Vehicle Control System Fault Please Stop Safely!

[Andrew Sinclair]

I ventured out for my 1st public charge early this morning. Initially started with AC and my own cable, no problem at all. Touched my credit card and off we go.

Decided to finish that charge and try the CCS charger to see how much faster it would charge relative to the AC socket.

Seemed to start ok but then stopped and I was left with the following message...

Vehicle Control System Fault Please Stop Safely!

...then the car wouldn't do anything. Called the AA who, all credit them, arrived in under 30 minutes and reset the system.

The lesson learned here was don't start a charge using one system then stop and change to another system. Or if you do then do it slowly to let the system catch up!

 

[N2STY]

Did you try the dc after that?

 

[Andrew Sinclair]

Yes I tried both AC and DC after that before the AA technician left but left 5 mins between removing the AC and plugging in the DC and all works well.

 

[fuzzballjunior]

I ventured out for my 1st public charge early this morning. Initially started with AC and my own cable, no problem at all. Touched my credit card and off we go.

Decided to finish that charge and try the CCS charger to see how much faster it would charge relative to the AC socket.

Seemed to start ok but then stopped and I was left with the following message...

Vehicle Control System Fault Please Stop Safely!

...then the car wouldn't do anything. Called the AA who, all credit them, arrived in under 30 minutes and reset the system.

The lesson learned here was don't start a charge using one system then stop and change to another system. Or if you do then do it slowly to let the system catch up!

I got my new ZS EV Trophy yesterday. Did one short rapid charge - no problems. Later that day, I decided to top up, before a long journey. I used another DC charger. Plugged in - not charging. Cable would not pull out. Continued to press STOP on the charging station, but nothing. Eventually, I pressed the emergency stop button, and the cable released.
I then went to drive off, and got the Vehicle Control System Fault message. Breakdown came and were baffled, so I got them to transport the car home.
Today, I disconnected the battery - nothing changed. I then contacted local dealership to see what they could do. Eventually, a technician told me that this was a known issue with some chargers and the ZS EV, and an update is available.
I'm now having to wait on the car being fixed, after only driving it 7 miles.
What I don't understand is, why wasn't this update applied to the car before I received it?
Not a very great start to my EV driving experience.

 

[Andrew Sinclair]

@fuzzballjunior

I was made aware of the update and it has supposedly been applied to my ZS EV 2022. That said I have noticed that there are varying different levels of knowledge and expertise at the different dealerships and getting to the truth about a particular update is not as easy as it seems.

I am fortunate since my journeys are local and I charge at home so haven’t ventured to charge publically since my incident!

 

[fuzzballjunior]

I get the impression that everyone is still catching up with EVs, and that clarity is a rare thing in finding solutions.
My home charger arrives tomorrow. I guess I'll be using that more than rapid chargers.

 

[TonyP]

Your car's software should have been updated as part of the car's pdi checks?

 

[Gandalfharrow]

I do wonder if any software checks are made.......

I have said before a simple list of known issues and current software version should be available, and when an update might be available.

Making clear what model of car.

This is standard software practice.

 

[Lovemyev]

What I don't understand is, why wasn't this update applied to the car before I received it?

Common sense suggests that this very important update would be carried out as part of the PDI check on the car, however common sense / logic plays no part in it I am afraid !.
Very basis checks performed ( by some dealerships ) then shipped out of the door.
I though prevention was always better than the cure ?.
Hey .............. What do I know ????.

 

[TonyP]

If the cars had Over The Air updates as advertised then the dealer could be taken out of the equation. The European website still states that the car is capable of firmware updates!

 

[fuzzballjunior]

Your car's software should have been updated as part of the car's pdi checks?

MG prioritised my fix and updated the software, as required. Car returned and working well. Such a shame that they didn't do this before delivery.

 

[Lovemyev]

MG prioritised my fix and updated the software, as required. Car returned and working well. Such a shame that they didn't do this before delivery.

See, its all internal / separate protocol's at dealerships.
It was like this way back in the day, when I worked at a large dealership.
The sales department / service department / bodyshop & spares, are run as completely different ( standalone ) entities.
They merely share the same building, after that, there is very much in common.
If a part exchanged car is offered to the workshop for safety check before resale etc.
Any work that is found, that is not covered by the warranty, this will be costed back to the sales department, and costed from any profit made in the sale.
It is same when it comes to any body work etc.
So, when a brand new car is booked into the workshop for it's PDI checks and number plates, the sales department will be billed for that work.
Check it, plate it and ship it ASAP !.
When the car has been sold, it is instantly passed over to the service department.
from this point forward, the service department are looking to get paid by either the customer, or by MG for any warranty work that is carried out.
If parts are required under warranty, the service department will then request authority to order the parts, then the parts department will order.
No work will commence, until they know who is picking up the bill.
It makes perfect sense to us new owners, that any updates will be done prior to delivery at the time of the PDI.
However, the sales department is extremely keen to get the car delivered and paid for ASAP and are very unlikely to have little, if any knowledge of any updates anyway.
This is likely to be the reason why SOME dealers do not get the updates applied as part of the PDI.
The software update that has been released for the new facelift models, to hopefully avoid the rapid charger bricking issue, has been released by MG as a AS category, meaning a "After Sales" update, and NOT as the normal MG ( SA ) category service bulletin.
The clue is in the title :- "After Sales" - NOT pre-sale ( PDI ).
That is my theory anyway .

 

[AK OK]

See, its all internal / separate protocol's at dealerships.
It was like this way back in the day, when I worked at a large dealership.
The sales department / service department / bodyshop & spares, are run as completely different ( standalone ) entities.
They merely share the same building, after that, there is very much in common.
If a part exchanged car is offered to the workshop for safety check before resale etc.
Any work that is found, that is not covered by the warranty, this will be costed back to the sales department, and costed from any profit made in the sale.
It is same when it comes to any body work etc.
So, when a brand new car is booked into the workshop for it's PDI checks and number plates, the sales department will be billed for that work.
Check it, plate it and ship it ASAP !.
When the car has been sold, it is instantly passed over to the service department.
from this point forward, the service department are looking to get paid by either the customer, or by MG for any warranty work that is carried out.
If parts are required under warranty, the service department will then request authority to order the parts, then the parts department will order.
No work will commence, until they know who is picking up the bill.
It makes perfect sense to us new owners, that any updates will be done prior to delivery at the time of the PDI.
However, the sales department is extremely keen to get the car delivered and paid for ASAP and are very unlikely to have little, if any knowledge of any updates anyway.
This is likely to be the reason why SOME dealers do not get the updates applied as part of the PDI.
The software update that has been released for the new facelift models, to hopefully avoid the rapid charger bricking issue, has been released by MG as a AS category, meaning a "After Sales" update, and NOT as the normal MG ( SA ) category service bulletin.
The clue is in the title :- "After Sales" - NOT pre-sale ( PDI ).
That is my theory anyway .

Now breathe!