Replacing cabin air filters without using Evaporator coil cleaner spray

[boriszima]

My service center warrantied my issue. There was a moldy smell coming from the vents when the ac is first turned on… it took them a couple of tries but they got it right. Cost me $0

When a Mobile Tesla tech was here to fix my 12V battery, i asked him if he could change my filters that i got on Amazon, he said schedule appointment and Tesla will do it. So i scheduled it, i dont mind buying $10 Filters, i would have done it myself too but i could not buy those coil cleaner stuff. Appointment in a week, lets see how it goes.

 

[jsmay311]

Don't go completely filterless. Just remove the ones at the coils and put one over the intake. Then you don't have the outside debris getting into the coils, which would not be easy to clean off. But you would not have filtering when the recirc is on for any of the cabin air, which can get dust.

Amazon.com: Farmogo Tesla Model 3 Air Intake Filter inlet vent accessories (Until 2020 Version): Appliances

Amazon.com: Farmogo Tesla Model 3 Air Intake Filter inlet vent accessories (Until 2020 Version): Appliances

www.amazon.com

This is an interesting suggestion, but I’ve seen some reviewers of these intake filters note that they can get wet (from rain, car washes, or windshield wiper fluid), and when that happens it blocks off airflow and they can get moldy.

 

[dduffey]

Don't go completely filterless. Just remove the ones at the coils and put one over the intake. Then you don't have the outside debris getting into the coils, which would not be easy to clean off. But you would not have filtering when the recirc is on for any of the cabin air, which can get dust.

I would advice against doing this.

It would be like removing the filters from your home. Have you seen how dirty they can get?

And it is likely to be even worse because your car interior is likely exposed to more dust than your home (think of doors on your house that are the size of the house "cabin").

Your coils will become ruined. Coil cleaner is not going to do great in clogged coils. They will then start to get rank and smell even worse.

The cost to repair (replace) the coils will be thousands, mostly labor, as you will need to remove seats, dash, and center console.

Don't do it.

 

[jsmay311]

I would advice against doing this.

It would be like removing the filters from your home. Have you seen how dirty they can get?

And it is likely to be even worse because your car interior is likely exposed to more dust than your home (think of doors on your house that are the size of the house "cabin").

Your coils will become ruined. Coil cleaner is not going to do great in clogged coils. They will then start to get rank and smell even worse.

The cost to repair (replace) the coils will be thousands, mostly labor, as you will need to remove seats, dash, and center console.

Don't do it.

Lots of cars don’t come with a cabin air filter. My Model 3 is the first car I’ve owned that came with one from the factory.

Neither my 1995 Civic nor my 2013 Volt came with a cabin air filter, and IIRC, both had air conditioning.

 

[NewestEVOwner]

A few days ago, I replaced the filters and cleaned the condenser with this:

https://www.autozone.com/a-c-charging-and-refrigerant/odor-eliminator/a-c-certified-pro-odor-eliminator-8oz/208870_0_0

So far, the smell is gone.

Are you still happy with how this worked? I was looking for the cleaner at a local store and this is what they had. I didn’t get it because I hadn’t seen anyone else say they used it, until now. Did you apply it the same way as the other sprays (seen in many of the YouTube videos)?

 

[Siddhartha]

I got the moldy smell in my 2018 M3+, and cleaned the coils, as well as changed the filters. I put a simple "grate" type cover on the intake vent, as I did find some debris in there.
Smell came back several months later, and I checked the filters-clean. Coils looked clean, but I ended up cleaning again, replacing filters, but this time I also used an ozone air cleaner, which I cycled for about 20 mins with the windows closed, and recirculated the air through the system.
Bingo!

Made a huge difference, and the smell's been gone for about 1 1/2 years

 

[btownalset]

Are you still happy with how this worked? I was looking for the cleaner at a local store and this is what they had. I didn’t get it because I hadn’t seen anyone else say they used it, until now. Did you apply it the same way as the other sprays (seen in many of the YouTube videos)?

