Antifungal spray for cabin air filter

[Level8Drummer]

Doing an experiment here. I've got 20k miles on my 2022 m3p. The cabin filters and ac coils were stinky after about 6 months, and 12k miles. Not super impressed with the design and how the cabin filters get wet and nasty. So I am trying a solution to lengthen the cabin filter change interval.

I purchased some RMR-141 antifungal spray from slamazon. I removed the old air filters, sprayed the AC coils with some Kool it foaming cleaner. The tiny can lasted about 8 seconds and was empty. Barely enough to even clean the coils once. I ran the air for 15 min to let the AC coils dry out, then installed the new filters.

When the antifungal spray arrived a few days later I popped open the frunk, popped the first cover off over the HVAC fresh air intake. I turned the HVAC on, fan speed seven, ac off, recirculation off. The fresh air intake was pulling air nicely. I misted about 15 pumps of the antifungal spray into the intake. This should serve to deposit some of the spray into the cabin filters and the HVAC system. As the spray also serves as a fungistat/bacteriostat, it should help to prevent further fungal/bacterial growth in the cabin filter system and ac coils.

I took my wife out to dinner immediately after I sprayed the antifungal, and she nor I reported any chemical smells in the car. The spray actually doesn't have a smell, or if anything smells nice and clean.

I plan on refreshing the concentration of fungistat every month or so and see if any stickiness returns. I will update this post over time.

Level8drummer

 

[EnzoXYZ]

I always knew the problem isn't with the filter. Today I confirmed it by taking out the filter and running without it. Sure enough it still stinks as always. This is AFTER I changed to a new filter, did the coil foam clean, & spray the coil/box with 1:10 bleach all done last week. Tesla has a design fault and likely killing my lungs with mold.

I believe I have done over 8 filter changes since buying the car in Aug 2020 with about 20K miles. The amount of filter I buy, Amazon must think I operate a fleet of Ys. Embarrassing.

 

[Candleflame]

I always knew the problem isn't with the filter. Today I confirmed it by taking out the filter and running without it. Sure enough it still stinks as always. This is AFTER I changed to a new filter, did the coil foam clean, & spray the coil/box with 1:10 bleach all done last week. Tesla has a design fault and likely killing my lungs with mold.

I believe I have done over 8 filter changes since buying the car in Aug 2020 with about 20K miles. The amount of filter I buy, Amazon must think I operate a fleet of Ys. Embarrassing.

its not a design fault - it is STILL not completely clear why there are many people who live in the humid tropics (North Australia, Florida etc) do not have this problem at all and some do. It seems more that there is a quality control issue with the way the filter system is designed. There are various theories i.e. water getting trapped in there causing mould to form but none of this has ever been proven.....

My personal theory is that there is a certain strain of mould and if your car gets this and it outproliferates the "good" mould spores you have a problem.

 

[JayPaul]

I got my TM3 3 months ago from Tesla. It was a lease return. This week I just did the Kool-it foam spray and put in those aftermarket amazon charcoal activated filters. It is much better, but look what the original filters looked like. My entire passenger foot well was filled with debris as I pulled the lower filter out. I think the issue for me, is not having an inlet screen. The filters are too deep into the system, they should have developed a filter system in the fronk area before it made it's way inside the vehicle. My Ram has a screen inside, but the inlet isn't a wide-open mouth like the TM3, my Audi has the cabin filter in the engine bay and has a debris cover.

 

[freeAgent]

I got my TM3 3 months ago from Tesla. It was a lease return. This week I just did the Kool-it foam spray and put in those aftermarket amazon charcoal activated filters. It is much better, but look what the original filters looked like. My entire passenger foot well was filled with debris as I pulled the lower filter out. I think the issue for me, is not having an inlet screen. The filters are too deep into the system, they should have developed a filter system in the fronk area before it made it's way inside the vehicle. My Ram has a screen inside, but the inlet isn't a wide-open mouth like the TM3, my Audi has the cabin filter in the engine bay and has a debris cover.

Yikes, those are extremely rough. Anyway, there are intake protectors sold on sites like Amazon, but you have to be careful about restricting airflow too much and hurting the performance (and probably lifespan) of your HVAC system.

 

[beachsideev]

It looks like they never changed those filters!

 

[JayPaul]

I was looking. I think what would be a good design is if you had one of those Amazon intake covers, removed all the rigid plastic, leaving braces going front to back (like arches), then covering the entire open area with some kind of screen (fabric screen). This would allow full airflow, while preventing any debris from entering the intake.

