Ventilation / Condensation

[NeFo]

i drive an MG5 LR pre-facelift.
in the recent cold damp weather, all the windows have been steaming up quickly.
Wiping them with a variety of cloths & sponges mostly just smears them.
The only thing to work is using the windscreen fan, but once i turn that off it steams & smears again quite quickly.
i have tried at various temperatures, with Eco on and off, with air-con on and off, & nothing seems to work.
On a long drive, high heat & high fan really saps the battery.
What is the optimum settings to clear the condensation efficiently?

 

[slmorgan42]

I have the FL but do notice steaming windows if the AC is not on. What seems to work for me is have the AC set to bring outside air in and have the window and floor vents chosen (not the demist window setting)

 

[maskull]

I've tried all sorts ,nothing seems to work to my satisfaction . Mostly I turn on the demist function in short bursts every few minutes or so . In the recent colder snap I, I just had to bite the bullet and leave the heating on permanently and take the hit

 

[slmorgan42]

I've tried all sorts ,nothing seems to work to my satisfaction . Mostly I turn on the demist function in short bursts every few minutes or so . In the recent colder snap I, I just had to bite the bullet and leave the heating on permanently and take the hit

I always have my heating on but set to 19c this seems to keep a good airflow all the time.

I am always hot so 19 works for me. Not a taxi so don't care about the passengers ha ha

 

[jackois]

I've tried all sorts ,nothing seems to work to my satisfaction . Mostly I turn on the demist function in short bursts every few minutes or so . In the recent colder snap I, I just had to bite the bullet and leave the heating on permanently and take the hit

Even the heating is hit or miss... I never managed to get my feet warm without my torso overheating!

 

[NeFo]

I always have my heating on but set to 19c this seems to keep a good airflow all the time.

I am always hot so 19 works for me. Not a taxi so don't care about the passengers ha ha

how do you set to a precise temperature? is there some Settings page i don't know about?

 

[slmorgan42]

how do you set to a precise temperature? is there some Settings page i don't know about?

On the FL you just press the left button on info centre which is AC and you plus and minus buttons to set the temp you want.

I would have assumed the Pre FL had something like this?

 

[maskull]

I am always hot so 19 works for me. Not a taxi so don't care about the passengers

There's a future for you in government

 

[dragon2611]

On the FL you just press the left button on info centre which is AC and you plus and minus buttons to set the temp you want.

I would have assumed the Pre FL had something like this?

Does it perhaps depend on if it's an Exclusive vs Exite? Mine it displays a temperature set point when you turn the temp knob, although at some point I really need to put a thermometer in the cabin and see if it's anywhere near where it claims.

 

[aread2]

Rain-x anti fog on the inside of the windscreen makes a huge difference. It can last several months before it needs reapplying.

 

[slmorgan42]

Does it perhaps depend on if it's an Exclusive vs Exite? Mine it displays a temperature set point when you turn the temp knob, although at some point I really need to put a thermometer in the cabin and see if it's anywhere near where it claims.

It may do. The FL only comes in one model at the moment.

I must say I am not 100% sure the temp is accurate I just changed it until I found a comfortable temp.

 

[Gomev]

Just use the AC permanently on, it uses bugger all battery really. My windows haven't fogged up since using this magic formula.

 

[Tommy]

Rain-X Anti-Fog | Defeat Fog & Mist For Clear Vision

Say goodbye to foggy & misty windows with Rain-X Anti-Fog. Enjoy clear vision even in challenging weather conditions.

rainx.co.uk

This works ... trust me
You will still need to put the AC / heater on a little bit at the worst of times but much less than before using this product.

Rain-x anti fog on the inside of the windscreen makes a huge difference. It can last several months before it needs reapplying.

Amen to that

 

[Hedgemonkey]

For me in my 71 plate pre FL, it’s a/c on, temp at 16 deg C and fan speed of 1 bar. This works for me. I’ve done various methods and find this is the best and I’ve not got the windows open on a damp cold day.

 

[RBrown]

I applied Rain-X anti fog at the weekend, but haven't actually used the car since to judge the results. I haven't used any on the rear windscreen (though it's really needed there) as I couldn't find any mention on the bottle or the Rain-X website saying that it wouldn't damage the rear window heater element/aerial. Is everyone using it on the rear windscreen? It their rear demist and radio still working?

 

[Gomev]

I applied Rain-X anti fog at the weekend, but haven't actually used the car since to judge the results. I haven't used any on the rear windscreen (though it's really needed there) as I couldn't find any mention on the bottle or the Rain-X website saying that it wouldn't damage the rear window heater element/aerial. Is everyone using it on the rear windscreen? It their rear demist and radio still working?

Just press the button for rear screen demist if needed like you would in any car. That of course activates the heated mirrors so will help there too. Simply using the AC on all the time and you can avoid spending money on products.

