AC odor removal and cleaning

[Jimmy 1]

I'm tackling cleaning the evaporator in my P3D tomorrow. Not gonna pay Tesla $150+ to do it, so got some Kool-It and two aftermarket filters with activated carbon (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B085HX67ZX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1). Also bought an ozone generator (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0795P2674/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1) which I'm going to run inside the car for 1/2 hour with the A/C running after the evaporator is cleaned with the Kool-It. This should kill anything remaining in the plenum and ducting.

Mandatory safety note on ozone generators: Ozone is poisonous, no person or pet can be inside the car during treatment. The car must be ventilated for at least 1/2 hour with outside air (doors open) after treatment to remove all ozone before you can occupy it.

I think the most difficult part of this is actually going to be seeing if my lower back holds out as I contort myself to get under the passenger dash.

The biggest issue out there is finding out if you’re getting a true HEPA filter. There are a bunch of them on the market that advertises HEPA, but they’re just paper with activated charcoal. And I don’t know why, particular Amazon doesn’t force them to identify true HEPA. There’s only a few of them out there that are true HEPA. I can tell you this, if it’s under $79, it’s most likely not a true HEPA.

Those ozonator‘s work absolutely fantastic. I had a jeep once that I parked in a garage in Florida and the dehumidifier quit working and I had mold all over the inside of the car. Cleaned it out and put an ozonator in there for a few hours. Smelled like brand new. Run your climate control while you’re operating the device.

 

[SomeJoe7777]

The biggest issue out there is finding out if you’re getting a true HEPA filter. There are a bunch of them on the market that advertises HEPA, but they’re just paper with activated charcoal. And I don’t know why, particular Amazon doesn’t force them to identify true HEPA. There’s only a few of them out there that are true HEPA. I can tell you this, if it’s under $79, it’s most likely not a true HEPA.

Those ozonator‘s work absolutely fantastic. I had a jeep once that I parked in a garage in Florida and the dehumidifier quit working and I had mold all over the inside of the car. Cleaned it out and put an ozonator in there for a few hours. Smelled like brand new. Run your climate control while you’re operating the device.

Ya, I know these aren't HEPA. They're advertised as such, but it's not possible to get HEPA filtration in this size filter for this airflow. The true HEPA filters in the Model S and X are literally 10x the size. These filters do have the activated carbon in them though, so I think that makes them more odor-resistant than the Tesla filters.

I just finished the Kool-It cleaning and then put the new filters in and put the trim pieces back together, and the ozone generator is running right now with the climate control on low with recirc enabled. Going to run it for about 1/2 hour then ventilate the car with a circulating fan.

 

[SomeJoe7777]

I got really good results with the process I used.

Turned climate control completely off.

I disassembled and removed the under-glove-box trip piece, the passenger-side kick panel piece at the center console, and then opened the filter access port. I then removed the old dirty filters.

I took a small piece of wood trim, about 1.25 x 3/16" x 14" long, and used this as a wand to apply the Kool-It. I drilled a 5/32" hole in one end of the wood piece, this is exactly the right size to fit the plastic nozzle on the end of the Kool-It tube. I then zip-tied the plastic tube to the wood. This let me use the wood to stick into the filter access opening and move it back and forth across the evaporator while discharging the Kool-It. This worked very well and let me get to most of the evaporator surface.

Just a heads up, the standard 6 oz can of Kool-It fully discharges in less than 10 seconds, so you don't have much time to move the stick and cover all of the evaporator. But, the Kool-It product foams up a lot, so it will get into a lot of areas even if you don't get to them with the stick.

I then waited 15 minutes to allow the Kool-It to work, then installed new filters (mine are the aftermarket ones with the activated carbon -- the carbon side goes towards the evaporator). I reassembled the access port and reinstalled trim pieces. I then turned on climate control and ran it for 5 minutes on low fan to blow the remains of the Kool-It into the drain port.

Now I set up the ozone generator in the passenger footwell, powered from an inverter plugged into the 12V power port. I set climate control to manual, A/C on, fan speed 3, recirc on, and turned on climate control for after leaving the car. I then set the timer on the ozone generator for 30 minutes and closed all doors. I monitored the car from the app to make sure climate stayed on.

After the 30 minutes, I opened all the doors and let the car ventilate -- I used a circulating fan outside the car blowing into the cabin to help air it out. I did this whole operation in the driveway so there was no danger of the ozone getting into my house. I ventilated the car for 5-10 mintues.

I removed the ozone generator and power inverter and cleaned everything up, then drove the car. Not a single inkling of odor -- very fresh from the ozone treatment. Even the spearmint scent from the Kool-It was not detectable, the ozone actually got rid of that too.

So total cost here was $72 ozone generator + $43 activated carbon filter set + $12 Kool-It = $127, which is less than what Tesla charges for this cleaning (around $160 or so), and they don't do the ozone treatment.

