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AC odor removal and cleaning
- Thread starter Lanzer
- Start date
JPP
Active Member
After 1 year in NoCA with the factory filters in my P3D+ using HVAC with Auto and Cabin Overheat on with AC, I detected the dreaded smell from the system. I got the Kool-It cleaner and bought the EV Tuning HEPA/carbon filters. Just did the drill yesterday to remove the factory filters (..thanks to the assembly line staff for not leaving the tabs on the filters exposed...among other issues). The OEM filters were pretty dirty, with small bits of leaves & dirt. Note too that on the Model 3 the air intake under the plastic baffle in the frunk is wide open--no screen or perforated panel. So I did the foam cleaning and installed the new HEPA/activated carbon filters--all good. Nice and clean--no odor. And FWIW I bought a Made in China air intake baffle to fill the big hole and keep the larger bits out. I vacuumed out the intake down to the metal screen before installing the baffle. So far, so good.
cars only 4 months old (M3) and having this issue - I tried the recirc off but that hasn't helped. On the S I had a similar problem last year and they replaced a filter with a "charcoal filter" it says on the invoice and that seems to have solved the issue on the S.
Are they able to do something like this via mobile for 3? Thanks.
Are they able to do something like this via mobile for 3? Thanks.
BrownSamurai
Member
If it helps anyone...
My car just crossed the 1 year mark and has had the funk for about 6 months. Reading through the boards I knew it was going to be fight with Service to get them to do the right thing so to be honest I kept putting it off. A passenger finally commented on it so I decided to bite the bullet and setup an appointment. Depending on where in the thread you read, the cost is free (since its a known issue with design) or a paid service (for a known issue that Tesla won't own up to). The cost also seems to be all over the place (another reason to make me want to live in Canada).
I think Service makes it the decision based on how far behind the Service Manager is that month.
I setup an appointment (3 weeks out) but got texted after about a week and told it could be done through mobile maintenance and that it would cost around $140. I pointed out that the car does not drip (at home or work) which has me concerned that its clogged and that there was a hotfix for recirculated air to address this and it should be covered, at least in part, by Tesla. Per Service, filters should be replaced every two years as a part of maintenance (I reminded them the car was barely a year old but lost the fight).
If anyone else is looking for this to be done at the Austin Service Center, here is what it will (theoretically) cost:
I'm going to purchase the filters and do the work myself ($35) and a can of Kool It ($15) . I love my car. I love Tesla. I can't stand dealing with their Service.
My car just crossed the 1 year mark and has had the funk for about 6 months. Reading through the boards I knew it was going to be fight with Service to get them to do the right thing so to be honest I kept putting it off. A passenger finally commented on it so I decided to bite the bullet and setup an appointment. Depending on where in the thread you read, the cost is free (since its a known issue with design) or a paid service (for a known issue that Tesla won't own up to). The cost also seems to be all over the place (another reason to make me want to live in Canada).
I think Service makes it the decision based on how far behind the Service Manager is that month.
I setup an appointment (3 weeks out) but got texted after about a week and told it could be done through mobile maintenance and that it would cost around $140. I pointed out that the car does not drip (at home or work) which has me concerned that its clogged and that there was a hotfix for recirculated air to address this and it should be covered, at least in part, by Tesla. Per Service, filters should be replaced every two years as a part of maintenance (I reminded them the car was barely a year old but lost the fight).
If anyone else is looking for this to be done at the Austin Service Center, here is what it will (theoretically) cost:
I'm going to purchase the filters and do the work myself ($35) and a can of Kool It ($15) . I love my car. I love Tesla. I can't stand dealing with their Service.
XLR82XS
D M C
That's why I purchased an intake grille.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WTCX1P6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WTCX1P6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
JPP
Active Member
Yes, but the screen is way down and debris was getting down there. Had to get an extension tool on a vacuum to get the stuff out.
I finally got around to doing this a few days ago and it worked perfectly. No more odor! Thanks for posting the detailed write up!After a year of owning the Tesla Model 3, the car is starting to build the smell of mildew when the AC turns on. The smell goes away after a few minutes, and lucky for my fiancé, she can't smell it, but I can't get over dealing with the smell on a daily basis.
The Tesla service center deemed AC smell as something that is not covered under warranty, so it's up to us the car owners to figure this out.
Cleaning the AC condenser is technically pretty easy. You just need to find the AC drain pipe, stick the included tube up to the condenser, and just inject the cleaner.
