Model 3 AC Smell Update...

[f308gt4]

I’ve had the smell happen in my daughters Ford Focus. Changed the air cabin filter and sprayed an air system cleaner down the vents and it went away. Lots of complaining about it on the Focus forums, so it’s not limited to Tesla. For the Focus, the recommendation is to turn off air conditioner about 5 minutes before returning home and just let it blow air through the system.

Luckily, I havent had it with my Tesla. I did just change the filters pre-emptively, since I had the car for over a year now. Cheap to replace- you can buy the filters for less than $20 on amazon.

Unfortunately, I did mess up the speaker connector when disconnecting it, but I ordered a new connector and also a thumb screw replacement for the Torx screw. Next time, I think I can do the filter change without having to disconnect the speaker wire.

 

[al503]

I agree that most cars can have this issue. A quick google search and visiting the other forums will probably confirm that. With that said, I've never had this issue with any car that I've had (even though other respective owners obviously did) because I always (OK. 99% of the time) turn the ac off and run it on just the fan for the last ~4-5 minutes of the drive. You'll read the same stuff on other forums. 'AC smell'... 'Turn off the AC a few minutes before shutting off the engine...'

I cleaned and changed the filter last summer and the vinegar smell is coming back again, despite the same practice of shutting off ac prior to arrival.

I don't know how the filter and coil is situated in other cars, as I never had to do this before, but seeing how much of the filters in the Model 3 appear to be underneath the coils (any moisture dropping from the coil would land/get absorbed by the filter) I have to vote that this is a questionable design, at best...

 

[Candleflame]

I agree that most cars can have this issue. A quick google search and visiting the other forums will probably confirm that. With that said, I've never had this issue with any car that I've had (even though other respective owners obviously did) because I always (OK. 99% of the time) turn the ac off and run it on just the fan for the last ~4-5 minutes of the drive. You'll read the same stuff on other forums. 'AC smell'... 'Turn off the AC a few minutes before shutting off the engine...'

I cleaned and changed the filter last summer and the vinegar smell is coming back again, despite the same practice of shutting off ac prior to arrival.

I don't know how the filter and coil is situated in other cars, as I never had to do this before, but seeing how much of the filters in the Model 3 appear to be underneath the coils (any moisture dropping from the coil would land/get absorbed by the filter) I have to vote that this is a questionable design, at best...

the question is why some cars dont. I live in the humid tropics, I wash my car carelessly with lots of water spraying into the AC intake etc. My car spends a lot of time on recirc. I dont get the smell. I had a bit of musty smell once after 1 year and just changing the dirty filters which made it go away.

The offgassing smell of Teslas is so pleasant even 2 years later it has a nice car smell.

It is either a sloppy manufacturing job or an unlucky contamination.

 

[P3dStealth]

Anyone try just not running a filter or using only one of those aftermarket intake ones?

I've had a lot of cars that didn't have a cabin filter. If the filter is getting wet and smelling I think it's doing the opposite of what I want anyway.

 

[vogz]

Anyone try just not running a filter or using only one of those aftermarket intake ones?

I've had a lot of cars that didn't have a cabin filter. If the filter is getting wet and smelling I think it's doing the opposite of what I want anyway.

Just running no filter at all would not be advisable. In that case, all the debris that was being caught by the filters will now be imbedded in your A/C coil, getting wet and drying out repeatedly. Rotting leaves would probably not smell very great and be much harder to clean out of the coil vs a simple filter change. All that said, you might be on to something. I personally think a lot of the issue is where the filters are located since the sit right up against the coil. Some are already running a filter on the HVAC intake under the hood in addition to filters in the original location. Why not just run the aftermarket filter under the hood and remove the filters in the dash? If mine starts to stink again quickly, that’s what I’ll probably try.

Amazon.com: VIHIMAI Tesla Model 3 Air Intake Filters Cabin Air Vent Intake with Activated Carbon Air Conditioning Air Intake Inlet Compatible with 2018 2019 2020 Tesla Model 3 : Automotive

Amazon.com: VIHIMAI Tesla Model 3 Air Intake Filters Cabin Air Vent Intake with Activated Carbon Air Conditioning Air Intake Inlet Compatible with 2018 2019 2020 Tesla Model 3 : Automotive

www.amazon.com

 

[Brock-WI]

I wonder with the new hepa filter under the hood on the Y will fix the wet filter smell problem? Do the S's and X's with that larger pre-filter have the smell problem as well?

I am really tempted to try only the pre-filter or intake filter and leave the ones out. It does look like the condensate water from the coil has to essentially run through the existing filter to the drain hole. I guess the issue would be no filtering on recirc air?

 

[SomeJoe7777]

As has been stated in other threads on this topic, it's a common issue in many car models (if not all at some point in their lives) which is easily verifiable with a simple google search. Just because you have a super small sample size of data in your world in which it hasn't happened doesn't mean that it doesn't happen to other cars. My wife's previous car (2008 Acura RDX) and my previous car (2011 Audi S4) both had this issue multiple times in our ownership. I don't think everyone is just "accepting this as OK", I think people are sharing easy and cheap fixes for the issue when/if it does crop up (not all model 3s have had this issue). If you think that Tesla or ANY other auto manufacturer is going to replace dirty/mildew ridden cabin filters and clean A/C coils for free, you are nuts.

