Helping the A/C

[HonoluluHoon]

Is the car sitting in the sun? Do you have tinted glass? Makes a big difference.

yes, sitting outside at work all day. Right now its 1pm and my car is 136 degrees. It will keep getting hotter. I like to precool it but sometimes i leave unexpectedly and immediately.

i have all 8 windows tinted. i'll look into the roof shade that someone suggested.

 

[HonoluluHoon]

No. Our model 3 A/C is great. When my X would take a long time like that, I didn't even catch it at first, but after having tesla fix it, it's back to working great as well. blows freezing cold now.

good to know. I like to exhaust all the options on my end before I take something in for service. especially if i dont even know if its broken or if its just designed to be inadequate.

 

[rotarypower101]

How strong is the AC in other peoples Model 3 typically?
Does "year" matter at all for the HP Model 3s?
How does the HP system compare to the older 3s that didn't had the resistive heater system, if different at all in terms of AC capability?

~How long does it take to cool a 100* day heat soaked warm car sat in the sun once the HVAC is started to a very comfortable level?

 

[BitJam]

How strong is the AC in other peoples Model 3 typically?
Does "year" matter at all for the HP Model 3s?
How does the HP system compare to the older 3s that didn't had the resistive heater system, if different at all in terms of AC capability?

~How long does it take to cool a 100* day heat soaked warm car sat in the sun once the HVAC is started to a very comfortable level?

As I posted above, my 2021 LRMY cools off by roughly 10F per minute. The app makes this really easy to test from the comfort of your home. Just turn the A/C on via the app and turn on a timer or a clock. Every minute record the internal temperature of the car as reported by the app.

 

[DuncanM]

The only complaint I have with my 2021 Model 3 is the Air Conditioning. Mine makes about 20 minutes of driving to get cold. I do try to pre-cool it using the App, but thats not always possible. What can I do to help my AC?

I already have 2 things in my garage that I might as well use as long as they are compatible with a Tesla:

AC Pro and coolant additive

I see that the additive is for gas and diesel but doesnt Tesla use the same coolant as gas cars? Is it safe for me to try either of these products on my model 3?

Or what else should I do to make my AC colder?

It won't help in the garage, but a reflective sun shade such as this really helps the AC to cool the car:

Amazon.com

 

[AZAV8R]

Might be a dumb question but, do you use the recirculating function? It helps to cool the car way faster.

Just don't leave it on. That's a quick way to that really stinky smell that people complain about, as it won't allow the evaporator in a dry out properly..

 

[XPsionic]

Just don't leave it on. That's a quick way to that really stinky smell that people complain about, as it won't allow the evaporator in a dry out properly..

Yep, listen to AZAV8R! Best to leave the climate control on Auto and let it sort things out.

 

[blackT3$!@]

I guess I should have started with a question: do teslas have weak AC? mine doesnt seem to be broken, it just takes a long time to get the car cold enough that I have to turn it down. Tesla takes 20 minutes of driving for me to be cold enough to reduce the AC, while my jeep takes 2-3 minutes.

2021 3LR AWD in Florida. I have all but the windshield tinted. Cabin temp in the Florida sun reaches 160. It takes less than 10 mins to cool it down to 60 from the app. Your AC is not performing optimally.

 

[rcnesneg]

If you want to see what's going on yourself you can go into service mode and there's a pretty fancy screen showing all the HVAC systems running.

I don't know what any of it means and obviously don't do anything in there but it might be interesting to see if something is amiss.

 

[Soul Surfer]

Just don't leave it on. That's a quick way to that really stinky smell that people complain about, as it won't allow the evaporator in a dry out properly..

I have never had an issue. Maybe "Arid-zona" is different Up here in "Kuh-Nuh-Duh" we need to do this because of the temperature extremes. Peace out!

 

[pikeman]

I guess I should have started with a question: do teslas have weak AC? mine doesnt seem to be broken, it just takes a long time to get the car cold enough that I have to turn it down. Tesla takes 20 minutes of driving for me to be cold enough to reduce the AC, while my jeep takes 2-3 minutes.

We took a 4k road trip between TX and NorCal. It was hot weather and the a/c handled the challenge easily. The car actually became too cold. Go see your service center and DO NOT screw with the car. You invalidate the warranty with stupidity and it’s going to be extremely expensive.

 

[HonoluluHoon]

I just got my car back from service.

 

[SalisburySam]

I like to exhaust all the options on my end before I take something in for service. especially if i dont even know if its broken or if its just designed to be inadequate.

For me, it depends. If still in warranty, my first action is to let service handle. If not in warranty, then I’ll try other options. By calling upon warranty service, I’ve let the manufacturer document at least one person’s issue, have the best chance of resolving the issue, and doing so in the shortest amount of my time. And with Tesla, the resolution for many problems happens in my driveway with their mobile service. After seeing what Tesla had to do to resolve your HVAC issue, I’m even more convinced of my approach being the right one…for me.

 

[MikeRTX]

I just got my car back from service.
View attachment 977508

That should get it, but let us know how it does after the fix.

The A/C was one of the things I was most concerned about before getting my M3. I'm hot-natured and Texas gets HOT, so I like A/C that gets cold fast and blows air like a wind tunnel. The system in the M3 is more subtle, but I was happy to find that it is effective in cooling the cabin down and keeping it comfy, even in 110F heat. But covering that big glass roof is a big part of it. Get one of those shades, even if only for the front, and tinted windows are also a must.

 

[Wennfred]

This is a well known problem and it will be covered by warranty, I’ve had those repairs done on my Model Y. The Super manifold and pressure release valves and a few other things will be replaced, also the cover.