Replaced Air Filters, still musty/old smelling.

[Sevenreds]

I had great results by adding a leaf screen and filter under the hood, I imagine this limited dead leaves and unnecessary moisture into the cabin. Completely removed that odd momentary smell whenever I got in the car.

I don’t have to switch from outside air and circulation.

hope this helps

 

[BeeGood]

Running recirc will ensure the air in the cabin is DRIER than the outside air, which in turn should create LESS condensation. Less condensation should allow less bacteria and mold to accumulate. That's my thoughts, anyhow. If I'm wrong in my thinking, let me know.

I think the recirc argument is that any humidity in the car (from respiration, sweat, etc) never exits the system. The humid air just passes through the coils over and over again and builds up over time.

I can really only see this being the root cause of an odor if recirc stays on all the time (but I do wonder if occasional recirc could make an existing odor worse).

 

[webwarmiller]

Let us know how it goes. I agree with you this should be 100% covered by warranty....

So the PT Sensors (2 HP, 1 LP) were replaced not because of the smell issue but due to "Bulletin Replacement of A/C Pressure/Temperature Sensors". So those were just a TSB and 100% covered.

The odor issue was addressed just like it is for everyone else. "A/C Odor Removal (Using Evaporator Foam Cleaner, Replace Cabin Filters)." It too was free, but the tech stated that it was a one time courtesy as the car has less than 6k miles. He suggested using recirc and occasionally running the fan on high for 10 minutes, which is really just admitting there is a design flaw that users have to proactively protect against.

In 35 years of car ownership (many years in more humid environments) never once have I had to use an evaporator cleaner to remove smells from a vehicle's HVAC system. I've got a bad feeling this is going to be required every 6 months with the M3.

 

[LMBrowning]

I just replaced my filters with XTechnor Hepa Filters and sprayed 2 cans of Kool-It foam cleaner yesterday. I actually thought about spraying with Lysol after I put it all back. Too early to know about results. After looking at the filters and the evaporator coil, I am suspicious that the filters sit too close to the coil not allowing the coil to dry out. It is almost like a thinner cabin filter is needed with a spacer to keep the filter off of the evaporator.

 

[beachsideev]

I just had to clean the coils again because the smell came back after I replaced the filters about 4 month ago. This time I first hosed it down with some lysol spray but I also emptied a can of klima cleaner in there are well. When I replaced the filters 4 months ago I just used the lysol because I couldn't find coil cleaner locally. I'll see if it makes any difference. The filters still seemed fine so I vacuumed out a few bits of leaves and reused them.

I also noticed that the "feature" of running the fans to dry off the coils did nothing in my case. When I pulled the filters out, I felt the coils and they were still pretty damp and this was after the car had sat for a few hours after last being used. I ended up running the fans for another 15 minutes to completely dry them off before I hit it with the lysol.

 

[OldPro]

I replaced my cabin air filters using the popular Youtube guides posted elsewhere on this forum. I bought the can of foam and did everything as instructed. Even went through the frunk and cleaned out the instake (completely clean/clear already)

It smelt minty and fresh right after I did it, but after a day or two it came back. I must say the smell is different than before, now it just smells like old worn out shoes. I got taptes replacement filters, could those be culprit of the smell? bad old filters? Did I not leave the foam in long enough? ( I did the 15 minutes on low air just like the instructions said).

Feels like I just wasted my time for 1-2 days of freshness, pretty frustrated.

Should I do it again, get another can of foam?

Should I get a different brand of filter?


Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated.

Take it to Tesla Service and inform them of your issue. It would be a loss if you "F" up your A/C system trying to clean yourself. Tesla is aware of this issue.
I've been lucky on several occasions with minor issues being addressed by Tesla Service at no cost to me.

 

[bigroo42]

did the filter swap myself, but the clip that holds in the speaker wire on the panel broke. So, now i'm having to put in a SC ticket anyway. this time, who knows how much that'll cost them to fix. when i say i'm 'not a car guy' i mean it. I have the worst luck trying to install anything on my car. door handle wraps, puddle lights, you name it - i can mess it up. ha!

 

[Rottenapplr]

did the filter swap myself, but the clip that holds in the speaker wire on the panel broke. So, now i'm having to put in a SC ticket anyway. this time, who knows how much that'll cost them to fix. when i say i'm 'not a car guy' i mean it. I have the worst luck trying to install anything on my car. door handle wraps, puddle lights, you name it - i can mess it up. ha!

Ouch that sucks. I did this swap for the second time since owning the car 22k miles in between changes. Second time was much better. I didn't disconnect the speaker wiring unlike before. I still had plenty of room. Filter was dirty and dark but nothing too bad. No mildew smell either since the first time I did the cabin filter change. Slid each filter easily. Took about 20 mins to do. I had a nice flexible extension from amazon that did wonders of making the repair super easy. I was on my back doing a bridge pose; practicing yoga for the past year has been beneficial. Thanks Tesla for making the most irritatingly placed cabin filter I have ever done in the 6 cars I've done cabin filters on. Thanks!

 

[Rottenapplr]

Take it to Tesla Service and inform them of your issue. It would be a loss if you "F" up your A/C system trying to clean yourself. Tesla is aware of this issue.
I've been lucky on several occasions with minor issues being addressed by Tesla Service at no cost to me.

You know the first time I had the smelly issues, I just change it and it fixed the issue. Hasn't been an issue since I didn't go and attempt the spray foam solution people on YouTube were advocating.

 

[webwarmiller]

In 35 years of car ownership (many years in more humid environments) never once have I had to use an evaporator cleaner to remove smells from a vehicle's HVAC system. I've got a bad feeling this is going to be required every 6 months with the M3.

Well, 6 months was very optimistic on my part. The smell started to return in only about 5 weeks and is now pretty bad. Tesla mobile service will be here tomorrow to 'fix' at their cost again.