The real issue for me is not the existence of the problem in the Tesla's, but the frequency. In a humid environment, eventually any A/C will get some mold/mildew in it and will have an odor that will need to be rectified by cleaning and a filter change. I've owned 6 different cars prior to my Tesla Model 3s, and one of those was a Tesla Model S. I believe out of those 6 cars, I needed an A/C cleaning service only twice over the 30 year period that those 6 cars covered.

My Model 3 has needed to be serviced 4 times due to odor in a 3 year period.

How long should a serviced A/C system be odor-free? If I pay Tesla $150+ to clean and service the A/C system to get rid of odor, how long is it guaranteed to be odor-free? In any previous car, the A/C would be odor-free for well over a year after a service without question. My Model 3 routinely re-develops the odor after as little as a few weeks if there is a lot of heat and humidity/rain.

That's not acceptable. I'm willing to pay $150 per year for A/C cleaning service -- that seems a reasonable periodic maintenance item. If Tesla can't keep it odor-free for a year without multiple services, that isn't my problem. That's Tesla's [design] problem and they should do something about it.

 

[Bigbusa]

The real issue for me is not the existence of the problem in the Tesla's, but the frequency. In a humid environment, eventually any A/C will get some mold/mildew in it and will have an odor that will need to be rectified by cleaning and a filter change. I've owned 6 different cars prior to my Tesla Model 3s, and one of those was a Tesla Model S. I believe out of those 6 cars, I needed an A/C cleaning service only twice over the 30 year period that those 6 cars covered.

My Model 3 has needed to be serviced 4 times due to odor in a 3 year period.

How long should a serviced A/C system be odor-free? If I pay Tesla $150+ to clean and service the A/C system to get rid of odor, how long is it guaranteed to be odor-free? In any previous car, the A/C would be odor-free for well over a year after a service without question. My Model 3 routinely re-develops the odor after as little as a few weeks if there is a lot of heat and humidity/rain.

That's not acceptable. I'm willing to pay $150 per year for A/C cleaning service -- that seems a reasonable periodic maintenance item. If Tesla can't keep it odor-free for a year without multiple services, that isn't my problem. That's Tesla's [design] problem and they should do something about it.

Yeah, have that same issue/question. Had my car for just over 2 years now and had my filter changed and coils cleaned 4 times already. Paid for 2, got 2 covered under warranty. The tech told me I should turn off my air conditioner and leave the fan on about 2-3 mins from my destination to dry off the coils. Have yet to try it because it seems too much of a hassle.

 

[I.lift.2.eat]

I just had Tesla do mobile service to get rid of smelly ac issue. It cost $67. Took the guy 20 min. Cheaper to do yourself but I rather pay a little to know it got done correctly and quickly using the right parts.

 

[TexasTezla]

Tesla came over to me today and replaced my filters. $67 +$20 for the techies pocket because he was friendly, courteous, asked me about any other issues he could help with. He told me my Dec 2020 M3P used filter type A and they are now on type C. Gotta say my filters were not all that dirty as I had installed the filter guard in frunk. I didnt have any bad smell but just thought it was time.

 

[P3dStealth]

Tesla came over to me today and replaced my filters. $67 +$20 for the techies pocket because he was friendly, courteous, asked me about any other issues he could help with. He told me my Dec 2020 M3P used filter type A and they are now on type C. Gotta say my filters were not all that dirty as I had installed the filter guard in frunk. I didnt have any bad smell but just thought it was time.

Did the filters look different?

 

[tezlam3]

can they make rubber filters instead of paper so we can just take them out and wash them if we needed to?

 

[vogz]

The real issue for me is not the existence of the problem in the Tesla's, but the frequency. In a humid environment, eventually any A/C will get some mold/mildew in it and will have an odor that will need to be rectified by cleaning and a filter change. I've owned 6 different cars prior to my Tesla Model 3s, and one of those was a Tesla Model S. I believe out of those 6 cars, I needed an A/C cleaning service only twice over the 30 year period that those 6 cars covered.

My Model 3 has needed to be serviced 4 times due to odor in a 3 year period.

How long should a serviced A/C system be odor-free? If I pay Tesla $150+ to clean and service the A/C system to get rid of odor, how long is it guaranteed to be odor-free? In any previous car, the A/C would be odor-free for well over a year after a service without question. My Model 3 routinely re-develops the odor after as little as a few weeks if there is a lot of heat and humidity/rain.

That's not acceptable. I'm willing to pay $150 per year for A/C cleaning service -- that seems a reasonable periodic maintenance item. If Tesla can't keep it odor-free for a year without multiple services, that isn't my problem. That's Tesla's [design] problem and they should do something about it.

