Struggling Aircon

[Adee]

Is anyone else finding that the MG5 aircon is struggling a bit? I know these are some of the hottest days on record but even on full fan setting, the air-conditioning is taking 10mins to get the car cool enough to be bearable.

I also drive a nearly new ICE car (work vehicle) with good aircon which I would say produces much cooler air and cools the car very quickly. I am just wondering whether I should ask to have the MG5 tested at an MG5 dealer, the nearest of which is 20miles away, or maybe it's not worth the effort if others are finding the same. Maybe electric cars have less powerful air-cons to conserve battery - I have already noticed (as have others) that the air-con makes little difference to the consumption.

 

[Deleted member 3150]

It great to know there is more often than not some her with the answer

 

[GorillaWheels]

As a new poster you do not get this facility. It will happen soon - I don’t know the magic number of posts that you need to write.

 

[Stuart Wright]

Yes, you have to advance from Novice Member to Standard Member to react to posts.

 

[GorillaWheels]

Yes, you have to advance from Novice Member to Standard Member to react to posts.

Thanks Stuart, and with that great timing I’m now a standard member

 

[Fluffykins]

Had a Nissan Micra on hire in Spain a good few years back. The Aircon in that absolutely belted. Put it on full chat when I got into the car and saw a pile driving pillar of fog coming out of the vent. Got a bit worried something was leaking, but it was just the most incredibly cold air piling into a warm, humid car.

 

[Adee]

Had a Nissan Micra on hire in Spain a good few years back. The Aircon in that absolutely belted. Put it on full chat when I got into the car and saw a pile driving pillar of fog coming out of the vent. Got a bit worried something was leaking, but it was just the most incredibly cold air piling into a warm, humid car.

Unbelievable! Well I'm not expecting it to be that good TBH. But I have now tried the air-con when the car is in Normal Mode (as opposed to Eco Mode which I normally use) and I would say that it is a bit better. It's definitely not ice-cold but if it can get the car down to a reasonable temperature in this hot spell of weather within 5mins then I guess I'm happy. I may ask the dealer to check the aircon charge at the first service. Thanks for comments everyone.

 

[Lovemyev]

Unbelievable! Well I'm not expecting it to be that good TBH. But I have now tried the air-con when the car is in Normal Mode (as opposed to Eco Mode which I normally use) and I would say that it is a bit better. It's definitely not ice-cold but if it can get the car down to a reasonable temperature in this hot spell of weather within 5mins then I guess I'm happy. I may ask the dealer to check the aircon charge at the first service. Thanks for comments everyone.

Not sure if it’s already been mentioned, but to increase the speed of cooling down the inside of the car, try using the recirculation button when first using the A/C.
It will speed up the effectiveness of cooling the cabin, by recirculating the same air inside of the cabin for a short while, which will cool the inside space down a little faster.
Otherwise when the outside temperature is really hot, you are pulling in this hot air that will take longer for the A/C to cool down.
When you are comfortable, release the recirc button.
Works for me, give it a go !.

 

[n8sail]

Firstly, stop complaining about heat you ninnies!

I live at 12 degrees North of Latitude and find that the AC here on our 'Thai' version is ridiculously cold. I almost always drive in Normal or Sport mode and find that I have to actually enable the 'Econ' mode of the AC or else cycle the AC on and off, and temperature 'knob' is set to 'warmest' setting.

Here you pretty much always have cabin on recirculate as there are so many diesel vehicles here with literally no pollution controls or even any government agency that 'checks' for pollution from a vehicle. You will die from exhaust inhalation if you're at a red light with external intake enabled.

One interesting thing for UK owners.... we don't have heat at ALL in our version. Literally, just knob adjust with only a range of 'cold' adjustment. Not even a heating element/exchanger that I can find anywhere under the hood (okay okay BONNET ). Most cars are like that here, Ford Ranger is same. Sometimes annoying on the odd rainy, cool evening when things start to fog up inside...

 

[Adee]

Firstly, stop complaining about heat you ninnies!

I live at 12 degrees North of Latitude and find that the AC here on our 'Thai' version is ridiculously cold. I almost always drive in Normal or Sport mode and find that I have to actually enable the 'Econ' mode of the AC or else cycle the AC on and off, and temperature 'knob' is set to 'warmest' setting.

Here you pretty much always have cabin on recirculate as there are so many diesel vehicles here with literally no pollution controls or even any government agency that 'checks' for pollution from a vehicle. You will die from exhaust inhalation if you're at a red light with external intake enabled.

One interesting thing for UK owners.... we don't have heat at ALL in our version. Literally, just knob adjust with only a range of 'cold' adjustment. Not even a heating element/exchanger that I can find anywhere under the hood (okay okay BONNET ). Most cars are like that here, Ford Ranger is same. Sometimes annoying on the odd rainy, cool evening when things start to fog up inside...

