My Model Y smells, does it happen to yours?

[jcanoe]

jcanoe: I don't understand how preconditioning would circumvent any microbial growth in the HVAC.

I never stated that preconditioning would do that, i.e stop microbial growth. Preconditioning, running the AC lowers the humidity level in the cabin. Fresh air from outside flushes out any lingering odor. The only time I can sense any odor inside my Model Y when first getting into the Model Y is when I don't precondition for at least a few minutes.

I know the odor of mold and mildew, had it in my previous vehicle. I recall two distinct odors. One smells of mold, the second odor is like vinegar.

 

[jcanoe]

Here is another method of removing unpleasant odors from automobile HVAC systems. Since the air intake in the Tesla Model 3, Model Y is easily accessible when you open the hood this method of deodorizing the HVAC system and the passenger cabin is easy to perform . You will need a full can of Lysol deodorizer spray. Lysol spray works well in this application because Lysol spray has a significant alcohol content; alcohol kills mold and mildew. (Pick a Lysol deodorizer spray that you don't mind because your Tesla is going to have a Lysol based scent for a few days after treating the HVAC system with the Lysol deodorizer spray (You might try using Febreze deodorizer spray but I don't know how well Febreze would work at reducing, eliminating mold and mildew.)

Step1) Turn on the HVAC system with the Recirculate Cabin Air set to OFF. Set the Climate Control to AC. Set the fan on maximum speed (10). Close all doors and windows; set the Climate Control set to remain ON after you leave.

Step2) Open the hood exit the vehicle. Direct the Lysol spray into the air intake grill on the plastic shroud near the windshield. Apply about 1/3rd to 1/2 of the can, save the rest in case your vehicle requires a second treatment.

Step 3) Enter the Tesla vehicle and open the Climate Control Settings screen. Set Recirculate Cabin Air to ON. Set the cabin temperature control to the lowest temperature setting. Exit the vehicle with the AC running on Maximum with the doors and windows closed. Leave the AC system set to continue running after you leave. Leave the AC running on Maximum for 15 minutes.

Step 4) Open the vehicle; turn the HVAC to Auto (or your usual setting) and change the temperature to your usual temperature setting. Set Recirculate Cabin Air to OFF.

Any unpleasant odor should be gone from the vehicle and the HVAC system. The interior of your vehicle will smell like Lysol deodorizer for a day or two. If the unpleasant odor returns you can repeat the treatment.

 

[eCharcoal]

My Y started to have this vinegar smell 3 weeks after delivery. My 3 had it too but it was one year after delivery. I changed the cabin filter on my 3 and sprayed cleaner in the compartment. It did the trick. It’s been 16 months now and the smell has not come back. Not sure why the Y had the smell so quick. I’ll try the service center this time.

Before I changed out the filter on the 3, I did a temporary fix by turning on the heater on HI and blowing full blast for 15 minutes. The smell was gone for several days.

 

[eCharcoal]

Made a mobile service appointment literally right after my last post last night. Got an appointment today. Tech arrived my office parking lot on time and took him 15 minutes in and out. Apparently it’s much easier to do it on the Y than the 3.
Tech also said Tesla has determined that the filter is the culprit and they’re switching to another filter on new Ys and 3s. The new one is not yellow in color.
Initially they tried to charge me $140 for it but then they waived it but emphasized it is a one time good will.

 

[Pianewman]

I never stated that preconditioning would do that, i.e stop microbial growth. Preconditioning, running the AC lowers the humidity level in the cabin. Fresh air from outside flushes out any lingering odor. The only time I can sense any odor inside my Model Y when first getting into the Model Y is when I don't precondition for at least a few minutes.

I know the odor of mold and mildew, had it in my previous vehicle. I recall two distinct odors. One smells of mold, the second odor is like vinegar.

Sorry about that. I was simply following the thread, which I thought was more about how to eliminate the SOURCE of the odor, not simply minimizing.

 

[dduffey]

Made a mobile service appointment literally right after my last post last night. Got an appointment today. Tech arrived my office parking lot on time and took him 15 minutes in and out. Apparently it’s much easier to do it on the Y than the 3.
Tech also said Tesla has determined that the filter is the culprit and they’re switching to another filter on new Ys and 3s. The new one is not yellow in color.
Initially they tried to charge me $140 for it but then they waived it but emphasized it is a one time good will.

