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Air Conditioning Stopped Working

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My MS stopped working yesterday evening, right after a super charging at the Fairfield station. AC was working great while I was charging but I noticed warm air coming, shortly after I was on the freeway. I tried resetting it but still blowing hot air. Made a SC appointment for next Monday.
This happened to me and I actually called Tesla customer service. While it was a bit of a wait, the rep was pretty good and guided me through some processes which got my AC working again. Give it a try before your SC appointment.
 
My MS stopped working yesterday evening, right after a super charging at the Fairfield station. AC was working great while I was charging but I noticed warm air coming, shortly after I was on the freeway. I tried resetting it but still blowing hot air. Made a SC appointment for next Monday.

you wouldn’t think a 2017 would have a compressor issue but hopefully you are still under warranty. What is the mileage?
 
you wouldn’t think a 2017 would have a compressor issue but hopefully you are still under warranty. What is the mileage?
No you wouldn't, but I just stumbled on a Consumer Reports article saying the 2016 Model X has a higher than average problem with AC components, but not the Model S. My guess is the early production issues were later resolved. Article listed a bunch of SUV/CUVs that also had issues...some after an average of 20K-30K miles.
 
Dang. It’s working now. I did 3 min reset thing wrong. When I follow the Sean_Az’s process correctly, it worked!!!!
Saved $$$$. Thanks Sean!!!


I was able to get this corrected, although I’m not sure if the persistence fixed the issue or just something else.

I had to perform a “Power Down” from Control, Safety & Security option. They key is that you need to be in Park, sitting in the driver’s seat and do a power down. You need to wait 2-3 minutes and don’t touch anything (breaks, door opening, touching the screen, etc.) After 2-3 minutes, tap the screen or open the door and the system starts up. It almost sounds like the clicks that you hear when the Firmware is being installed.

After doing this 3 times without success (although I might have anxiously rolled the windows down because the temp in my garage was 120 due to the car’s fan running and trying to cool the batteries perhaps), I was able to get the A/C working on the 4th attempt .

At the same time, I was on my laptop with Tesla Support’s chat which took 45 minutes just to get an agent on the line. He sent me a canned set of instructions including what I just described and when I did a power down again and was waiting, he said he was going to end the chat and close the ticket.

I don’t know if he did something remotely or this was just a coincidence but the A/C is working the way it should and the car’s cooling fan is no longer running all the time. I’m still going to take it to service in 11 days which is their earliest time that they can get me in, but at least I can drive the car for now.
 
I will post Tesla's recommended service for the AC: The system does naturally leak small amounts over time, so If you want maximum efficiency and have the system to last as long as possible it should be followed:

Recommended Maintenance Service
Cabin Air Filter
Your Tesla is equipped with an air filter that prevents pollen, industrial fallout, road dust and other particles from entering through the vents. Tesla recommends replacing your cabin air filter every 2 years.

High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) Filter
If your Tesla is equipped with a HEPA filter, Tesla recommends replacing it every 3 years.

Tire Rotation, Balance and Wheel Alignment
Tesla recommends rotating your tires every 10,000 km or if tread depth difference is 1.5mm or greater, whichever comes first. Aggressive driving can lead to premature tire wear and may require more frequent tire service. Unbalanced and misaligned wheels affect handling, tire life and steering components. Refer to tire manufacturer's owner manuals and warranty documentation for additional details.

Brake Fluid Test
Tesla recommends testing brake fluid for contamination every 2 years and replacing as needed.

Air Conditioning Service
An air conditioning service replaces the desiccant to help the longevity and efficiency of the air conditioning system. Tesla recommends an air conditioning service every 2 years for Model S, every 4 years for Model X and Model Y and every 6 years for Model 3.


Winter Care
Tesla recommends cleaning and lubricating all brake calipers every 12 months or 20,000 km for cars in cold weather regions.
 
Just to add my $0.02:

While driving from Switzerland to Italy I suddenly got a warning: "Air-conditioning limited. DC-charging and Supercharging rate may be reduced". As soon as that message started popping up I no longer had cabin AC. Outside temp was +/- 30 - 35 degrees celcius.

Called roadside support while driving, they said the battery was too hot (61 degrees Celcius) and that the AC was trying to cool down the battery so hard that there was no cold left for the cabin. I says that's bullshit (because I've called 2 hours after the initial warning) but she said that's what the system was telling her.

Went to a Supercharger, charged just fine, regular 120 or so kW. But still no AC. Went on driving with all the windows open and at destination around 15.00 the car kept the fans running for atleast another 5 to 6 hours. Next morning still no airconditioning.

Called roadside again, performed a 5-minute power off (I did a poweroff myself, but didn't wait long enough I suppose) and the AC started working almost instantly. It does work now, but it frequently starts blowing hot air into the cabin for somewhere around 5 to 10 minutes and then starts blowing cool air again.

Anyone has any idea what this might be? I've scheduled a service appointment, but because roadside support couldn't see any issues except 'battery is very hot', I doubt a service center can do much for me.
 
Just to add my $0.02:

While driving from Switzerland to Italy I suddenly got a warning: "Air-conditioning limited. DC-charging and Supercharging rate may be reduced". As soon as that message started popping up I no longer had cabin AC. Outside temp was +/- 30 - 35 degrees celcius.

Called roadside support while driving, they said the battery was too hot (61 degrees Celcius) and that the AC was trying to cool down the battery so hard that there was no cold left for the cabin. I says that's bullshit (because I've called 2 hours after the initial warning) but she said that's what the system was telling her.

Went to a Supercharger, charged just fine, regular 120 or so kW. But still no AC. Went on driving with all the windows open and at destination around 15.00 the car kept the fans running for atleast another 5 to 6 hours. Next morning still no airconditioning.

Called roadside again, performed a 5-minute power off (I did a poweroff myself, but didn't wait long enough I suppose) and the AC started working almost instantly. It does work now, but it frequently starts blowing hot air into the cabin for somewhere around 5 to 10 minutes and then starts blowing cool air again.

Anyone has any idea what this might be? I've scheduled a service appointment, but because roadside support couldn't see any issues except 'battery is very hot', I doubt a service center can do much for me.

Check your louvers. I had a similar issue and all 3 of my louvers would stay closed so the AC condenser couldn't get air to cool itself off and that caused the batteries and the cabin to get hot along with the charging reduced error on the screen. I replaced all 3 louvers at the house and sure as *sugar* it works great now and not a single error since.
 
Check your louvers. I had a similar issue and all 3 of my louvers would stay closed so the AC condenser couldn't get air to cool itself off and that caused the batteries and the cabin to get hot along with the charging reduced error on the screen. I replaced all 3 louvers at the house and sure as *sugar* it works great now and not a single error since.
When one of my louvers failed (2015 70D) a couple years ago, the service center was able to see that remotely and ordered the part so it would be on hand for my appointment. So I am surprised that the roadside support people could not tell....But maybe they have different info, or different diagnostic tools?
 
Are the louvers you all are talking about up near the windshield?

No, the air intake covers for the radiators/condensers.

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Screen Shot 2020-09-21 at 6.09.25 PM.png
 
Yeah I checked those "inlets", but looking from the front of the car it looks like there is some kind of plastic sheeting in front of it. it doesn't at all look like those things can open/close.

I found this video:

I've never seen that. AFAIK those things are always closed. Might be worth checking out!

Should I be able to open them by pushing them with my hand?