AC odor removal and cleaning

[Atari2600]

Isn't ozone bad for plastics/polymers, which our interiors have lots of?

Here is information from the National Ozone/Oxidation Association (They could be biased. lol)
Does Ozone Damage Plastic or Rubber? | National Ozone/Oxidation Association

So, what about the not-so-secret hype about ozone melting the rubber seals on a refridgerator, destroying the padding under carpet, or harming electronics? In the last ten years, we have had NO DOCUMENTED CASE where an ozone treatment has damaged any soft plastic or rubber. But, there is still an element of truth behind the hype. Years ago, small ozone generators were rated at 1000, 2500, and 5000 mg/hr. To treat a home, people would run these small ozone generators for one day to one week. Therefore, the incremental concern for damage from ozone did happen in isolated cases.

Today, professional ozone generators are producing 20,000, 30,000, and 40,000 mg/hr that achieve "Shock Level Ozone" treatments. Treatments can be applied in 1 to 4 hours, and the actual reports of damage are nonexistant.

After reading some more information I just propped my up outside the intake and turned the fan on 2 and activated all vents inside, opened it up for fresh air intake and turned on the ozone generator. The one I have seems to pump out a lot of ozone so I skipped the bag. The scope post that found foam in the vents moved me to try ozone.

 

[Eno Deb]

Running it inside won’t get the inlet plumbing. id do the bag. It’s easy.

There isn't really any plumbing. The big "funnel" that you see under the cover in the frunk is really the only thing that remains "outside". Using an inspection mirror you can see the "door" that is used to switch between re-circulation and fresh air intake at the bottom. Everything from that point on is reached when using re-circ, most importantly the filter, evaporator and internal air ducts.

 

[Atari2600]

There is also the whole thing where the device needs fresh air to make ozone. Cannot make any more ozone when the source is depleted. Here is what I did and it was fine. I cracked the door and took a small whiff and wish I had not done that... the car was full off ozone really quick.

 

[MacGreiner]

Running it inside won’t get the inlet plumbing. id do the bag. It’s easy.

I got the same ozone device. Have not tried yet.

I’d stay with shorter times. Ozone can be hard on rubber and some other materials.

The problem is not in the inlet area though. It is the filter box/cabin drain section. I have run it x3 and it seems to have resolved the issue.

 

[Eno Deb]

There is also the whole thing where the device needs fresh air to make ozone. Cannot make any more ozone when the source is depleted.

The maximum ozone concentration produced by commercial generators you can buy is nowhere near high enough to deplete the O2 molecules in ambient air (they achieve at most a few percent O3 concentration). The only thing feeding the generator from outside air (rather than using it in an enclosed space) will do is lower the ozone concentration because you keep feeding fresh air into the interior.

 

[Az_Rael]

I am two weeks in from ozone treatment #2. After ozone treatment #1 my smell changed form a vinegar smell to a more acrid chemical type odor (that I thought was ozone continuing to dissipate at the time). I ran the generator the 2nd time, which reduced the new chemical smell significantly, although there are still hints of it.

Overall, it is much better, and since summer will eventually wind down (still 100 degree days, tho) I am going to leave it be through winter and see how long it lasts. I do worry about using the ozone treatment too often over time due to the plastics and rubber seals, etc. I have not noted any negative affects on the interior surfaces from my first 2 treatments.


To recap here are the treatments I have done:
1. Service center vent treatment with no cabin filter change
2. Service center vent treatment with cabin filter change
3. DIY can of Klima on coils with no cabin filter change
4. DIY two cans of Klima on coils with no cabin filter change
5. Ozone interior treatment (generator inside car) with cabin filter change
6. Ozone vent treatment (generator bagged to inlet) with no cabin filter change

 

[Atari2600]

I am two weeks in from ozone treatment #2. After ozone treatment #1 my smell changed form a vinegar smell to a more acrid chemical type odor (that I thought was ozone continuing to dissipate at the time). I ran the generator the 2nd time, which reduced the new chemical smell significantly, although there are still hints of it.

What is your ozone generator rated at? Mine is 11,000 mg/hour. I ran mine for 45 minutes.

 

[Az_Rael]

What is your ozone generator rated at? Mine is 11,000 mg/hour. I ran mine for 45 minutes.

7000mg/hr. I ran it 30 to 40 minutes the first time (the dial isn’t super accurate). And 15-20 minutes the second time.