 

[Keith Lawder]

My pre FL 21 LR keeps demisted with short (10 second) bursts of AC at between 18 and 20C. I keep the AC off most of the time because in my experience leaving it on does knock a chunk off the range. I use the heated seats for comfort and that works for me.
Part of this is about keeping the car dry. Wet dog in the back and demisting is a bigger issue. Damp raincoat left in the boot for a few days … ditto.
On the products point … I’ve never felt I needed to use any. Keeping the AC on over a whole winter is likely to cost a few £ more in power than a bottle of something though.
Interesting contrast between my MG 5 where 10 seconds of AC will demist the screen and my other 16 plate hybrid car where absolutely it won’t. You need a cloth or several minutes in that car at this time of year. So my verdict on the MG is ‘not perfect’ … but things like demisting have improved a lot in recent years.

 

[Wendwell]

i drive an MG5 LR pre-facelift.
in the recent cold damp weather, all the windows have been steaming up quickly.
Wiping them with a variety of cloths & sponges mostly just smears them.
The only thing to work is using the windscreen fan, but once i turn that off it steams & smears again quite quickly.
i have tried at various temperatures, with Eco on and off, with air-con on and off, & nothing seems to work.
On a long drive, high heat & high fan really saps the battery.
What is the optimum settings to clear the condensation efficiently?

Have you switched off air recirculation? You may need to run with fresh air coming in to reduce the humidity in the car.

Perhaps what helps me avoid the same problem is parking where the sun, when it appears, can heat up the car and help remove moisture from the interior.

I guess there is not much wool in a modern car, but wool can hold 30% of it weight in moisture without feeling wet. Synthetic fabric probably hold far less moisture, but what about foam and condensation under mats?

 

[Gomev]

My pre FL 21 LR keeps demisted with short (10 second) bursts of AC at between 18 and 20C. I keep the AC off most of the time because in my experience leaving it on does knock a chunk off the range. I use the heated seats for comfort and that works for me.
...

All EVs are the same they don't have a furnace in front of the driver to keep the damp out. Check out other EV forums they are all saying the same.
However you have proved that using the AC clears the misting up, so leave it on. It really doesn't use a huge chunk off the range. Look at the GOM before and after switching it on. For a full tank range over 200 showing it will probably knock about about 10-15 miles off. That is over 200 miles, so if you are only travelling 50 miles it will only use about a quarter of that 15-20 miles. Is it really worth the annoyance of fogging up and having to clear all the time when you could be warm and cosy all the time for the cost of a kWh ? It will also help with drying the car out properly from the wet dog, so that next time it is less of a problem.

 

[Keith Lawder]

All EVs are the same they don't have a furnace in front of the driver to keep the damp out. Check out other EV forums they are all saying the same.
However you have proved that using the AC clears the misting up, so leave it on. It really doesn't use a huge chunk off the range. Look at the GOM before and after switching it on. For a full tank range over 200 showing it will probably knock about about 10-15 miles off. That is over 200 miles, so if you are only travelling 50 miles it will only use about a quarter of that 15-20 miles. Is it really worth the annoyance of fogging up and having to clear all the time when you could be warm and cosy all the time for the cost of a kWh ? It will also help with drying the car out properly from the wet dog, so that next time it is less of a problem.

Thanks for that answer - though it doesn't contain much that's new for folk who've been driving EVs for a while (please don't assume that new to this forum or to driving the MG5 equates to new to EVs... ). It doesn't really address the original question, which was about how to get the best and perhaps most efficient windscreen demist out of the AC configuration on the MG5.
But actually... given that you've raised it: compare the maths. I'm content that keeping the AC on for a few seconds every now and again is enough to keep my MG5 windscreen safely mist free in winter. Keeping your AC on all the time incurs a 15 mile penalty over a 200 mile charge (your figures). Over a typical 11k annual mileage that's 825 miles lost that you could have had from your charges. Assuming conservative 10p/ mile running costs (though also noting that most of that loss will probably occur on longer trips and get replaced using more expensive public chargers), that's a rough £82.50 annual equivalent.
Of course, I don't and you won't get that full saving, because I do switch the AC on some of the time. Sometimes I have to, to deal with the wet dog in the back . But I'm also thinking about what I can do with even a £40 annual return from just tapping my AC button a few times on a trip? I'm looking forward to a round of drinks or a gig ticket on the saving, though others are welcome to keep their AC on all the time if they'd rather pay that money straight to Gridserve and Co instead.
My general observation on driving most EVs and heavy hybrids is that they do allow you to make small efficiencies, and each small efficiency adds up. Drive them like an ICE car, with an engine and all of the systems on all the time, and you will use more power than you need to. Drive them the way they allow you to, and you can save a decent amount in aggregate on fuel costs, without any hardship or real reduction in performance.