I will try the OEM filters next summer. So far I have had to use the spray and change filters every summer on both our 3 (2018) and Y (2021). Our Y was also delivered with the smell.

 

[NJEV-Don]

Mines getting the filters changed and the evap coils cleaned. It’s not covered under warranty. They told me it’s only covered under warranty for 6 months and the car is just about 11 months. It’s very annoying. Hopefully the new filters are better. I would do it myself but it seems overly complicated with removing panels and unplugging lights and speaker. Needing a torx wrench. I’ve done it with Toyota’s and Mazda’s. They never had sour dirty feet vinegar smells. It should be an easier DIY project especially with this smell happening frequently. Ugh.

 

[nate704]

If you do not dry evaporator before you park for a long time, it will smell even for the brand new car. Make sure you turn off AC but let the fan blow max for about 2 minus with windows down to make sure your HVAC system is nice and dry before you leave the car. Yes, it is hassle and sometimes not practical, but this is the only way until Tesla comes up with some bright idea to dry that evaporator area actively.
If you park your car in the garage, you can pretty much skip the steps mentioned above, and leave the doors/windows open for a few hours, and you will not get the smell since the hot temp in the garage will dry your system.

 

[dduffey]

If you do not dry evaporator before you park for a long time, it will smell even for the brand new car. Make sure you turn off AC but let the fan blow max for about 2 minus with windows down to make sure your HVAC system is nice and dry before you leave the car. Yes, it is hassle and sometimes not practical, but this is the only way until Tesla comes up with some bright idea to dry that evaporator area actively.
If you park your car in the garage, you can pretty much skip the steps mentioned above, and leave the doors/windows open for a few hours, and you will not get the smell since the hot temp in the garage will dry your system.

It probably depends where you live. We are in Austin and always garage park in an attached garage. One theory I had why we get the stinky smell in the 3 and Y (and previously RAV4 that had an AC TSB warranty repair) was due to the garage storage.

I suspect if I park it out in the 130 degree heat with fan only cabin protection that it would not be a problem as it would easily heat up and dry out the coils.

This year I installed an AC in the garage on a motion sensor to help pull out the humidity in the garage.

 

[jcanoe]

If you do not dry evaporator before you park for a long time, it will smell even for the brand new car. Make sure you turn off AC but let the fan blow max for about 2 minus with windows down to make sure your HVAC system is nice and dry before you leave the car. Yes, it is hassle and sometimes not practical, but this is the only way until Tesla comes up with some bright idea to dry that evaporator area actively.
If you park your car in the garage, you can pretty much skip the steps mentioned above, and leave the doors/windows open for a few hours, and you will not get the smell since the hot temp in the garage will dry your system.

Tesla engineers added a routine that is similar to GM's after blow function. Tesla vehicles will automatically runs the HVAC blower fan on a low/medium speed for 20 minutes after you park. Tesla added this routine after early Model 3 owners were complaining of mold, mold odors in the HVAC system especially the evaporator. You should not have to take any additional action although it is probably a good idea to turn off the Recirculate Cabin Air setting before exiting the vehicle. (I do this using the Voice Commands "Recirculate" and "Fresh Air".) In most GM vehicles only the dealer's service department can enable the after blow function through settings.

 

[Pianewman]

So, after 8 months, it's working fine for me, in Fort Worth, unheated/no AC garage. Baffling to me why someone in Austin would be different?

 

[eCharcoal]

It’s been quite humid this summer in Chicago but it’s baffling that the smell appears a month after the car was built. The car is a June build and I took delivery in late June. Left me thinking if the filters were already contaminated before even putting into the car.
I replaced with the Taptes one ($25 in Amazon) on my 3 and no smell since. I’ll see how these OEM ones hold up in the Y.