Now I can do my 2nd Model 3 next weekend for $43 filters + $12 Kool-It = $55.

The car smells so fresh, I'm probably going to do this at least once a year for each car. I need to do this anyway because I have some mild allergies and my wife has some more severe ones, especially to the mold and mildew, so keeping hers fresh is even better.

I can't say enough good things about the ozone generator, that thing is definitely worth the money.

The biggest problem I had with this whole thing was unscrewing and reinstalling the Torx T20 screw at the top of the filter access port. My back managed to hold up, but it's sore now.

 

[israndy]

Mandatory safety note on ozone generators: Ozone is poisonous, no person or pet can be inside the car during treatment.

Wait what? I have one of those Sharper Image electrostatic air cleaners and it has an Ozone button. Is that what you are talking about? I sit in front of that thing all day for the past... When did Sharper Image go out of business? Maybe 10 years?

 

[SomeJoe7777]

Wait what? I have one of those Sharper Image electrostatic air cleaners and it has an Ozone button. Is that what you are talking about? I sit in front of that thing all day for the past... When did Sharper Image go out of business? Maybe 10 years?

Electrostatic air filters (formally known as electrostatic precipitators or air ionizers) can be good air cleaning devices, but are supposed to be designed to minimize their production of ozone. I've never seen one with an "ozone" button.

Ozone is detectable by scent in concentrations as low as 0.1 ppm, and begins to damage mucous membranes in the respiratory passages at approximately the same concentration. It is a powerful oxidizer, and breaks down organic molecules and hydrocarbons into their consituent elements. This is what gives it the deodorizing properties, because the source of most offensive odors is oils, waxes/greases, organic-based chemicals, etc. Ozone breaks these compounds down into carbon dioxide, elemental carbon, oxides of nitrogen, diatomic oxygen, water, and a few other simple molecules.

I would definitely not use that "ozone" button. If you smell ozone continuously with the use of that electrostatic precipitator, then I would look at replacing it. Exposure to 0.01 ppm (10 ppb) ozone for several years constitutes chronic ozone exposure, and can raise the probability of long-term respiratory illness by up to 10%. The FDA has sued companies in the past for offering "ozone therapy" devices for sale, as there is zero evidence of benefit, and a ton of evidence of harm.

Sharper Image actually sued Consumer reports in 2003 over Consumer Reports poor rating of the "Ionic Breeze", an air ionizer that Sharper Image sold. Consumer Reports said that their testing showed poor performance of the unit in terms of Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) compared to filter-media-based air purifiers. The case was dismissed by the court because Sharper Image could not prove that anything that Consumer Reports said was false, and Sharper Image ended up paying for Consumer Report's legal expenses.

 

[Eno Deb]

Wait what? I have one of those Sharper Image electrostatic air cleaners and it has an Ozone button. Is that what you are talking about? I sit in front of that thing all day for the past... When did Sharper Image go out of business? Maybe 10 years?

Ozone above a certain concentration can irritate the respiratory system or even permanently damage the lungs. For that reason most air purifiers/ionizers that generate ozone are banned in California (there is a list on the CARB web site, but it's currenty unreachable, probably overloaded). You're better of with a purifier that uses HEPA filters (also more effective filtering PM2.5 particles at polution levels like the ones we're currently experiencing in the Bay Area).

That said, ozone generators like the one the previous poster described produce a much higher ozone concentration that an electrostatic air purifier, so it won't kill you.

 

[israndy]

Such good info. I got the Ionic Breezes (3) from one of those residential cleaning and restoration companies cheap, $10 a piece. Perhaps they found they were not very effective, but I have used them in cars that got moldy or reek of pot with good effect. I looked carefully and the one near my chair doesn't have the ozone button. We have one in the basement and the guest room that do, so I'll not use that feature on those if people are coming.

 

[Jedi2155]

Been a little less than a year and starting tk notice the smell again a few times different smell and not as strong but still vinegary.

Might be a yearly occurrence in SoCal =/

 

[Aellinsar]

E It is a powerful oxidizer, and breaks down organic molecules and hydrocarbons into their consituent elements. This is what gives it the deodorizing properties, because the source of most offensive odors is oils, waxes/greases, organic-based chemicals, etc. Ozone breaks these compounds down into carbon dioxide, elemental carbon, oxides of nitrogen, diatomic oxygen, water, and a few other simple molecules.

I agree with everything you said about Ozone generators, but this part is why I would be hesitant to sue them on a car. There is a lot of other stuff made of organic compounds (the adhesives holding your dash together, the "leather" seats, etc.) would the ozone damage any of the rest of the car while it is eliminating odors?

