maps, works ok for me, drives the wife insane because to her, the map is upside down be we all know what they say about women reading maps .... so, rather than needing hospital treatment, I just let it slide

The steer twitch that will send it over the white line and cause the warning to go off, the 51 gets told it did that itself every time but I know it's the driver alert system checking I'm still awake enough to fight it when it does it.

Even though it looks like a small car, building the trailer to carry it showed it isn't all that small, the guards stick out enough to match most big car widths and the length is surprisingly long when you need to get the whole vehicle on the trailer.

Value for money, haven't found a match yet, so I'll continue to put up with the annoying bits

T1 Terry

 

[Tuareg]

If you take your seatbelt off after putting the car in 'P', put the car in 'D' with foot on brake, flick the parking brake off and drive the car. However, after around 20-30m the seatbelt warning tone will sound. Very simple, very easy and very logical.

 

[DelBoy]

But really why would you want to drive the car without the seatbelt on?????

 

[GaryMG4]

But really why would you want to drive the car without the seatbelt on?????

Drive it in/out of my garage before loading/unloading?????

 

[Grriff]

I've found the MG4 to be good value for money. Yes, I have niggles but it drives well and I've found auto-dipping of headlights to be reliable.
I've recently looked at a neighbour's VW ID. 4 Very nice, around £45,000, no one pedal driving or 360 viewing without paying over £2000.
I'll stick with the MG4.

 

[Tuareg]

But really why would you want to drive the car without the seatbelt on?????

Moving the car around in my driveway to make room for my motorbikes/wash car/clean driveway/etc

 

[decrep]

And in my case opening and closing a farm gate when you drive through it.

 

[Kithmo]

Due to my big belly I have no problem moving the car with the seatbelt unbuckled.