 

[jcanoe]

Automobiles are meant to be driven. When a vehicle sits for long periods bad things can happen. Water intrusion can be made worse because unless the vehicle is driven a small water leak can lead to mold growth in just a short time. I can envision a vehicle parked, waiting to be loaded onto a rail car or a car carrier being exposed to hard rain. Normally any moisture inside the cabin would be removed via the HVAC system. Instead the moisture remains trapped in the ventilation system and the carpets etc where it creates an ideal environment for mold to grow. Mold, mildew spores are everywhere. Mold and mildew are both fungi organisms. Mold can appear wet, slimy while mildew appears gray and powdery. Mold has the more pungent odor while mildew odor has been compared to damp socks. All that is needed for mold and mildew to start growing is a temperature above ~70F and a relative humidity level above ~60%. Reduce the humidity level is the key to preventing mold and mildew from growing. Once mold, mildew have started to grow, reproduce additional steps are needed to remove these fungi from your home or automobile. Mildew grows on surfaces while mold can eat its way into structural material. In some cases all of the carpeting, headliner and upholstery in an automobile would need to be replaced to get rid of all of the mold, mildew. There are portable ozone generators that can eliminate stubborn odors from rooms and the passenger cabin of an automobile. Ozone is toxic and can also damage plastics so let a professional apply any ozone treatment.

 

[a2t2]

Mines getting the filters changed and the evap coils cleaned. It’s not covered under warranty. They told me it’s only covered under warranty for 6 months and the car is just about 11 months. It’s very annoying. Hopefully the new filters are better. I would do it myself but it seems overly complicated with removing panels and unplugging lights and speaker. Needing a torx wrench. I’ve done it with Toyota’s and Mazda’s. They never had sour dirty feet vinegar smells. It should be an easier DIY project especially with this smell happening frequently. Ugh.

If the process takes you more than 10 min you are incompetent .. look on youtube, buy the charcoal filters and evap cleaner. Its really easy theres no need to pay anyone to do this. and you better get good at it, you will need to do this every 9 months or so.

 

[NJEV-Don]

If the process takes you more than 10 min you are incompetent .. look on youtube, buy the charcoal filters and evap cleaner. Its really easy theres no need to pay anyone to do this. and you better get good at it, you will need to do this every 9 months or so.

Is it really helpful to call someone incompetent? I’ve watched the YouTube videos. It seems unnecessarily complicated with having to remove the panel underneath the glovebox and unplug two wires and then remove the side panel and unscrew the bolt and remove the two filters and spray the cleaner where it’s supposed to go and reverse it. It shouldn’t be that annoying. I would do my Prius and RAV-4 and it’s literally in the glove box. No tools required. It takes 3 minutes. Plus this Tesla one is a flawed design with the smell occurring at all. Never had dirty feet smell in my Toyota’s ever. Can’t I be allowed to have an opinion on the stupidity of the design of this without being called incompetent. I love the car but criticizping an aspect of it is allowed.

 

[a2t2]

It was an attempt to motivate you to get off ur ass…It’s not hard. Just go do it already. The panel comes right off this is not rocket science and you will need to repeatedly do this as the ac is very effective and draws a lot moisture out of humid air which runs back into your oem paper filters

Use charcoal filters too and just let the evap cleaner sit in there for a bit to clean any mold.

thanks for thumbs down denis you douche you are a true Tesla patriot

 

[Dennisis]

It was an attempt to motivate you to get off ur ass…It’s not hard. Just go do it already. The panel comes right off this is not rocket science and you will need to repeatedly do this as the ac is very effective and draws a lot moisture out of humid air which runs back into your oem paper filters

Use charcoal filters too and just let the evap cleaner sit in there for a bit to clean any mold.

thanks for thumbs down denis you douche you are a true Tesla patriot

Amazing how tough guys are behind a keyboard. Try not being an ass to everyone, it has nothing to do with Tesla, anyone can see it from the tone of your posts, you enjoy feeling superior with your disdain for others on full display. You surely are not - grow up already.

 

[Pianewman]

a2t2: HAHA! You didn't thank me for being a douche...

Your posts continue to aggressively assert your dominance and attitude. It's more than a bit rude to tell ANYONE, especially someone you've never met, "to get off ur ass..." Chill.

 

[a2t2]

y’all are soft..just some sarcasm I’m sure the guy is very capable but in the time it’s taken to bs on here he could of just done it 10 times by now. Hate to see people waste $

And settle down with the thumbs down it’s really upsetting to me

 

[Dennisis]

y’all are soft..just some sarcasm I’m sure the guy is very capable but in the time it’s taken to bs on here he could of just done it 10 times by now. Hate to see people waste $

And settle down with the thumbs down it’s really upsetting to me

No, I’ll stick with the you’re just an ass idea, much more supporting evidence in your posts.