 

[Reid_S]

Man...I just went to the service center to have the mold smell removed and they tried to charge me for it. Reading this thread, it sounds like that has happened a lot. The Service Manager said the mold smell is a common problem and that Tesla has specifically instructed them not to fix it under warranty. Apparently, Tesla believes fixing it under warranty is effectively an admission that there is a manufacturing defect (those were her words...). She was nice--clearly wanted to just fix it and send me on my way, but her hands were tied by corporate.

I'm pretty pissed off, to be honest. I support Tesla and want them to succeed as much as anyone, but I'm not on board with being taken advantage of to that end. Has anyone considered submitting a complaint to the FTC or your state's AG?

 

[zosoisnotaword]

Has anyone considered submitting a complaint to the FTC or your state's AG?

No. I just bought new filters and did the cleaning myself. Much quicker than filing a complaint.

 

[flashflooder]

No. I just bought new filters and did the cleaning myself. Much quicker than filing a complaint.

Filing the complaint seems like it would be a lot quicker. Seeing any kind of resolution from that complaint, another story.

 

[Reid_S]

Filing the complaint seems like it would be a lot quicker. Seeing any kind of resolution from that complaint, another story.

Yeah, that's kind of the crux of it (and why I asked the question). If I'm the only one actually filing a complaint, I think it's safe to say it won't make a bit of difference.

 

[plasmo]

Not happy. I paid for these filters 2.5 weeks ago (they already charged my CC) and still have not yet received my filters.
I left emails on their service email a week ago to find out what is going on, and no one has sent me a reply. Tried calling local service, but they are closed on weekends... what happened to Tesla's great service????

I finally got a hold of Tesla. They forgot to ship out my Filters, and it looks like they are overnighting a pair to me.
I have had enough of my stinky cabin!

 

[zosoisnotaword]

Filing the complaint seems like it would be a lot quicker.

Well, you have to file several complaints. One to Tesla for having an HVAC system installed on their vehicle. Another to God for the unpleasing odor resulting from microbial growth in humid environments. And lastly, one to The Weather Channel for the ambient conditions that are ultimately the foundation of the issue.

 

[sperkin]

Man...I just went to the service center to have the mold smell removed and they tried to charge me for it. Reading this thread, it sounds like that has happened a lot. The Service Manager said the mold smell is a common problem and that Tesla has specifically instructed them not to fix it under warranty. Apparently, Tesla believes fixing it under warranty is effectively an admission that there is a manufacturing defect (those were her words...). She was nice--clearly wanted to just fix it and send me on my way, but her hands were tied by corporate.

I'm pretty pissed off, to be honest. I support Tesla and want them to succeed as much as anyone, but I'm not on board with being taken advantage of to that end. Has anyone considered submitting a complaint to the FTC or your state's AG?

Tesla also told me this is a huge problem on many cars but it’s not under warranty and SC fixing it under warranty we’re wrong and did it in error. They were surprised they had the filters in stock when I went to purchase it. They said they can’t keep it stocked because a lot of Model 3s have this problem.

 

[Az_Rael]

Well, you have to file several complaints. One to Tesla for having an HVAC system installed on their vehicle. Another to God for the unpleasing odor resulting from microbial growth in humid environments. And lastly, one to The Weather Channel for the ambient conditions that are ultimately the foundation of the issue.

Ah, but if it turns out the foam under the evaporative coils in the drain path gets soaked and that soaked foam gets the adjacent cabin air filters wet, that would be an argument for a design issue.

I already have weather and God on my side: high desert environment, no humidity, regular heat soaks in the parking lot with 110 ambients, and less than 5" of rain a year.

 

[Vintre]

I predict the problem will raise up again in those areas that will require heating in the Fall/Winter

Vin

 

[plasmo]

They showed up two days after I paid for them.

I finally got my filters today after they overnighted them to me yesterday.

It’s strange because one filter smells like nothing, but the other one had a faint smell of the vinegar-y smell to it (the box was sitting in the sun at my front door) when I opened it.
An hour later after the filters cooled down to room temperature, I don’t smell the vinegar anymore.

I’m sure the filters are new, but it was interesting that the smell was there and I think it is more apparent when the filters are hot.


Now to finally foam up and swap my filters...

 

[Az_Rael]

It’s strange because one filter smells like nothing, but the other one had a faint smell of the vinegar-y smell to it

Oh, that is interesting. My car smelled like vinegar. Wonder if it was from the filter itself.

 

[plasmo]

Some photos of my new and old filters side by side... old ones were noticeably dirty