ZS Trophy LR just dead on drive

[ZS Pete]

Not sure if anyone has any experience of this one. I have gone out to the car this morning and it won't respond to the key, can't open doors remotely or with the handle. Managed to get the drivers door unlocked with the emergency key and open the bonnet. A multimeter straight across the battery shows 0.7v (pretty much dead) I think the drive batteries are at around 70% but can't turn anything on to check. Any input would be welcome

 

[Martinonline]

Unfortunately lots of people have had this across the MGEV range. You need a battery boost from a charger, booster or another car. Otherwise call the AA and they will do it. This will activate the car and then the main battery should then start charging the 12v battery. However, given the low voltage your battery may be damaged and not hold the charge so a visit to your dealer may be required. Others recommend a booster and I will be getting one this week.

 

[Grriff]

The worry is also what caused it to discharge overnight. Is there any chance that an interior light was left on? I've done this and it discharged our Jazz overnight.

 

[Gadget Geek]

Is your 12V battery under 12 months old? If so you can get it changed under warranty.

 

[ZS Pete]

Is your 12V battery under 12 months old? If so you can get it changed under warranty.

The car is only 6 months old so there is no problem there but it's a puzzle why it would discharge so completely

 

[KT23]

Happened to me once and was fixed by simply putting a Power Pack Jump Start across the 12 volt battery and everything instantly started up. I now carry the power pack (it's a small Maypole Unit that can sit under the driver's seat) with me at all times and make sure it is charged up on a regular basis.

After this happened I left the car at Manchester Airport for 3.5 weeks and when I got back she started first time! Fingers crossed it was an odd one-off, but I will be mentioning it at the next service.

 

[Alb]

Carrying a powerpack is good insurance but doesn't answer the question of why the battery discharged in the first place. All that can be said is there are many other owners who have suffered the same problem so it's unlikely to be down to anything you did. More likely a problem with the car itself or a faulty battery. The latter would be a preferable answer because it means the issue is permanently solved with the installation of a new one.

 

[KT23]

As I read on other EV sites/manufacturers the battery does seem to be a common issue. I am surprised nobody is selling a non-lead acid replacement battery for EV's ... or does anyone know better?

 

[Gadget Geek]

As I read on other EV sites/manufacturers the battery does seem to be a common issue. I am surprised nobody is selling a non-lead acid replacement battery for EV's ... or does anyone know better?

You can buy lithium 12v batteries, but they only last about 3 years apparently and are relatively expensive.

 

[ZS Pete]

Thanks for all the input folks. I got the car jump started by nice man from the AA and took it to the dealership for diagnosis. The dealership tell me that there are no issues on the vehicle and having charged the 12v battery all is fine and dandy. No reason given why it would just go flat so just run it and see. So I have headed the advice on forum and invested in a power pack to keep under the drivers seat. Wish me luck.

 

[Lovemyev]

Flat 12 volt batteries are being reported almost on a daily basis at the moment on the forum.
As some of these batteries are fairly new, you would have to think either a faulty unit, or an intermediate parasitic drain from equipment in the car ?.
I have been driving almost half a century now and had never thought it necessary to purchase / carry a 12 volt booster pack.
Until the day I went full BEV back in 2019 and it was one of the first things on the EV shopping list !.
Standard items found in a “Wish List” shopping basket when owning an EV are as follows:-
12 volt battery booster pack / Type 2 charging cable / Spare wheel etc ( If you have a wheel well ) V2L ( if you go that route ) / Smart battery charger and don’t forget the addition of a 10mm spanner .
Oh …… A wall box if you have off the road parking.

 

[ZS Pete]

I have been driving full EV now for around 9 years (now on my 4th EV car) and this is the first time I had had any issue at all, let alone a flat battery. But on the strength of posts here I thought it was wise to invest in some power based insurance (don't want to get stuck in the middle of nowhere waiting for the AA do we?)

 

[Lovemyev]

Very wise !.
It’s true we should not be having to carry around these booster pack with us “Just in Case” and after all, these things do come as an additional cost to the owner of course.
But speaking only for myself here, I do consider that the relatively small outlay of the booster pack, is favoured more than standing at the side of the road waiting for the recovery people to arrive on a busy cold winters night, for a service that takes about 2 minutes to get you going again.
Since purchasing the booster pack it has been used a few times now in order to get people out of a tight spot.
All fossil cars and no EV’s ( as of yet ).
After watching people stranded in the past, I though it a good idea to purchase and carry a second booster unit in my wife’s car now.

 

[Tim Green]

A somewhat related query. My Gen1 is 3.5 years old now, would the AA cover still work? I have never used it.

 

[ZS Pete]

A somewhat related query. My Gen1 is 3.5 years old now, would the AA cover still work? I have never used it.

My cover states 'first 12 months' but normaly if you get dealership servicing done then the cover continues. Worth checking

 

[Lovemyev]

A somewhat related query. My Gen1 is 3.5 years old now, would the AA cover still work? I have never used it.

MG assist ( AA recovery ) covers the first 12 months, but if you submit your car for its normal 12 month annual checks / service at a main MG dealership, they will renew your MG assistance free of charge for the following 12 months.
It’s a full relay / recovery service so factor this into consideration when paying the bill.
Also if you are paying for a recovery service with your car insurance, then you will not require this additional cost.
Remember that the MG assistance is assigned to the car and not the driver !.

 

[Gadget Geek]

MG assist ( AA recovery ) covers the first 12 months, but if you submit your car for its normal 12 month annual checks / service at a main MG dealership, they will renew your MG assistance free of charge for the following 12 months.
It’s a full relay / recovery service so factor this into consideration when paying the bill.
Also if you are paying for a recovery service with your car insurance, then you will not require this additional cost.
Remember that the MG assistance is assigned to the car and not the driver !.

Home Start and National Recovery is worth £180.

 

[Grriff]

Our Honda Jazz had a year's AA cover when it was was serviced, but we had to remind the dealer to register it, so it's worthwhile doing this.

 

[Tim Green]

I just rang the AA to check. The person could not easily find my reg number on the list, but eventually identified the car as an MG. He said that the deal with MG is that they will respond whether the car is on their list or not. However he said the servicing garage should get it re-listed at time of service every year. It does not surprise me that MG agent Waylands in Oxford failed to do it. I have now phoned Waylands and asked them to do it so we will see what happens. My money is on nothing!

 

[SteveRW]

Yep, I’ve now invested in a battery booster stowed under passenger seat - the boot was problematic when the 12v battery died but could access through the doors ok. Peace of mind more than anything although seems a fairly common problem judging by the posts on this forum. Maybe MG should include a third battery as a start up back up …