How long does it take for a newbie to change air filter to fix smelly AC?

[M3BlueGeorgia]

Question for the people with reoccurring problems

Is your car parked on an incline?

Mine is normally parked on a flat surface in a carports and we haven't experienced the problem I.
2.75 years.

 

[Candleflame]

Unfortunately not in my case. 2018 Model 3 here. Had filters replaced and evaporator cleaned twice by Tesla since I bought the car. Still smells like vomit/vinegar whenever there's moisture in the air.

Recirculation actually stops the stink so it's definitely either something in the intake that pulls in outside air or it just reeks when the filter is wet (it's especially stinky when there's light rain and mist that gets sucked directly onto the filter).

have you tried cleaning the intake yourself with AC foam? the other tring you can try is get some 100% alcohol and just spray it into the intake while the AC is pulling air from the outside.

The thing is, non-recirc shouldnt really add to smell very much as the intake is very short (its just like.... 30cm long)

 

[simpsonhomer]

have you tried cleaning the intake yourself with AC foam? the other tring you can try is get some 100% alcohol and just spray it into the intake while the AC is pulling air from the outside.

The thing is, non-recirc shouldnt really add to smell very much as the intake is very short (its just like.... 30cm long)

I've tried cleaning the intake thoroughly with disinfectant wipes after removing the large panel under the frunk lid and the grate covering the intake. Either it worked temporarily or simply masked the odor because it came back in a few days.

I also bought an ozone generator and [very carefully] tried that twice (30 minutes each time) but no luck, either.

I also tried spraying half a can of Lysol with the fan pulling in at full blast. It didn't seem to do anything.

 

[Candleflame]

I've tried cleaning the intake thoroughly with disinfectant wipes after removing the large panel under the frunk lid and the grate covering the intake. Either it worked temporarily or simply masked the odor because it came back in a few days.

I also bought an ozone generator and [very carefully] tried that twice (30 minutes each time) but no luck, either.

I also tried spraying half a can of Lysol with the fan pulling in at full blast. It didn't seem to do anything.

that is very very odd. And no smell on recirc?

 

[simpsonhomer]

that is very very odd. And no smell on recirc?

That is correct (at least in my case). If it starts stinking then I switch on recirculation and within a minute it starts smelling normal/neutral again. Once I switch it back to fresh air, it starts stinking again.

If it's a dry day then sometimes it won't stink at all. But the combo of rain/mist + fresh air intake guarantees odor.

There were discussions elsewhere about an updated part ("INNER DUCT, HVAC, PLENUM, M3, 1107204-00-E") so I had that installed, too, but it did nothing for me.

I do hear air being pulled in after the car sits for a while, so I know that the firmware update from a while back is trying to do its job of drying out the system.

Now I'm trying to leave A/C off for cabin overheating protection. I tried this in the past without success, but maybe I need to do it for a longer period of time.

 

[brkaus]

@simpsonhomer do you get the same smell if you open the door for a minute? My truck and model S both do that.
I think it’s the extra humidity. No clue where the mildew is in my car & truck.

 

[beachsideev]

My m3 stunk pretty much from the beginning. When I replaced the filters at 1 year, I hosed the coils down with lysol disinfecting spray. The smell hasn't come back.

I read about lysol here but I don't remember from which poster. I drove all over town looking for the ac cleaner in a can but nobody sold it locally. Turns out I didn't really need it.

 

[Candleflame]

That is correct (at least in my case). If it starts stinking then I switch on recirculation and within a minute it starts smelling normal/neutral again. Once I switch it back to fresh air, it starts stinking again.

If it's a dry day then sometimes it won't stink at all. But the combo of rain/mist + fresh air intake guarantees odor.

There were discussions elsewhere about an updated part ("INNER DUCT, HVAC, PLENUM, M3, 1107204-00-E") so I had that installed, too, but it did nothing for me.

I do hear air being pulled in after the car sits for a while, so I know that the firmware update from a while back is trying to do its job of drying out the system.

Now I'm trying to leave A/C off for cabin overheating protection. I tried this in the past without success, but maybe I need to do it for a longer period of time.

the thing i could suggest is perhaps to buy a cheap usb endoscope and have a look down the intake if theres a mouse or so in there?

 

[Phlier]

I also bought an ozone generator and [very carefully] tried that twice (30 minutes each time) but no luck, either.

Ozone generators are very effective, but you need to use them for long enough. Think more like 12+ hours at a time. And in order for it to be effective, it needs to reach into where the problem is; you'll need to take out your cabin air filters and allow the ozone to permeate down through the system.

I'd also turn on the HVAC fan, with recirculate on, for a few minutes every few hours while the ozone generator is in operation.

I'm sure you already know this, but just in case.... Ozone is no joke. Don't breathe the stuff, and make sure you thoroughly air out your car before getting in it after using an ozone generator.