Yes, I’m still happy with it. And yep, I applied pretty much the same way. The injection tube is coiled up in packaging so you’ll want to hold the end to make sure it’s pointed into the compartment properly.

 

[kindofblue]

Although.....The more I think about it, maybe the better solution is to permanently remove the air filters at the coils, and switch to the filters that are mounted at the intake in the frunk. It wouldn't give you the same level of filtration, but it wasn't that long ago that cars had no filters, and I think I would rather breathe a little extra dust than the mold being grown on air filters.

Has anybody tried this? And is there a youtube video showing how to get at these filters? Thanks in advance for replies.

 

[jsmay311]

Although.....The more I think about it, maybe the better solution is to permanently remove the air filters at the coils, and switch to the filters that are mounted at the intake in the frunk. It wouldn't give you the same level of filtration, but it wasn't that long ago that cars had no filters, and I think I would rather breathe a little extra dust than the mold being grown on air filters.

Has anybody tried this?

@medphys3 posted in this thread back in July that he would try it and would report back with an update later on, but so far he hasn't posted any updates.

And is there a youtube video showing how to get at these filters?

There are lots of videos and tutorials showing how to get to the cabin air filters. (Spoiler: It's not particularly fun.)

But there are a few potential issues that I see with the proposed approach.

1. The filters themselves are often not the source of the smell.
   I've had to clean out my system twice due to the smell, and the filters themselves have had zero stink to them. So I'd make sure that the filters themselves stink before even considering this approach.
2. If you put a fine-mesh filter at the intake, it can get wet and block airflow and get moldy itself -- particularly after a car wash or heavy rain. And even when it's dry, people say that it slows airflow significantly (if you care about that).
3. If you do get debris into the system and there are no filters upstream of the evaporator coils to catch it, then that debris may get into or past the coils/fins, where it won't be possible to clean it out later. That said, plenty of cars lack cabin filters and seem to do ok.

Maybe a compromise solution would be to use an intake filter like the one described in this thread that will catch larger debris without causing too much restriction.

 

[medphys3]

@medphys3 posted in this thread back in July that he would try it and would report back with an update later on, but so far he hasn't posted any updates.



There are lots of videos and tutorials showing how to get to the cabin air filters. (Spoiler: It's not particularly fun.)

But there are a few potential issues that I see with the proposed approach.

1. The filters themselves are often not the source of the smell.
   I've had to clean out my system twice due to the smell, and the filters themselves have had zero stink to them. So I'd make sure that the filters themselves stink before even considering this approach.
2. If you put a fine-mesh filter at the intake, it can get wet and block airflow and get moldy itself -- particularly after a car wash or heavy rain. And even when it's dry, people say that it slows airflow significantly (if you care about that).
3. If you do get debris into the system and there are no filters upstream of the evaporator coils to catch it, then that debris may get into or past the coils/fins, where it won't be possible to clean it out later. That said, plenty of cars lack cabin filters and seem to do ok.

Maybe a compromise solution would be to use an intake filter like the one described in this thread that will catch larger debris without causing too much restriction.

Thanks for the reminder @jsmay311

I didn't notice any real difference, but found that my "outside" air filter was kind of getting pulled down in a bit, and I was worried that it would get wet in the rain and snow. I ultimately put the OEM's back in.

