Replacing cabin air filter and cleaning evaporator fins in 2021-2022 MS

[MFrunkerOG]

Just drove for like 3 hours through torrential down pour this weekend. I popped the frunk right after and there were some small puddles of water sitting on top of my pre filter from amazon that I taped over the intake so the dam wasn’t 100% effective. I didn’t take off the housing to check if any water made it on the custom filter from filterwears but I’m guessing I’m good as the prefilter didn’t let the water that far.

I had a similar experience. I got splashed on severely and couldn’t see out of my windshield for a couple of seconds (scary).

The dam did a partial job (actually quite good). The sock was critical in keeping whatever did make its way out of the intake.

 

[Technefy]

I had a similar experience. I got splashed on severely and couldn’t see out of my windshield for a couple of seconds (scary).

The dam did a partial job (actually quite good). The sock was critical in keeping whatever did make its way out of the intake.

Dang the sock filter is out of stock, any news of a restock?

 

[MFrunkerOG]

Dang the sock filter is out of stock, any news of a restock?

Email Alan at filterwears dot com

 

[reddogva99]

Dang the sock filter is out of stock, any news of a restock?

I taped a flat piece of pre filter directly on the intake without taking off the housing until I got the filter

 

[Alset2]

Been following this and getting lots of good ideas (thank you everyone). Wanted to update on this now that I have installed the dam and the prefilter.

I have been through 2 weeks of lots of rain and so far NO smell has returned. This is very encouraging especially since I reused an old stinky HEPA filter that I ran through an Ozone treatment a few times and it seems to have killed all the smelly mold.
This gives me confidence that getting a new HEPA will not be a waste of money.

BTW, I emailed Allen at filterwares 2 weeks ago via email and he said there would be more stock around the 15th of this month.

 

[MFrunkerOG]

Been following this and getting lots of good ideas (thank you everyone). Wanted to update on this now that I have installed the dam and the prefilter.

I have been through 2 weeks of lots of rain and so far NO smell has returned. This is very encouraging especially since I reused an old stinky HEPA filter that I ran through an Ozone treatment a few times and it seems to have killed all the smelly mold.
This gives me confidence that getting a new HEPA will not be a waste of money.

BTW, I emailed Allen at filterwares 2 weeks ago via email and he said there would be more stock around the 15th of this month.

Excellent. How did you do the ozone treatment?

 

[TexasDuke]

Please don’t judge, but I have never changed my Cabine Air Filter in my 17MS.
Realizing that would ultimately impact my HVAC efficiency, I had Tesla come out this morning to change it.
$26 and 8 minutes letter: New Cabin Air Filter installed.
Attached is a picture of the original 2017 Cabin Air Filter that came with my MS.
I am super surprised that it isn’t much dirtier. It almost look brand new. (I wasn’t there when the tech changed it, but I asked him/her to leave the dirty filter on the floor board so I could inspect it. I doubt that he would leave me a new one.)

 

[Alset2]

Excellent. How did you do the ozone treatment?

I have an Ozone machine so I let it run into a big yard trash bag (with the filter sealed inside) for few hours but....lol
The day after I typed that post I started to get the smell again. I thought it might be my imagination, but it got worse and worse.
Today I pulled the HEPA filter back out and it was dry, so that is good. I then started smelling it everywhere and I cannot smell anything bad even with my nose right in the filter.
Being a little confused ( I totally expected to detect the smell in the HEPA filter) I checked the cabin filter, and it was like new.
So, since the HEPA was already removed, I left it out just to see what the smell did. I was actually wondering if it was the evaporator at this point. However, the smell was immediately gone with the HEPA filter removed so I'm guessing the ozone treatment did not,in fact, kill the smell.
I will get a new filter next week so hopefully that will fix it along with the Filterwares and Dam in place.
Ill keep you posted.

 

[Solidred]

Just want to confirm, took delivery 12/3 MXP. Looks like the design was fixed, no vents under the frunk. Looks like the hepa intake is under all the plastic and grabs its air behind the “tub” void.

 

[cwanja]

Just want to confirm, took delivery 12/3 MXP. Looks like the design was fixed, no vents under the frunk. Looks like the hepa intake is under all the plastic and grabs its air behind the “tub” void.

Would the X design be different than an S?

 

[Solidred]

Would the X design be different than an S

I know on my X (2018) it had the vent opening. My 2023 3 (June build) has a vent opening

 

[TSLA Pilot]

Just want to confirm, took delivery 12/3 MXP. Looks like the design was fixed, no vents under the frunk. Looks like the hepa intake is under all the plastic and grabs its air behind the “tub” void.

Confused. Is that photo as delivered or did you remove a plastic cover/shroud?

 

[reddogva99]

Just want to confirm, took delivery 12/3 MXP. Looks like the design was fixed, no vents under the frunk. Looks like the hepa intake is under all the plastic and grabs its air behind the “tub” void.

LOL. It took Tesla how many years to figure this out? My 2020 model 3 had the problem and I’m sure other years did too. The fixes on this thread have worked so far but it’s really annoying they didn’t figure this out sooner. Pretty easy to fix in my opinion….

 

[MFrunkerOG]

LOL. It took Tesla how many years to figure this out? My 2020 model 3 had the problem and I’m sure other years did too. The fixes on this thread have worked so far but it’s really annoying they didn’t figure this out sooner. Pretty easy to fix in my opinion….

Only if it’s real for the S. X don’t count

Minivans are supposed to be smelly!

 

[cwanja]

The fact that it says "MX P2" leads me to believe the design for the X is different than the S. Do not roll through the X forums, but I would be curious if anyone that picked up a refresh Model X in 2021/2022 has the smell. If not, I would say it never affected the Model X.

 

[Solidred]

Confused. Is that photo as delivered or did you remove a plastic cover/shroud?

I removed the plastic cover/shroud. The inside of the shroud also has crushable styrofoam to create another seal. Curious if this design is the same on the newer S. Doesn’t make much sense the X is designed entirely different than the S for Tesla’s economy of scale.

 

[Solidred]

Confused. Is that photo as delivered or did you remove a plastic cover/shroud?

 

[EMAX]

LOL. It took Tesla how many years to figure this out? My 2020 model 3 had the problem and I’m sure other years did too. The fixes on this thread have worked so far but it’s really annoying they didn’t figure this out sooner. Pretty easy to fix in my opinion….

If Tesla actually cared about fixing simple problems on their cars....

 

[MFrunkerOG]

The engineering philosophy is - delete all the parts. Over delete and then add back 10% you deleted before. If you haven’t added back 10% you haven’t deleted enough.

Engineering flux like this will create issues like ours. Their focus on how to simplify distracts from how to improve

 

[stars]

I’m using this one
QYDKWK 78 Inch Shower Dam Shower... Amazon.com

Go back a few pages here to see photos

I did try to salvage my old filter by keeping it in the sun for 2 days and also using the foam cleaner on it, but it became a choice between smelling crap and smelling chemicals, so just went with a new filter assembly too

Thanks for the link. I saw they sell a 59 inch version too. Would that be sufficient?