That's interesting. It suggests there are quite significant differences if you guys don't get heaters. Clearly they have provided you with much bigger and/or more efficient air-con units to cope with the extra heat so that you don't have to suffer heat-stroke like we do

 

[n8sail]

That's interesting. It suggests there are quite significant differences if you guys don't get heaters. Clearly they have provided you with much bigger and/or more efficient air-con units to cope with the extra heat so that you don't have to suffer heat-stroke like we do

I wouldn't be surprised if these have a more powerful compressor. China has massive temperature ranges between North and South, so SAIC would be smart to make a 'hot climate' and 'cold climate' version of these cars. The Chinese I work with are ALWAYS on the lookout for ways to reduce costs; they are Olympian level compared to us novice Westerners, and most would gladly do away with some feature they may or may not use.

 

[ALANB]

The thing about EVs is that they use an electric compressor totally separate to the motor and are not connected to the drive like the ICE compressors are so they will not be like anything you have experienced before. Also the system is shared with the battery cooling so some load at high temperatures when on rapid chargers or when being used heavily such as motorway driving will detract a little from the cabin cooling. The other thing to be especially aware of is that as it is an electric compressor it has to use very different gas to ICE cars which is non-conducting, and therefore in the event that in future years it needs to be be re-gassed you MUST make sure that whoever does it uses the correct one or there will be a BIG bill to repair it.

 

[n8sail]

...The other thing to be especially aware of is that as it is an electric compressor it has to use very different gas to ICE cars which is non-conducting, and therefore in the event that in future years it needs to be be re-gassed you MUST make sure that whoever does it uses the correct one or there will be a BIG bill to repair it.

Very interesting, did not know that. Thanks for sharing! VERY good to know here in the Land of Screwing up basic maintenance tasks.

 

[ArfurM]

The thing about EVs is that they use an electric compressor totally separate to the motor and are not connected to the drive like the ICE compressors are so they will not be like anything you have experienced before. Also the system is shared with the battery cooling so some load at high temperatures when on rapid chargers or when being used heavily such as motorway driving will detract a little from the cabin cooling. The other thing to be especially aware of is that as it is an electric compressor it has to use very different gas to ICE cars which is non-conducting, and therefore in the event that in future years it needs to be be re-gassed you MUST make sure that whoever does it uses the correct one or there will be a BIG bill to repair it.

Hi Alan, that's interesting. When you say "non-conducting", in what sense? Just curious, as isn't the gas is in a closed system? Do you know the appropriate gas type for EVs?

 

[sparkygoat]

Is anyone else finding that the MG5 aircon is struggling a bit? I know these are some of the hottest days on record but even on full fan setting, the air-conditioning is taking 10mins to get the car cool enough to be bearable.

I also drive a nearly new ICE car (work vehicle) with good aircon which I would say produces much cooler air and cools the car very quickly. I am just wondering whether I should ask to have the MG5 tested at an MG5 dealer, the nearest of which is 20miles away, or maybe it's not worth the effort if others are finding the same. Maybe electric cars have less powerful air-cons to conserve battery - I have already noticed (as have others) that the air-con makes little difference to the consumption.

Hi Adee, Interestingly, I've driven 3 MG5's in the last 2 months : a demo MG5, my own MG5 and a courtesy MG5 while getting a gearbox issue looked at. The courtesy MG5 had very good aircon, notably cooler, on the same settings than both the demo and my own car. Maybe just a variation in a mass produced car. Maybe such variation is exaggerated when they are lower power units to begin with.

 

[Kithmo]

Hi Adee, Interestingly, I've driven 3 MG5's in the last 2 months : a demo MG5, my own MG5 and a courtesy MG5 while getting a gearbox issue looked at. The courtesy MG5 had very good aircon, notably cooler, on the same settings than both the demo and my own car. Maybe just a variation in a mass produced car. Maybe such variation is exaggerated when they are lower power units to begin with.

The differences could have been down to ambient air temperature or variations in the AC gas pressure.

 

[sparkygoat]

The differences could have been down to ambient air temperature or variations in the AC gas pressure.

I was taking into account the ambient air temperature but you're right...slight variations in the AC gas pressure could account for it, especially if it's a smaller unit compared to a big gutsy unit the like of which you'd get in a big Jeep. Main thing is that the performance overall doesn't drop off over time. Which it should'nt unless there's a leak.

 

[Kithmo]

I was taking into account the ambient air temperature but you're right...slight variations in the AC gas pressure could account for it, especially if it's a smaller unit compared to a big gutsy unit the like of which you'd get in a big Jeep. Main thing is that the performance overall doesn't drop off over time. Which it should'nt unless there's a leak.

The unit looks quite substantial to me, its attached to the passenger side end of the motor/transmission casing, just under the 12v battery tray.
I believe it also has to cool down the battery when required.

 

[Cocijo]

yes - it looks like quite a big unit.

 

[sparkygoat]

The unit looks quite substantial to me, its attached to the passenger side end of the motor/transmission casing, just under the 12v battery tray.
I believe it also has to cool down the battery when required.

Thats reassuring

 

[Adee]

Thanks for your inputs. I'll probably just get the pressure checked at some point as that is the most likely culprit TBH. It does cool the car but I would have expected better.