 

[Gnettinger]

We had Telsa service the filter and clean the evaporator (and they charged for that), eliminated the smell for a while but it is back. And they want to charge again. Here is what Tesla service said: "..the odor can be more pronounced due to environmental variable such as pollen and humidity. Here in Georgia these are very prevalent. I personally have mine changed every year if not 6 months. Since this is a maintenance service...." But here is the actual. Working to eliminate the odor SHOULD NOT BE SERVICE BUT RATHER A FACTORY DEFECT REPAIR. I say this because the odor is same as the "DIRTY SOCKS SYNDROME" that is known in the HVAC industry. An air filter is not the source of a dirty socks odor, the odor is from bacteria and other contaminants on the evaporator coil and within the condensate pan. The fix is to improve drainage of the evaporator and of the pan as well. Apparently Tesla has made a software update as described to "...helps reduce the amount of moisture collecting on the evaporator by turning on the blower after you have parked and locked your vehicle".
It is disappointing that Tesla service suggests that this "service" needs to be done at least annually if not every six months. Have you ever had this problem in any other car? I have owned literally a few dozen cars and have never had this problem. TESLA should fix the problem and not charge their loyal customers for servicing this DIRTY SOCKS SYNDROME.

 

[kindofblue]

I got the moldy smell in my 2018 M3+, and cleaned the coils, as well as changed the filters. I put a simple "grate" type cover on the intake vent, as I did find some debris in there.
Smell came back several months later, and I checked the filters-clean. Coils looked clean, but I ended up cleaning again, replacing filters, but this time I also used an ozone air cleaner, which I cycled for about 20 mins with the windows closed, and recirculated the air through the system.
Bingo!

Made a huge difference, and the smell's been gone for about 1 1/2 years

Do you have a URL for the ozone air cleaner? Thanks.

 

[Flybyglass]

We had Telsa service the filter and clean the evaporator (and they charged for that), eliminated the smell for a while but it is back. And they want to charge again. Here is what Tesla service said: "..the odor can be more pronounced due to environmental variable such as pollen and humidity. Here in Georgia these are very prevalent. I personally have mine changed every year if not 6 months. Since this is a maintenance service...." But here is the actual. Working to eliminate the odor SHOULD NOT BE SERVICE BUT RATHER A FACTORY DEFECT REPAIR. I say this because the odor is same as the "DIRTY SOCKS SYNDROME" that is known in the HVAC industry. An air filter is not the source of a dirty socks odor, the odor is from bacteria and other contaminants on the evaporator coil and within the condensate pan. The fix is to improve drainage of the evaporator and of the pan as well. Apparently Tesla has made a software update as described to "...helps reduce the amount of moisture collecting on the evaporator by turning on the blower after you have parked and locked your vehicle".
It is disappointing that Tesla service suggests that this "service" needs to be done at least annually if not every six months. Have you ever had this problem in any other car? I have owned literally a few dozen cars and have never had this problem. TESLA should fix the problem and not charge their loyal customers for servicing this DIRTY SOCKS SYNDROME.

I used 2 cans of cleaner then when parked I leave the recirculate off so when the fan comes on it is using outside air to dry the condenser.

 

[JBT66]

My SC says for the Tesla Software fix to work you must use Auto, other wise it won’t run after you are done with the car. That’s pretty much all I use and it still get nasty.

 

[Flybyglass]

My SC says for the Tesla Software fix to work you must use Auto, other wise it won’t run after you are done with the car. That’s pretty much all I use and it still get nasty.

I use auto also but park it with recirculate off.

 

[Siddhartha]

Do you have a URL for the ozone air cleaner? Thanks.

Hi,

This is the improved version of what I have:

Enerzen Ozone Generator 6,000mg Industrial O3 Air Purifier Deodorizer Sterilizer (6,000mg - Black)​

I purchased it on Amazon. Has a lot of useful applications

 

[Boourns]

I also used new filters and an ozone machine without coil spray and it worked great. I probably overdid it the ozone machine. I think I let it run for 90 minutes -- 30 probably would have been fine. This was back in July on my Feb. 2018 Model 3. I am not sure I had ever replaced the filters before (oops!).

Filters: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B085HX67ZX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Ozone: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JAP7388/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[kindofblue]

Do you have a URL for the ozone air cleaner? Thanks.

Thanks for that. When you ran the fan with recirc on did you have it on any particular temp setting?