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Antifungal spray for cabin air filter
- Thread starter Level8Drummer
- Start date
oreobbq
Member
I hope Tesla does something for this persistent issue. I imagine it’s a simple design update to move the filter slightly away from all of the moisture it currently sits in. For anyone spraying stuff, it’s a good idea to run the fan and air out the cabin for several minutes. Ozium is what I’ve used for years and it smells delicious.
M109Rider
Active Member
I live in dry Colorado. My 2023 model Y only has 11k miles on it. About 3 weeks ago I started to use the AC overheat protection, that is when the vinegar smell started. After research I decided to turn off AC overheat protection and the smell has not returned in a week. I purchased new filters and foam but now it looks like I won't need them until the recommend two year mark.
The terrible smells is the worst when the AC is turned off and then on with a 5-30 minute time gap. I find that even when the AC stinks, as long as I turn off the AC and dry the coils before I shut the car off, the next restart will have almost zero smells. That 5-30 min restart is to key to making it stink.
Ranking all the different types of foams and cleaners I've tried so far:
#1. Klima cleaner (smells clean, worked, not the cheapest)
#2. Frost King 19oz AC foam coil cleaner (giant can, really fills up the whole coil and then some, doesn't smell bad but also not amazing)
#3. Interdynamics AC cleaner with a straight spray nozzle extension (smells artificial and didn't work too well)
#4. Kool it (way too tiny of a can, overpriced, smells good though, but doesn't have enough coverage to ensure 100% cleaning)
#5. Microban spray into the filter area/intake (didn't do anything to kill the bad smells)
New filters can help, but I'm about 90% certain that it's not the source of the smell. I've taken out old filters and made them wet, and they didn't smell sour or anything like the AC's old feet stink in any way.
My AC is stinking again about 4 months after the last cleaning, tried kool it and it smelled good for 2 days before the stink came roaring back after a 20 min stop between AC usage, yikes.
I'm gonna try other products and see if they'd be a more permanent solution to this problem.
Ranking all the different types of foams and cleaners I've tried so far:
#1. Klima cleaner (smells clean, worked, not the cheapest)
#2. Frost King 19oz AC foam coil cleaner (giant can, really fills up the whole coil and then some, doesn't smell bad but also not amazing)
#3. Interdynamics AC cleaner with a straight spray nozzle extension (smells artificial and didn't work too well)
#4. Kool it (way too tiny of a can, overpriced, smells good though, but doesn't have enough coverage to ensure 100% cleaning)
#5. Microban spray into the filter area/intake (didn't do anything to kill the bad smells)
New filters can help, but I'm about 90% certain that it's not the source of the smell. I've taken out old filters and made them wet, and they didn't smell sour or anything like the AC's old feet stink in any way.
My AC is stinking again about 4 months after the last cleaning, tried kool it and it smelled good for 2 days before the stink came roaring back after a 20 min stop between AC usage, yikes.
I'm gonna try other products and see if they'd be a more permanent solution to this problem.
Both of our 2021 Model 3 LR's made it 2.5 years before the smell showed up. We always use the auto climate setting, set the temp, and let it do it's thing. I just now came inside after doing the clean with Klima cleaner, and replacing the filters. When I took the old filters out, there was no mistake where the smell was coming from. When I smelled them, it was the same. I couldn't see the coils good enough to tell if they had issues. After letting everything dry out and reassembly, there's no more smell.
Can you tell which is the old and new filter? (grin) No debris, just mold. I have a inlet screen at the air intake.
Can you tell which is the old and new filter? (grin) No debris, just mold. I have a inlet screen at the air intake.
I actually can't tell which one is which. They both appear to be brand new. The yellow is by design.
Huh, looks brand new, the filters just come like that with different colors on each side?
A lot of the "The smell is gone after new filters" sentiment is affected by the fact that when the AC coil is dried, the next
AC restart doesn't smell bad. I've tested this in my own smelly car where a 5-20 min stop between AC sessions make it stink like a highschool locker room, and without cleaning/foaming/new filters, if I manually turn off the AC and use fan on max speed for a minute, the next AC restart smells 98% fine.
Tesla needs to update the software and blow dry the coils harder whenever the car is locked.
No the green moldy color is only on the A/C coil side of the old filters. The fresh air side of the old ones are gray just like both sides of the new ones. The new ones are not green. The moldy green scrapes off easily and it's gray underneath. That would not happen if it was by design.
No way... those are just two different filter brands / types. The yellow is by design.
Here's a video of this guy putting in brand new filters... yellow side facing the coils:
stopcrazypp
Well-Known Member
Yep, it's yellow on one side because that side has an antimicrobial layer:
From listing of a filter supposedly made by the same factory as the OEM one:
Tesla filters work fine. They have improved. I have my originals and recent both from tesla and the newer ones seem heavier and better made. The Klima (follow directions) is key. I use 2 cans doing 2 complete cycles before closing up. Also make sure no leaves are at the intake screen in the frunk (deep inside and in the back).
Can any one take a culture of the fungus or bacteria growing in the filter, grow it in a Petri dish and send it to a lab to work out what it is? Then we might be able to work out the most effective means to kill it.
That would still likely turn out to require regularly spraying something into the A/C coils. Spraying antifungal into the intake already seems to be a solution, albeit not a permanent one.
Ideally someone would take the time to fully understand the root cause of the problem (no space between filters and condenser coils?) and come up with an aftermarket solution.
Perhaps the filters could be narrower, leaving a gap between them and the coils, and the hatch piece that holds the filters in could be replaced with a vented one. I'm not saying this would solve it, just taking shots in the dark.
stopcrazypp
Well-Known Member
From the other thread, people don't seem to think it is the filter for most cases. I believe people have tried holders or filters with a separator and it makes no difference. A lot of people claim the smell doesn't come from the filter (some even tried wetting old filter and no smell from the filter, also tried removing filter completely and the smell is still there). Switching a new filter sometimes works for a short while likely because of the activated charcoal, which would absorb odors until saturated.
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