TLDR; Two zero-cost DIY mods to make cabin filter changes easy, and keep leaves/debris from getting into the HVAC box and causing the car to smell like a old gym socks.
These DIY mods are on a 2021 M3LR. Great car, but I have read/heard about cabin funk caused by wet cabin filters and/or debris rotting in the air intake, so I wanted to address these two issues before they became an issue in my M3. First up was the dreaded cabin filter cover torx screw. I knew I was going to make a thumbscrew, but as I got my side panel off, I realized Tesla had revised the cover design in my '21 by locating the screw at the BOTTOM of the cover. MUCH easier to get to! But I already had allotted the time to make a thumbscrew, and it reduces the task to a tool-free operation. The overall height of the thumbscrew clears the cover by about 1/4". So this is it installed:
The thumb screw is made of titanium (very lightweight) and was turned on my '66 14" swing rockwood lathe. I used a die grinder bit and a rotary table + drill press to cut the scallops in the side of the knob. I wasn't planning on cutting the scallops this deep but it became useful since the knob is quite close to a protruding ledge of the box at the bottom so the depth works well in this application.
I TIG welded a screw similar to the factory one (in case I ruined the first one) to the end of the knob using SB as filler, since it works well at joining dissimilar metals. Total cost: $0
To address the likely event of debris making it through the air intake and into the HVAC box, I decided against getting some rando Amazon screen or filter. Instead, I cut some stainless mesh, that I had left over from restoring a '55 Triumph motorcycle front brake plate, to the same size/shape of the O.D. of the bottom of the intake horn. Instead of using some type of adhesive, I used a pencil torch to heat the screen, a couple inches at a time, right next to the plastic, while applying pressure on the screen toward the plastic. As the screen melted into the plastic, I rolled the now soft plastic over the screen, locking into place permanently.
This is a view from the top of the intake horn.
Installed view with the top cover still off. It should be easier to clean the debris out of here rather than further down in the HVAC box. Total cost $0
There are probably a hundred ways to get these two jobs done besides how I did them. I know amazon and ebay have us covered for most of this stuff, but it is kinda fun to see if DIY can be done better than or at least equal to mass produced items. OR maybe I just hunt for things to do since this car is so utterly brilliant as it is. :-D Anyhow I welcome your feedback and hope this post inspires other DIY-ers .
Best regards, Dan.
These DIY mods are on a 2021 M3LR. Great car, but I have read/heard about cabin funk caused by wet cabin filters and/or debris rotting in the air intake, so I wanted to address these two issues before they became an issue in my M3. First up was the dreaded cabin filter cover torx screw. I knew I was going to make a thumbscrew, but as I got my side panel off, I realized Tesla had revised the cover design in my '21 by locating the screw at the BOTTOM of the cover. MUCH easier to get to! But I already had allotted the time to make a thumbscrew, and it reduces the task to a tool-free operation. The overall height of the thumbscrew clears the cover by about 1/4". So this is it installed:
The thumb screw is made of titanium (very lightweight) and was turned on my '66 14" swing rockwood lathe. I used a die grinder bit and a rotary table + drill press to cut the scallops in the side of the knob. I wasn't planning on cutting the scallops this deep but it became useful since the knob is quite close to a protruding ledge of the box at the bottom so the depth works well in this application.
I TIG welded a screw similar to the factory one (in case I ruined the first one) to the end of the knob using SB as filler, since it works well at joining dissimilar metals. Total cost: $0
To address the likely event of debris making it through the air intake and into the HVAC box, I decided against getting some rando Amazon screen or filter. Instead, I cut some stainless mesh, that I had left over from restoring a '55 Triumph motorcycle front brake plate, to the same size/shape of the O.D. of the bottom of the intake horn. Instead of using some type of adhesive, I used a pencil torch to heat the screen, a couple inches at a time, right next to the plastic, while applying pressure on the screen toward the plastic. As the screen melted into the plastic, I rolled the now soft plastic over the screen, locking into place permanently.
This is a view from the top of the intake horn.
Installed view with the top cover still off. It should be easier to clean the debris out of here rather than further down in the HVAC box. Total cost $0
There are probably a hundred ways to get these two jobs done besides how I did them. I know amazon and ebay have us covered for most of this stuff, but it is kinda fun to see if DIY can be done better than or at least equal to mass produced items. OR maybe I just hunt for things to do since this car is so utterly brilliant as it is. :-D Anyhow I welcome your feedback and hope this post inspires other DIY-ers .
Best regards, Dan.
