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Model 3 AC Smell Update...

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I just replaced the filters with carbon ones and used this cleaner. Smell has gone away. The last time I replaced these filters it was a year ago with Tesla Service (129.00). Will try the cabin overheat off to see if it last longer without smelling.




 
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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.

You didn't answer my question. If Tesla (or anyone else for that matter) is paid a fee to do work, how long should they warranty their work? For a cost of $X for A/C odor-treatment service, how many odor-free months am I guaranteed? A guarantee means that if the odor returns during the warranty period, the work is re-performed at no charge.
 
You didn't answer my question. If Tesla (or anyone else for that matter) is paid a fee to do work, how long should they warranty their work? For a cost of $X for A/C odor-treatment service, how many odor-free months am I guaranteed? A guarantee means that if the odor returns during the warranty period, the work is re-performed at no charge.

That's between you and Tesla (or you and whomever performs the work).
 
Had the window open yesterday while talking to someone standing outside my car. They told me my Tesla smells like Elon Musk put his grandmother's gym socks in it.

I pulled my filters out and they don't smell. I ordered new ones on Amazon anyway. I don't think the smell is the filters. I think it's the ducting. I stuck my phone in and took a picture.

I might spray something in there to clean it.

I ordered this filter because it has some good reviews from model 3 owners and it looks near OEM. I will let you know how it fits tomorrow.

Spearhead Premium Breathe Easy Cabin Filter, Up to 25% Longer Life w/Activated Carbon (BE-111) Amazon.com: Spearhead Premium Breathe Easy Cabin Filter, Up to 25% Longer Life w/Activated Carbon (BE-111) : Automotive
 

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I don't use cabin overheat protection at all. Not sure if it would make it better or worse.
AC off/Fan only overheat protection probably isn't going to hurt at all. In fact, it might help. If the cabin temp climbs quickly after you exit the car, then the fan (switched on by the overheat) might turn on quicker/less lag time than the fan that runs automatically after you run the AC while driving. (There is a lag time between exiting the car and the fan coming on for the latter.)

I don't know if the fan turns on automatically after AC on overheat (like it does after you've run it while driving). If it doesn't then you might be making the situation worse.

Hope all that made sense.
 
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Just throwing this out there after looking in the filter area and see the pictures of the same filter / duct area above, my thought is now to leave the fan set to 5 or less. My thought (and I could be totally wrong) is that on a 5'ish or lower fan speed it allows the water to fall normally and drain out, but on a faster fan setting is more likely to throw the condensation in to the filters getting them nice and wet. Of course when it's 95F and sunny and you get in a hot car you really want a faster fan speed....
 
Had the window open yesterday while talking to someone standing outside my car. They told me my Tesla smells like Elon Musk put his grandmother's gym socks in it.

I pulled my filters out and they don't smell. I ordered new ones on Amazon anyway. I don't think the smell is the filters. I think it's the ducting. I stuck my phone in and took a picture.

I might spray something in there to clean it.

I ordered this filter because it has some good reviews from model 3 owners and it looks near OEM. I will let you know how it fits tomorrow.

Spearhead Premium Breathe Easy Cabin Filter, Up to 25% Longer Life w/Activated Carbon (BE-111) Amazon.com: Spearhead Premium Breathe Easy Cabin Filter, Up to 25% Longer Life w/Activated Carbon (BE-111) : Automotive
Did you stick you phone in where the cabin filters were or in the intake area in the frunk?
 
Did you stick you phone in where the cabin filters were or in the intake area in the frunk?

Both. The pictures I posted before are from the cabin filters location looking up at the fan.

This is what the intake looks like outside the car. Also a picture of the whole unit removed I took from ebay so you can get an idea of what we are looking at. Pretty much the intake is just a big scoop that goes to the fan. Then the air filter is sitting below the fan.
 

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Just throwing this out there after looking in the filter area and see the pictures of the same filter / duct area above, my thought is now to leave the fan set to 5 or less. My thought (and I could be totally wrong) is that on a 5'ish or lower fan speed it allows the water to fall normally and drain out, but on a faster fan setting is more likely to throw the condensation in to the filters getting them nice and wet. Of course when it's 95F and sunny and you get in a hot car you really want a faster fan speed....

You might be right. The fan is super powerful. On high it's really pulling hard anything that falls by the intake and blowing it at the filters.
 
Just throwing this out there after looking in the filter area and see the pictures of the same filter / duct area above, my thought is now to leave the fan set to 5 or less. My thought (and I could be totally wrong) is that on a 5'ish or lower fan speed it allows the water to fall normally and drain out, but on a faster fan setting is more likely to throw the condensation in to the filters getting them nice and wet. Of course when it's 95F and sunny and you get in a hot car you really want a faster fan speed....

I think the sequence of items in the airflow path is: Inlet grille -> Fan -> Filters -> Evaporator.

Some moisture comes from outside, but I think the majority of the moisture that results in the smell is the condensation that forms on the evaporator. Keeping the condensation to a minimum is done by 1) Maximizing air flow, i.e. higher fan speeds, and 2) not making the evaporator too cold, i.e. don't set temperature too low, avoid recirc unless it's necessary, and if using recirc, use high fan speeds only. Avoid low fan speeds with recirc, as this is when the evaporator gets coldest and will condense a lot of water.

One of the biggest problems that Tesla's software has for this is that when the system is run on AUTO, it always will configure the A/C to use recirc with low fan speeds, as this is the maximum cooling for the least battery power. This is also what causes maximum condensation and maximum mildew.

Letting the car sit parked with recirc engaged is another problem -- the water then never dries because it never leaves the vehicle. Change the system to fresh air a few minutes before arriving at your destination, this will warm up the evaporator to reduce further condensation, and will allow moisture in the air to escape the car while it's parked.

It's the stupidest thing ever that this car, with all of it's software and automatic systems, fails miserably to control the HVAC system.

And he's going to make Full Self Driving work. Yeah, right.
 
Joe so do you think the recirc is throwing the water back on the filters? In looking at it I am confused as to how the condensate / water is getting all over the filters?

I think the water's getting on there just from contact. The surface of the filters are only a few mm away from the fins of the evaporator, so I think any time there's a bump or turn, droplets from the evaporator contact the filter material and wick into it.

Plus, the filter material isn't completely rigid inside the filter frame. The fan blows air and this pushes the filter media outwards enough towards the evaporator side to contact it.

The other thing is, I'm not convinced all of the water is draining properly out of the HVAC plenum. I think due to nooks & crannies inside there, there are places where the water stagnates and doesn't drain, and this allows mildew growth.
 
I just thought of another reason both our 3 and Y stink every year ... We have a steep driveway so when we come home we drive down and slow down on an decline before leveling off at the garage. If any water is sitting under the coils it would move forward straight into the bottom of the filter...
 
I don't care what kind of hepa or bepa or zepa's or air tight or air-rights are used.

It stinks.

How do we get rid if that?
Get rid of the OEM filters. They are literally the problem. Any upgrade will do (hepa or not).

Frankly I think hepa marketing is silly but I bought some and they don’t stink at all. I live in a high humidity area and they work. For me, that’s all I care about.