It has happened to my car once in almost 2 years. If it happens again soon, I'll definitely be annoyed, but I'm a realist. This is not as issue that Telsa is likely going to offer free fixes for no matter what your opinion on the acceptability of it is or your opinion on who's problem it is. I will say that based on the way Tesla has handled this issue on cars that it's cropped up on so far, it IS in fact your problem as the owner as this isn't a safety issue.

So therefore we have a few choices.
1. Sell the car and move on.
2. Deal with it and replace the filters/clean the coil or pay to have it done as needed.
3. Come up with a possible alternate DIY solution. (as I mentioned in my previous post)
4. Start a class action lawsuit against Tesla which will take years to resolve.

I'm going to take the easy route, and accept this as a small flaw in an otherwise fantastic vehicle and I will address the issue if/when it resurfaces and probably try my DIY filter relocation solution next.

 

[vogz]

can they make rubber filters instead of paper so we can just take them out and wash them if we needed to?

That wouldn't solve the problem of mildew growth on the A/C coil.

 

[stopcrazypp]

The real issue for me is not the existence of the problem in the Tesla's, but the frequency. In a humid environment, eventually any A/C will get some mold/mildew in it and will have an odor that will need to be rectified by cleaning and a filter change. I've owned 6 different cars prior to my Tesla Model 3s, and one of those was a Tesla Model S. I believe out of those 6 cars, I needed an A/C cleaning service only twice over the 30 year period that those 6 cars covered.

My Model 3 has needed to be serviced 4 times due to odor in a 3 year period.

How long should a serviced A/C system be odor-free? If I pay Tesla $150+ to clean and service the A/C system to get rid of odor, how long is it guaranteed to be odor-free? In any previous car, the A/C would be odor-free for well over a year after a service without question. My Model 3 routinely re-develops the odor after as little as a few weeks if there is a lot of heat and humidity/rain.

That's not acceptable. I'm willing to pay $150 per year for A/C cleaning service -- that seems a reasonable periodic maintenance item. If Tesla can't keep it odor-free for a year without multiple services, that isn't my problem. That's Tesla's [design] problem and they should do something about it.

Do you have cabin overheat protection on? There was someone that found that was the cause. Cabin overheat protection makes it so the cabin never hits temperatures that kills mold/mildew (and may in fact even prolong ideal mold/mildew growing temps).
Tesla: Please fix the stinky AC - here's how with an OTA update

The other thing is if it has happened already (especially repeatedly), the mold/mildew may be somewhere else in the plenums in significant numbers, in which case it'll come back relatively quickly even with a coil cleaning and filter change, given you never kill them off completely. Some sort of heat treatment probably is the safest way to kill off any mold/mildew. There are some chemical products that can be used with a fogger, but I doubt most people will want to try that. The software solution Tesla uses is only really useful for cars that never had the smell issue.

 

[Leeclanual]

Buy a can of Kool-it, spray it, put in new filters. Or pay Tesla $150 to do it for you

I used Klima cleaner today (similar to kool it) and it was easy… will see if it works and for how long. In stock on Amazon… Kool-it in back order.

Amazon.com: nextzett 96110515 Klima-Cleaner Air Conditioner Cleaner - 10 fl oz: Automotive

Buy nextzett 96110515 Klima-Cleaner Air Conditioner Cleaner - 10 fl oz: Air Fresheners - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

 

[vogz]

Do you have cabin overheat protection on? There was someone that found that was the cause. Cabin overheat protection makes it so the cabin never hits temperatures that kills mold/mildew (and may in fact even prolong ideal mold/mildew growing temps).
Tesla: Please fix the stinky AC - here's how with an OTA update

Just wanted to throw some anecdotal evidence to the contrary out there. My coworker and I both have 2020 Model 3s. He runs with cabin overheat protection off at all times and has never used it. I run with it on all the time and at just about 15 months into ownership, we both had stinky A/C.

That said, assuming a cause without large sample sizes of each case is not useful.

 

[stopcrazypp]

Just wanted to throw some anecdotal evidence to the contrary out there. My coworker and I both have 2020 Model 3s. He runs with cabin overheat protection off at all times and has never used it. I run with it on all the time and at just about 15 months into ownership, we both had stinky A/C.

That said, assuming a cause without large sample sizes of each case is not useful.

Yeah, it was the cause for that particular case, but definitely won't be the cause for all cases as everyone has different circumstances (humidity, air temps, whether the car is parked in the sun or in high temps, the presence of mold/mildew spores in the area, etc).
For example, if your car never experiences 140F+ degrees (or close) in the first place, having cabin overheat protection on or off doesn't make a difference for the mold/mildew issue.

 

[al503]

Just wanted to throw some anecdotal evidence to the contrary out there. My coworker and I both have 2020 Model 3s. He runs with cabin overheat protection off at all times and has never used it. I run with it on all the time and at just about 15 months into ownership, we both had stinky A/C.

That said, assuming a cause without large sample sizes of each case is not useful.

I found out that my cabin overheat (non-AC) wasn't working and temp in the cabin was getting into the 140's. My AC is still starting to smell like vinegar a year after I cleaned it out.

 

[TexasTezla]

Did the filters look different?

I didn't see them but the tech was talking to me and he said they are now gray rather than white...