Unfortunately, the Model 3's drain pipe is pretty hard to reach as it's smack in the middle of the car and hard to get to without lifting it. Also, the cabin filters are place right behind the condenser, so it's not a good idea to just blast all the cleaning foam from the drain pipe.
Lucky for us we can clean from a location we can see the condenser. Tesla released DIY documents on how to replace the air cabin filter, and using that guide, you can remove the cabin filters, and that gives you a clear sight of the condenser.
Here is what the condenser looks like
The is a ton of empty space on the opposite side of the condenser, so I couldn't just stick the tube in and spray away.
There is probably many ways to clean the evaporator. You can probably spray a bunch of mold and mildew cleaner on the condenser and call it a day. Though I already bought a foam cleaner, and so it's time to build something that can let the foam cleaner work its way into the condenser. If you are using a liquid mold and mildew cleaner, look for something that doesn't contain bleach or any chemicals that create harmful fumes.
The idea here is to contain the area where the foam would be delivered. I happen to have packing material for a portable hard drive, otherwise I would just cut up a plastic tupperware.
The tube is fed to the middle of the cover, and the back is taped with velcro.
I then found a piece of wood and taped velcro to the end.
The cover happens to be about the same height of the cabin filter. So I just need to move around as I spray the foam cleaner.
The whole contraption goes into the cabin filter box like this
It was pretty easy to spray the cleaner from this point on. I barely had enough foam to cover the whole condenser. I suggest using the Nextzett Klima cleaner which has much more foam content.
After letting he cleaner work itself for 15 minutes, run the fan for a couple of minutes and we're all set to put everything back. Next day the AC smell is gone, and I'm a happy camper. Hope you find this useful!
Tesla firmware after Fall of last year will let the fan run for a few minutes after the AC turns off, leaving moisture out and inhibiting mildew growth. Hopefully we don't have to deal with the smell long after this fix.
I replaced mine. 16 months & ~25k miles. They were dusty but not horrible. I'm probably going to do it every 1-1.5 years from now on. My wife drives a lot less than I do so I'll probably stick with every 2 years on hers unless it starts to smell.
XLR82XS
D M C
I've been following this thread from the beginning:
-couple of months ago paid SC to fix
-they didn't have filters but said kool-it alone would most likely fix it (not true for the most part)...didn't work and actually smelled worse after their application (went from vinegar to throw up smell)
-mint smell from kool it lingered up until I did cleaning myself (i think the old filters got soaked with kool it during SC application...they smelled like it when I pulled them out)
-I hate smells that just mask the problem...I will take the original smell anyday
-got new filters and 2 cans of kilma and did cleaning this past weekend
-kilma smell is way better, it smells more like rubbing alcohol and dissipated fairly quickly
-i was kinda nervous about application and was trying to be gentle and get every part of evaporator without over spraying. did that with the first can and it is almost impossible even with a scope. second can i just put hose at the top corner closest to driver side and just let the whole cavern fill with foam. that is what I will be doing next time as well.
-system smells like when new (ie, no smell)
-couple of months ago paid SC to fix
-they didn't have filters but said kool-it alone would most likely fix it (not true for the most part)...didn't work and actually smelled worse after their application (went from vinegar to throw up smell)
-mint smell from kool it lingered up until I did cleaning myself (i think the old filters got soaked with kool it during SC application...they smelled like it when I pulled them out)
-I hate smells that just mask the problem...I will take the original smell anyday
-got new filters and 2 cans of kilma and did cleaning this past weekend
-kilma smell is way better, it smells more like rubbing alcohol and dissipated fairly quickly
-i was kinda nervous about application and was trying to be gentle and get every part of evaporator without over spraying. did that with the first can and it is almost impossible even with a scope. second can i just put hose at the top corner closest to driver side and just let the whole cavern fill with foam. that is what I will be doing next time as well.
-system smells like when new (ie, no smell)
There is a drain for water directly under the intake, while the air moves diagonally towards the back. There is also a valve that open and close that you can see form the intake. Though if you have AC running with fresh air intake, I can imagine that slight water or moisture can make its way through during heavy rain or a car wash.
There's been no rain for the past few months, but I'll keep an eye out on the smell after rainy season to see if that's the culprit to bad smell. I've been using all the time since I replaced the filter on June, I don't think AC condensation is causing any smell for me. (or the firmware change handled this problem)
Same issue in LA at Pomona Service Center. Told my car, 6 months old and 13k miles wouldn’t be covered by warranty because the filter is recommended to be replaced every 10k miles. Love my car, hate all customer service interactions.
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