 

[SomeJoe7777]

I agree with everything you said about Ozone generators, but this part is why I would be hesitant to sue them on a car. There is a lot of other stuff made of organic compounds (the adhesives holding your dash together, the "leather" seats, etc.) would the ozone damage any of the rest of the car while it is eliminating odors?

It's conceivable, but I would think you'd need a larger concentration of the ozone and a much longer time of exposure to start affecting those items. As long as the ozone treatment is only done with one of these consumer units and only a couple times a year, I don't think you're going to run into an issue.

 

[asus389]

Does anyone who's model 3 developed this issue have significant mold allergies? Did this issue trigger them? Did cleaning it get rid of the symptoms? Or was it more of just a smell issue?

 

[TyH2009]

Does anyone who's model 3 developed this issue have significant mold allergies? Did this issue trigger them? Did cleaning it get rid of the symptoms? Or was it more of just a smell issue?

I wouldn't say that I have a significant mold allergy, but i would say when it was at it's worst I noticed more stuffy/runny noses more often. Could have been a coincidence though since I have allergies throughout the spring/summer and it's random.

 

[andrewsjra]

I had the mold or sour milk smell last year. Took it to Tesla to have the filters replaced and the spray treatment for mold. It seemed to hold up very well lasting almost a year. I just recently had a mobile ranger come to my house to do the same treatment. This time it only lasted a week or so. The smell is back in full affect. Not sure why it didn’t last but I’m a bit upset as it is not cheap and basically didn’t fix anything. I’m reaching out to Tesla to see if they can service it again for free.

 

[israndy]

Let us know what you find. Very curious about this

 

[BeeGood]

I had the mold or sour milk smell last year. Took it to Tesla to have the filters replaced and the spray treatment for mold. It seemed to hold up very well lasting almost a year. I just recently had a mobile ranger come to my house to do the same treatment. This time it only lasted a week or so. The smell is back in full affect. Not sure why it didn’t last but I’m a bit upset as it is not cheap and basically didn’t fix anything. I’m reaching out to Tesla to see if they can service it again for free.

I DIY’d with Koolit in my M3 and had similar results. The first time lasted a couple months, the second time (using two cans) lasted about a week before the smell returned.

So Monday, I went into the air filter compartment, pulled the filters out and felt around with a small towel. I pulled it out and it smelled fine.

I don’t think the filter compartment is the problem at this point and I suspect that’s the case for you as well. I’m thinking there is still moisture somewhere between the filter compartment and the vents. So I blasted Lysol into the air intake under the frunk with the fan running for 30 seconds, and let the fan run for about 10 minutes after that.

I think that might have done it, but I’m going to drive the car with the fan only for a few days to make sure that everything is dry. Fingers crossed.

If this doesn’t work, I’m all out of ideas. Maybe I’ll remove the dash assembly and spray Lysol directly into the air ports. We’ll see.

 

[XLR82XS]

I had the mold or sour milk smell last year. Took it to Tesla to have the filters replaced and the spray treatment for mold. It seemed to hold up very well lasting almost a year. I just recently had a mobile ranger come to my house to do the same treatment. This time it only lasted a week or so. The smell is back in full affect. Not sure why it didn’t last but I’m a bit upset as it is not cheap and basically didn’t fix anything. I’m reaching out to Tesla to see if they can service it again for free.

As I've posted many times before: do not use RECIRC. I have never used it on any Tesla and have NEVER had "the smell".
I live in humid S. Florida.

 

[BeeGood]

As I've posted many times before: do not use RECIRC. I have never used it on any Tesla and have NEVER had "the smell".
I live in humid S. Florida.

I’ve personally never set the car to recirc, but when the AC is in auto, it does it by itself.

Do you just avoid putting it in auto? If that’s the solution, I’ll just deal with treating the smell occasionally.

 

[silentcorp]

I've never used recirc either, but my AC smells like a teenage boys gym shoes. I've done the cleaning process myself twice and both times the smell returned in like 20-30 days.

 

[XLR82XS]

I’ve personally never set the car to recirc, but when the AC is in auto, it does it by itself.

Do you just avoid putting it in auto? If that’s the solution, I’ll just deal with treating the smell occasionally.

It's in AUTO all the time. If recirc does activate I turn it off. It rarely does though since I don't set the temperature lower than 73F. (F the guy that disagrees - it's truth)

 

[BeeGood]

It's in AUTO all the time. If recirc does activate I turn it off. It rarely does though since I don't set the temperature lower than 73F. (F the guy that disagrees - it's truth)

I mean...I have no doubt that would work, and I’m glad it’s working out for you, But constantly checking to make sure recirc is off isn’t a good solution IMO.

The car darn-near drives itself. This kind of intervention shouldn’t be necessary. I’m 40 years old and I’ve never had a car do this before, recirc or not.

When I notice it’s on, I turn it off. But the expectation shouldn’t be that we need to manually override automatic settings everyday.