asus389
Member
Just a thought, has anyone tried spraying peroxide on the evaporator? Or via the intake? Would it damage anything? It’s pretty innocuous and does a good job of getting rid of mildew.
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AC odor removal and cleaning
- Thread starter Lanzer
- Start date
I don't know...it is just weird that today (2 weeks later) it has the strongest mint smell ever...this is such a nuisance on a new car
Closed cell foam can be squishy as well. For a part like this, I would want to use a silicone closed cell foam gasket around the evaporator. Not sure what Tesla used, but it didn't look like closed-cell foam.
If you spray anything from the intake, the solution will hit the air filter and not reach the evaporator, so I don't suggest doing that.
Aside from oxidizing aluminum, it is technically not good when inhaled:
The Klima cleaner cost $14 and it's not a lot of money to save. For similar reasons I don't buy the cheaper evaporator cleaning solution from Home Depot. Good chance they're safe to use, but again, I'd only end up saving 7 bucks.
Zorak03
Member
And the smell suddenly went away... The weather was extremely wet when the odor was present but it’s dry now. Could that have anything to do with it?
Yes, my car for the past week has smelled ok too. Weather has been cooler and less humid.
I'm still gonna plan on spraying with Klima-cleaner, and just got confirmation from Tesla today about the shipment of my new Filters, which I ordered through the Tesla App like others did here. Total cost for 2 filters + shipping = $47.22
I'm still gonna plan on spraying with Klima-cleaner, and just got confirmation from Tesla today about the shipment of my new Filters, which I ordered through the Tesla App like others did here. Total cost for 2 filters + shipping = $47.22
I kept wondering why I paid more for my filters than others here, so I took a look at my invoice. Of course, they charged me labor to drive in and pick up my own filters. 
Gotta love Burbank.
Gotta love Burbank. I kept wondering why I paid more for my filters than others here, so I took a look at my invoice. Of course, they charged me labor to drive in and pick up my own filters.
View attachment 447675
ya they charged you labor, AND billed you for 2 PAIRs of filters!
did you mean to purchase an extra pair of filters?
Yes, that was at least on purpose.
It is 1.5 hours one way down there and it's looking like I will need filters quarterly or some other schedule much shorter than 2 years, so I bought an extra set. I would have bought a case if they had that many.
andrewsjra
Member
I’ve had my model 3 for almost a year now but as many have mentioned this smell only occurs when it is really humid and the car is sitting in the heat. In the evening or morning when it is cooler the A/C is not putting out any odor. I have been using recirculating air for the majority of ownership of the car. I just recently started using outdoor air in fear this was the cause. Does anyone think I should have the filters replaced? Seems pricey. I saw I1 Tesla’s YouTube video and his filters were green which seemed crazy. Not sure how long he has had his car but that doesn’t sound normal.
zosoisnotaword
Member
I bought some new filters, and they come with a yellowish coating on the cabin side of the filter. I'm not sure what it is, but it's normal.
asus389
Member
I think they are using a Tesla branded version of the Mann “Frecious Plus” filters. These have a yellow layer that is supposed to inhibit microbial growth. Does it work - I guess we are finding out.
Interesting. Maybe this is what led to the backorder....they were updating the filter. Progress is good. Hopefully this works. I've been thinking all along it is the filters that are the major issue (due to location). People that remove the filter and smell nothing is because they are dry. Dirty sock bacteria only activate when moist.
Eh, I have the yellow backed filter put in 2 weeks ago and my car still smells. I am fairly certain the ~6 month old filters I pulled out were yellow backed too, but I am not sure. So, it is probably not helping much.
I am going to try another ozone treatment this weekend. See if that can kill the remainder of whatever is in my vents.
jgrgnt
Member
Here's what worked for me:
*At first, I tried reusing the original filters, which reduced the smell by about 50%. Replacing the filters with fresh ones completely fixed the problem. It was very difficult to detect any odors on the filters with a sniff test. Whatever was causing the odor was deeply embedded into the fibers.
On a related note, the filter compartment door is waaaay up in the footwell. Pictures, videos, and even Tesla's online instructions make it seem far easier to access than is actually the case. Be prepared to strain your neck/back/shoulders.
- turn off the climate control system
- remove the original air filters from the filter/evaporator compartment
- spray Klima Cleaner into the compartment (use the included tube to try to reach all areas of the space) and let it sit for 20 minutes
- re-seal the filter compartment door, set the fan to 5, a/c on (I did this in case any leftover foam was still in the system...didn't want it shooting out of the vents)
- after a couple of minutes, increase the fan speed to 10 and let it run for 20 minutes or until the car is draining clear water
- turn off the AC, but leave the fan running for another 5 minutes to dry the evaporator coil
- turn off the fan
- move the car to an open space, away from people and pets (i.e., not inside a garage)
- open the hood, remove the plastic cowl cover, and hook up an ozone generator to the fresh air intake, making sure to seal the connection as best as possible (I used a cut up trash bag)
- manually set the climate control fan speed to 1, air recirculation off, a/c off
- close all windows, leave driver's door closed but unlatched so that car doesn't turn off
- turn on the ozone generator and run it for 15-20 minutes
- shut off and disconnect the ozone generator, then open all the doors/trunk and air out the car for a couple of hours in direct sunlight
- re-open the filter compartment and install fresh filters*
*At first, I tried reusing the original filters, which reduced the smell by about 50%. Replacing the filters with fresh ones completely fixed the problem. It was very difficult to detect any odors on the filters with a sniff test. Whatever was causing the odor was deeply embedded into the fibers.
On a related note, the filter compartment door is waaaay up in the footwell. Pictures, videos, and even Tesla's online instructions make it seem far easier to access than is actually the case. Be prepared to strain your neck/back/shoulders.
Eno Deb
Active Member
Yes, some flexibility is required.
Tip: removing the screw that holds the door is much easier using a mini ratchet than a screwdriver (I used my trusty Bosch).
Yes, some flexibility is required.
Yes, I curse the name and question the parentage of the Tesla engineer who designed that door access every time I am under there trying to get it on or off.
I just did this procedure (without the OP's fancy applicator). I'll need to give it a few days to confirm, but so far so good. The only change I made was, and maybe I have a crappy set of tools, but the T15 works loads better than the T20. It was a little loose, but it bit much better than the 20 and I was able to unscrew it much easier, without applying a whole lot of pressure on the flex cable.
This procedure works, but you absolutely must change your filters at the same time. If you don’t the smell will return.
I did the procedure and the small was back. I just swapped out the filters with the HEPA filters and it is the purest smell I have had in a long time.
I did the procedure and the small was back. I just swapped out the filters with the HEPA filters and it is the purest smell I have had in a long time.
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