Something like this, with a fabric screen covering the entire thing:

 

[EnzoXYZ]

its not a design fault - it is STILL not completely clear why there are many people who live in the humid tropics (North Australia, Florida etc) do not have this problem at all and some do. It seems more that there is a quality control issue with the way the filter system is designed. There are various theories i.e. water getting trapped in there causing mould to form but none of this has ever been proven.....

My personal theory is that there is a certain strain of mould and if your car gets this and it outproliferates the "good" mould spores you have a problem.

Unlikely. Never had a car with this issue. Had many and we don't often change the cabin filter. Maybe every other year if we remember?
Does the new Ys with the HEPA filter have this issue? To me this is a complete redesign from the old Y/3 systems that have the filter right on the evaporator coil (dumb idea due to condensation). The fact the service center insists the filter is *the* problem gives me the belief there is a bigger issue Tesla isn't addressing.

I notice the smell only lasting 10-15 seconds on start up and fine after. After a drive the car goes through however many minutes of running the fan. Last few times this is when I smell the moldy air. However the system is doing it seems to be collecting moisture somewhere and feeding the mold.

 

[EnzoXYZ]

I got my TM3 3 months ago from Tesla. It was a lease return. This week I just did the Kool-it foam spray and put in those aftermarket amazon charcoal activated filters. It is much better, but look what the original filters looked like. My entire passenger foot well was filled with debris as I pulled the lower filter out. I think the issue for me, is not having an inlet screen. The filters are too deep into the system, they should have developed a filter system in the fronk area before it made it's way inside the vehicle. My Ram has a screen inside, but the inlet isn't a wide-open mouth like the TM3, my Audi has the cabin filter in the engine bay and has a debris cover.

Cabin filter on the Y/3 should be designed in the frunk where it is easy to access and change. You can vacuum if needed. My 2015 S have this design and takes 5 mins to change the filter.

 

[EnzoXYZ]

I was looking. I think what would be a good design is if you had one of those Amazon intake covers, removed all the rigid plastic, leaving braces going front to back (like arches), then covering the entire open area with some kind of screen (fabric screen). This would allow full airflow, while preventing any debris from entering the intake.

Something like this, with a fabric screen covering the entire thing:

This shouldn't be a customer's job. Poor design was the problem. I put a mesh over the inlet after I found a bunch of rotting leaves and seeds in the cabin filter box. When you scope the cabin filter box you'll find a bunch of nasty stuff rotting away. I thought this was causing my moldy smell issue but it was not unfortunately.

 

[Candleflame]

Unlikely. Never had a car with this issue. Had many and we don't often change the cabin filter. Maybe every other year if we remember?
Does the new Ys with the HEPA filter have this issue? To me this is a complete redesign from the old Y/3 systems that have the filter right on the evaporator coil (dumb idea due to condensation). The fact the service center insists the filter is *the* problem gives me the belief there is a bigger issue Tesla isn't addressing.

I notice the smell only lasting 10-15 seconds on start up and fine after. After a drive the car goes through however many minutes of running the fan. Last few times this is when I smell the moldy air. However the system is doing it seems to be collecting moisture somewhere and feeding the mold.

my car was in cairns (exactly the same climate as miami) for 3 years and i never had this problem.

 

[Resist]

The best way to prevent that moldy smell is to turn the A/C off and run the fan for 15 minutes at the end of the drive. This helps to dry the condenser coils, so it's not wet allowing for mold growth. I've done this for decades on many other vehicles and not once had an issue with smell.

 

[Candleflame]

The best way to prevent that moldy smell is to turn the A/C off and run the fan for 15 minutes at the end of the drive. This helps to dry the condenser coils, so it's not wet allowing for mold growth. I've done this for decades on many other vehicles and not once had an issue with smell.

the car does this automatically.

 

[Resist]

the car does this automatically.

Are you sure? I've never heard that it does.

 

[beachsideev]

Check on your car 15 minutes after you park it. You should hear the fans running.

 

[Kimmi]

A/C drying or BMS doing its thing?

 

[Resist]

Check on your car 15 minutes after you park it. You should hear the fans running.

I assume it taking outside air while the fans are blowing and not using cabin recycled air. But maybe the fans aren't running long enough to dry the condenser.

 

[Candleflame]

Are you sure? I've never heard that it does.

yes absoloutely. maybe not humid enough where you live. it was patched in in 2019

 

[beachsideev]

A/C drying or BMS doing its thing?

Ac. You can hear the fans running from outside the car.

 

[Level8Drummer]

Ok, it started to get stinky today, 3 weeks post new filter install and antifungal spray. Sprayed again today, will update when it gets stinky again.