AC Desiccant Bag replacement service cost

[afadeev]

Looks like the service involves draining AC refrigerant, then it's a fairly simple job of replacing the desiccant bag. Unfortunately not really a DIY job for most people since you have to refill the AC refrigerant again.

It COULD be a DIY job, if you don't mind investing into AC manifold gauge set.
I had to do exactly that when an AC system in one of my fun cars got depressurized during engine rebuild/replacement a few years ago. It wasn't hard, and you can by R134a from AutoZone / Walmart / Harbor Freight, as necessary.

Alternatively, you can pay any AC shop with the right equipment to do this for you at a fraction of what Tesla charges.

Not a DIY job at all. And highly illegal. You must be properly certified to do AC work these days.

I don't believe that is true, at all.
Otherwise, neither the equipment nor R134a would be freely sold off the shelf.

This is about a 1 beer job if your have the right equipment. 2 beer job otherwise.
Not entirely trivial job, but not hard either. If you only need to do it once, I would recommend paying someone else to do it for you.

As to whether or not you NEED to do it in the first place, the jury is very much out.
Tesla is the only automaker that recommends this service, for no known good reason.
I am observing no loss in AC efficiency after 4.5 years in service.

YMMV,
a

 

[stopcrazypp]

It COULD be a DIY job, if you don't mind investing into AC manifold gauge set.
I had to do exactly that when an AC system in one of my fun cars got depressurized during engine rebuild/replacement a few years ago. It wasn't hard, and you can by R134a from AutoZone / Walmart / Harbor Freight, as necessary.

Alternatively, you can pay any AC shop with the right equipment to do this for you at a fraction of what Tesla charges.



I don't believe that is true, at all.
Otherwise, neither the equipment nor R134a would be freely sold off the shelf.

This is about a 1 beer job if your have the right equipment. 2 beer job otherwise.
Not entirely trivial job, but not hard either. If you only need to do it once, I would recommend paying someone else to do it for you.

As to whether or not you NEED to do it in the first place, the jury is very much out.
Tesla is the only automaker that recommends this service, for no known good reason.
I am observing no loss in AC efficiency after 4.5 years in service.

YMMV,
a

Not true at all Tesla is the only automaker that does this. I found plenty of other examples here:

Why does Tesla recommend replacing the A/C dessicant bag as a maintenance item?

I was very surprised to learn that Tesla recommends replacing the "A/C dessicant bag" every 2-6 years (depending on year and model) as a maintenance item. I understand the purpose of dessicant in a refrigeration system, but once the dessicant absorbs any moisture that may remain in the system...

teslamotorsclub.com

 

[Chris Redfield]

The desiccant bag has nothing to do with the dirty sock smell.

Then I wonder if the SC will tell me why it smells so bad when I turn recirc on.

 

[brkaus]

Then I wonder if the SC will tell me why it smells so bad when I turn recirc on.

That’s an open question with many answers.

But the desiccant bag is only to get the moisture out of the sealed system with the refrigerant. There is no contact to outside air.

 

[stopcrazypp]

Then I wonder if the SC will tell me why it smells so bad when I turn recirc on.

https://www.reddit.com/r/cars/comments/vgo4h4

This is true of cars in general. Recirculate (especially with AC off) allows smells to linger longer because you are no longer pulling in fresh air to dilute any smells. Especially true if your filter is saturated (the activated carbon is fully saturated and no longer able to absorb smells). The smell would only subside after running the AC for a while (when air is cooler and less humid, which reduces your sense of smell). The only long term solution is to remove the source of smell, which for most people are the AC coils, which you can clean with a foaming spray.

As others pointed out, the desiccant bag has nothing to do with it. It is inside the refrigerant tubes (which are air tight) and has nothing to do with smells.

 

[Chris Redfield]

That’s an open question with many answers.

But the desiccant bag is only to get the moisture out of the sealed system with the refrigerant. There is no contact to outside air.

Understood. Though, I probably need that, too. I bought mine used 2 and 1/2 years ago and who knows when said bag was last replaced. I wonder if Tesla keeps the records from other owners' maintenance.

https://www.reddit.com/r/cars/comments/vgo4h4

This is true of cars in general. Recirculate (especially with AC off) allows smells to linger longer because you are no longer pulling in fresh air to dilute any smells. Especially true if your filter is saturated (the activated carbon is fully saturated and no longer able to absorb smells). The smell would only subside after running the AC for a while (when air is cooler and less humid, which reduces your sense of smell). The only long term solution is to remove the source of smell, which for most people are the AC coils, which you can clean with a foaming spray.

As others pointed out, the desiccant bag has nothing to do with it. It is inside the refrigerant tubes (which are air tight) and has nothing to do with smells.

Thank you. I now have a clear understanding that the two have zero in common with each other. That's a cool reddit post though. I only wish I could do that to the Pre-Facelift MS.

