MG4 wipers stopped? Check the closures first.

Check the bonnet or tailgate before assuming a wiper motor has failed. The established MG4 handbook documents closure interlocks, and its automatic rear wipe in Reverse is a different command from the rear-wiper button.

Exact-car boundary: MG4 MY23 handbook, Version 2.0, 7 September 2023, printed pages 60–62. Rear wash/wipe is marked “where fitted”. Do not assume an early car has a rear wiper, or apply these controls to MG4 Urban or the revised 2026 system. Checked 17 October 2026.

01 / Establish what actually failed

Separate movement from water delivery. Does the blade move but no fluid arrive, does neither work, or does the rear blade fail only when reversing? Write down that result before changing anything.

Start safely parked, with the glass wet and the blade free of ice or debris. Keep hands and helpers clear of the arms. Do not run a blade over dry grit or force one that is frozen to the glass.

02 / Front wipers stopped after a bonnet check

MG says front wiper/washer operation is disabled when the car is stationary and the bonnet is open. Close it correctly and check for a remaining open indication before retrying the normal control. Do not bypass or manually hold a bonnet switch.

If normal operation returns, the interlock explains that particular result. If the display still reports the bonnet open when it is properly closed, record that discrepancy; it is a closure-sensing issue to investigate, not evidence that a new wiper motor is needed.

03 / Rear wiper stopped after opening the boot

The handbook disables rear-wiper operation with the tailgate open. Close it normally and retry the documented intermittent-wipe button with the car secured in Park. Do not stand behind an open tailgate waiting for a wipe to prove the motor works.

On the cited arrangement, pressing and releasing the rear intermittent button starts three wipes and then intermittent operation; pressing it again turns that mode off. The handbook illustration identifies the controls. Use the MY23 rear wash/wipe page rather than a stalk diagram from another MG.

04 / It works in Park but not when reversing

The handbook describes an automatic rear wipe when the front wipers are on and Reverse is selected. That does not say a rear-button failure in Reverse is normal. In a UK MG4 owner discussion, owners reported different results. That disagreement is a reason to record the conditions, not copy a workaround as a universal fix.

If visibility is poor before reversing, clear the screen while safely parked first. During a normal safe manoeuvre, note whether the front wipers were already on and whether the rear wiper responded automatically or to its own button. Do not repeatedly change gears merely to test it.

05 / Blade moves, but the washer is dry

Stop repeated washer commands. The handbook warns to release the front-wash control immediately if fluid is not delivered, to avoid smearing the unwashed screen. Check the correct reservoir level and the suitability of the screenwash for the conditions using your handbook; do not pour in boiling water or probe jets with a metal pin.

Record whether front, rear or both outlets are affected and whether the problem followed freezing weather or a refill. A full bottle does not rule out frozen fluid, a delivery fault or a blocked outlet. Wet trim or fluid appearing inside needs inspection rather than repeated pumping.

06 / Make any remaining fault reproducible

Record exact MG4 version, relevant closure warnings, control used, blade movement, fluid delivery and whether the failure depends on gear or front-wiper state. A short stationary video can show the difference between a command being ignored and the mechanism moving incorrectly. Ask for that sequence to be checked and the result recorded.

Stop operating a loose, striking or damaged arm. If the front screen cannot be kept clear, resolve visibility before driving. Match your handbook · Identify your MG · More owner checks