This MG4 is an uncomfortable place to be

[Bridub]

The HVAC system is, like a lot of other software systems on this car…awful. While software is based on the binary, 1 for on, 0 for off, it’s is possible to have some nuance in your software. I’ve had this in every other car I’ve owned. But not the MG4!

Set the temp to 27°c (that’s another stupid issue!) and it’s blowing warm air, fine, it’s comfortable at the moment. Let’s keep the car at this comfortable temperature. Nope. In 10 mins rather than blowing SLIGHTLY cooler air to keep the car at the set temp, it’s blows COLD air at a higher fan speed to cool the car down, then will blow considerably HOTTER air to warm it back up to the set temp.

It is quite frankly the least capable software I have ever come across in any car. Add in LKA, auto headlights, terrible adaptive cruise control that again is the least nuanced I’ve ever come across, it simply can’t gradually slow or speed up to match the car in fronts speed, it’s either go or brake.

I’ve only done 1800km in this car and I already hate it. Come January I’m ordering a new model 3…at least they seems to have some intelligence in the software design.

 

[siteguru]

TBH I don't experience that same outcome - my HVAC seems to work pretty well (apart from the stupid temperature setting being 4/5 degC higher than reality).

 

[Boilerboy]

I don't share the same issue, but i do find that i have to set the temperature to around 24°C to be comfortable. You can control the overall fan blower speed bias by setting low, medium or high in the setup. I had mine set on high initially but found it was chilling me in the summer a little too much. I turned it down to medium and it became much more pleasant. It may take a little longer to change temperature but it does seem to keep the temperature more stable in a longer journey.

 

[Tig170]

No issues here 24°C auto, with the middle vents manually closed, is our preferred setting

 

[Alb]

In my (MG5) experience, auto fan speed doesn't tend to work well so it's better to keep that in manual.

 

[Rolfe]

I've seen a couple of other people report this and I think it's a fault. I absolutely love the HVAC system in my SE SR. It's way better than in any other car I've had (although I haven't been through a winter with it yet). Accepting the issue with the temperature scale, I find that it just gets to the temperature I want and stays there, without a lot of histrionic blowing of hot or cold air. And the demist is frankly miraculous.

I think you should talk to your dealer about this.

 

[evbull]

I have now done 3000 miles and not really find any issues that are so significant like yours. Regarding temp. yes like others have mentioned, the scale is bit out but can't relate to the level of frustration that you got. I am pretty happy with MG4 and loving it for long trips.

 

[Bridub]

I have mentioned it to the dealer when I had it in to get the infotainment updated but they just said "oh yeah its gonna blow cold air to cool the car down" so its going to be a pain to try to explain it and get them to actually look at it as an issue.

Its very frustrating and with all the other small niggles, which I could live with as just a quirk of the car, when you roll them altogether it just makes me not enjoy the car!

 

[siteguru]

What you describe is like an undamped/underdamped control system ... it yoyos actual temperature rather than slowly modulating.

 

[Rolfe]

It's hard to explain to a dealer that something is really a fault when they can fob you off by declaring that it's normal. But my car definitely does not do what you are complaining about.

 

[tsedge]

Mine keeps the set temperature just fine.

 

[OriginalBigAl]

The air-con on mine is fine until the other half starts fiddling with it. Whilst on the comfort post can I add a quirk of my own , At first the seats where fine but because of raised internal floor height (110 mm battery) and being 6ft 3 my legs get in the way of the steering wheel when its in the ideal position , to get in and out I have to have the wheel full up and full back which is slightly uncomfortable for driving. Re-adjusting every journey is just adding annoyance to all the other pre- flight adjustments. because of the less than I,m used to height difference between set pad and floor height (cramp and tingling's) I have added an extra booster cushion to the seat , luckily there is plenty of head height, this has solved the comfort issue apart from now the armrest are too low. Forward visibility is better too , I can see further down the bonnet. Still 6ft 3 with a booster cushion , ironic or what! I was thinking about one of those J. Clarkson perspex domes.

 

[Bridub]

What you describe is like an undamped/underdamped control system ... it yoyos actual temperature rather than slowly modulating.

View attachment 20377

That’s exactly it. Any other car I’ve had would regulate with small changes to the temp of the air being blown, this however will blow cold air out, then hot, then cold…might just need to bite the bullet and have it booked in again.

 

[Rolfe]

Do that. My car definitely does it right, it's not a feature of all MG4s.

 

[GameZone]

I think you can ask for a HVAC software update too

 

[Vingnut]

My dealership told me that the magic number is 26 degrees (I use 25) when complaining it took to long to heat up but was ok when at set temp. He said one had to go to 26 or higher to get fast heat up and it seem like he's right, but that cold/warm/cold stuff seem like a software bug. My MG4 was blowing cold at times when it should be heating and that was fixed by a update to the heatpumpmodule (guess that module is a bit different in uk as you lot do not have heatpumps) but ops car is clearly in need of an update to the heating system.

 

[Ian Key]

Set the temp to 27°c (that’s another stupid issue!) and it’s blowing warm air, fine, it’s comfortable at the moment. Let’s keep the car at this comfortable temperature. Nope. In 10 mins rather than blowing SLIGHTLY cooler air to keep the car at the set temp, it’s blows COLD air at a higher fan speed to cool the car down, then will blow considerably HOTTER air to warm it back up to the set temp.

Have you got ECO selected on the AC screen?

 

[NickHeynes]

Have you got ECO selected on the AC screen?

Also adjusting the volume of air being delivered might help

 

[Bridub]

Have you got ECO selected on the AC screen?

No I don’t have eco selected. I use auto climate control so I’m not messing around with fan speeds etc. just expect the car to keep a set temp without issue!

Gonna ring them next week and explain the issue and hopefully get them to do an update on the hvac module and see if there’s any other outstanding updates

 

[Calm as]

Just did a 1200km drive and my first comment was it's the most comfortable car I have driven, in just about every way and definitely at this price point.

Australia is big and we drive long distances everyday. Just to get across Brisbane and back to pickup something or take a kid to sport and be over 100kms and that is without leaving the city and driving on 100km speed signed roads.

Like everyone the temp being out by a few deg is enjoying and I am sure that will be fixed. Same as the other software gremlins.

I jumped into the missus '03 Focus 2.0l Zetec HotHatch this morning and for the first time it felt old and rough and out dated. It's a low km and very well kept car but wow I was shocked of how heavy and slow it felt... and noisey.