My cabin filter is new.
The only way I know to free myself from that stench is to cycle through fresh air and recirc every 30 seconds. Obviously, this isn't feasible, so I leave it on fresh air even though super dry Phoenix, Arizona is so polluted (which is why I'm trying to use recirc to begin with anyway). It's probably better than breathing in mold.
This is probably the wrong thread to discuss filthy evaporator coils, so I'll go elsewhere to see more on this particular issue. Thank you, guys.

 

[ATPMSD]

Is this really required?

IMHO NO! The only time you need to do this is when the AC system is opened. I have been driving for 50+ years and have never done this as long as the car‘s AC was operating normally. If the system needs to be opened then desiccant bag should be replaced..

 

[SageBrush]

The people who have mold will have to deal with it as they see fit;
Everybody else will be well served by avoiding the problem. I don't live in a high humidity area but I still take steps to avoid the problem. I turn off A/C the last few minutes of every drive and run vent only without recirc. The intent is to dry out the passages where condensation has formed.

 

[rpiotro]

It COULD be a DIY job, if you don't mind investing into AC manifold gauge set.
I had to do exactly that when an AC system in one of my fun cars got depressurized during engine rebuild/replacement a few years ago. It wasn't hard, and you can by R134a from AutoZone / Walmart / Harbor Freight, as necessary.

Alternatively, you can pay any AC shop with the right equipment to do this for you at a fraction of what Tesla charges.



I don't believe that is true, at all.
Otherwise, neither the equipment nor R134a would be freely sold off the shelf.

This is about a 1 beer job if your have the right equipment. 2 beer job otherwise.
Not entirely trivial job, but not hard either. If you only need to do it once, I would recommend paying someone else to do it for you.

As to whether or not you NEED to do it in the first place, the jury is very much out.
Tesla is the only automaker that recommends this service, for no known good reason.
I am observing no loss in AC efficiency after 4.5 years in service.

YMMV,
a

The right equipment is more than a set of gauges. The system must be evacuated completely with a vacuum pump. Any air in the system is a no no.

 

[GregD60]

Teslas are different from most cars with regarding to their A/C system. They use the system to cool the battery and motors as well as the interior of the vehicle. I wonder if this is why they show replacing the A/C desiccant bag as a regular maintenance item.

 

[kpanda17]

can someone post the Tesla kit PN?

 

[MP3Mike]

can someone post the Tesla kit PN?

For which vehicle?

It looks like all of the heat pump vehicles use the same kit:

 

[kpanda17]

TY

 

[stopcrazypp]

Understood. Though, I probably need that, too. I bought mine used 2 and 1/2 years ago and who knows when said bag was last replaced. I wonder if Tesla keeps the records from other owners' maintenance.

Thank you. I now have a clear understanding that the two have zero in common with each other. That's a cool reddit post though. I only wish I could do that to the Pre-Facelift MS.

My cabin filter is new.
The only way I know to free myself from that stench is to cycle through fresh air and recirc every 30 seconds. Obviously, this isn't feasible, so I leave it on fresh air even though super dry Phoenix, Arizona is so polluted (which is why I'm trying to use recirc to begin with anyway). It's probably better than breathing in mold.
This is probably the wrong thread to discuss filthy evaporator coils, so I'll go elsewhere to see more on this particular issue. Thank you, guys.

You shouldn't need to cycle manually. Just leave it on Auto and the car will figure when to recirculate or not. Keeping it on recirculate manually can make the coils more humid and more prone to develop a smell (after having cleaned the coils), but never recirculating is less efficient.

 

[dusty22]

I don't live in a high humidity area but I still take steps to avoid the problem. I turn off A/C the last few minutes of every drive and run vent only without recirc. The intent is to dry out the passages where condensation has formed.

I follow the same procedure. I live in a high humidity area and have not had a problem with smells coming from the vents. Now going into my second summer.

 

[rsg123]

So is the general consensus to avoid replacing the desiccant bag as long as your AC is working fine?

 

[Miata Head]

The AC in my old '03 G35 would get that smelly sock smell. When it would happen, it only lasted about 30 secs and would go away. The fix to minimize the occurrence was to turn off the AC while parking and let it blow for a little bit before shutting down the engine. Don't really know why that worked, but it did. We'd also sometimes do that when we started the car in Aug-Sep when it's most humid here. Let it blow for 20 secs without AC, then hit the AC button.

 

[ucmndd]

Just to be clear, the desiccant bag has nothing to do with the stinky sock smell.

 

[gmcop1]

Just spoke with an engineer from Mahle. The problem with the Tesla and, I guess, all electric vehicles is moisture getting into the system. The recharge oil, the materials that are used in the system and the design of the compressor all contribute to this and apparently it is a major problem that they are dealing with. I recently found out that they recommend changing the desiccant every 2 years. One of the major moisture leaks is actually through the stator.

 

[MP3Mike]

I recently found out that they recommend changing the desiccant every 2 years. One of the major moisture leaks is actually through the stator.

I wonder if this is why Tesla has different replacement schedules based on the vehicle/HVAC type. Some of the compressors have a better design and seal from moisture intrusion better.