As I stated in a earlier post, I would update on the matter.
So today I changed the 2 cabin filters and used Kool-It evaporator coil spray because after just 4 months I had that vinegar smell in the car when the AC started up. It did not matter whether the AC was on re-circ or not. So here are some observations, not in any particular order:
1. The Model 3 filters which I purchased (2 of them) from the service center look a little different. There is no more yellow on one side. I will post a picture, front and back of the new filters.
2. I viewed many YouTube videos how to do this and they were quite helpful, but none are up to date on the model year 2021. Tesla has hidden or moved the orange high voltage wires so you do not have to move them out of the way, they are just not there anymore. Second, the door screw is now at the bottom of the door, not the top, so it is easier to reach and unscrew with a Torx #20 screwdriver. I used the screwdriver most of the way and then the final turns by hand, did not want to drop the screw and not find it.
3. There is some discussion that the quantity of foam in the Kool-It can is not enough and you should buy 2 cans. I used one and was satisfied. So did it work and clean? I think so, my driveway had a pretty good size stream and puddle of water, but when the water started to dry I did notice some sludge or brown tint to the water so I think it did clean. The smell is gone and replace by a faint fragrance of the cleaner. The question will be if it lasts, can’t answer that now. I hope so.
4. I live in the NYC area and my car is garaged each night and always in the garage when not in use during the day, but the filters were just loaded with debris and dust balls. I should note my car is only 4 months old! So when I looked at these filters, they really needed to be changed.
5. The whole job took about 1 hr start to finish. If I had to do it again it would probably be about 40-45 minutes. I did let the spray cleaner sit on the coils and do their job for 30 minutes. Then I put the cabin filter door back and ran the fan on low speed for about 5 minutes. The car has been used a few times today since this project and there is no smell of vinegar. Also the filters that were removed did not smell so definitely it was on the evaporator coils. Opened the filter door and inserted the new filters, they dropped in easily and seem to be snug.
6. When I went to remove the panel below the glove box instead of 4 pin type fasteners, there were only 3 fasteners. Either they are only using 3 or one was missing. There is a hole for the 4th one so I will be taking a trip to the nearby service center and asking them for a pin fastener. When removing them I used a straight edge screw driver on a few and just my nails on one, they were easy to remove. When re-inserting, I pushed the outer piece in first and then the middle piece, it was easier to insert this way. When I lowered the glove box piece, I did not have to remove the 2 wires, just slid the panel to the side and had plenty of room. It is a little tricky lining this piece back up, so be patient but the front grooves do slide under the main piece. It only goes on one way.
7. Putting the side passenger panel back was also easy. Make sure that all the clips are on the panel, 2 of my clips remained and I just pulled them off and re-inserted on the panel. It took a little doing to line it all up, but once lined up it snapped easily into place.
That’s it. Will the smell go away? Time will tell.
The first picture is one side of the new filter, the second picture is the flip side, third picture is the original dirty filter removed and the last picture of dust and debris in the old filter. Both old filters were dirty and filled with dust balls.