Should Tesla SC provide this service at no charge? [edit: they did]

[bigroo42]

I had rhe well documented a/c smell serviced July of this year. 3 months later or so I started smelling it again. The past few days it got BAD. So, I set a mobile appt and they are trying to charge 142 bucks. I texted back that it was just serviced a few months ago and asked nicely if they would service at no charge. They said 'nope' in short.

So, should I try and escalate this? And if so, how? I can never get someone on the phone at the SC. Thanks!

 

[jjrandorin]

they didnt cover it for me the first time, so if you ask my opinion, I would say no, thats not a warranty item.. but of course you are free to escalate if you can.

 

[XLR82XS]

Some threads about this here. I will tell you in 2 Tesla vehicles I have NEVER had the dreaded A/C smell. Make sure RECIRC is not turned on - that's how I have avoided the stink.

 

[jjrandorin]

I never turned on recirc (except for being behind a smelly big rig or something, for a few minutes. Never drove with it on for any appreciable distance, and I got the smell once. My model 3 is a 2018 model, and at some point they made changes to how the condenser runs when you park to combat this issue.

Hasnt popped up since. I paid the SC to clean my AC out, as they said it was not a warranty item and I wasnt in the mood to complain about it, so from my perspective, OP getting it taken care of once for free is gravy (and a reason for him to think it would be covered again).

 

[Watts_Up]

I would inspect the cabin filter to see if this is the issue (I think you need to remove the passenger side of the console).

I put some additional filter to the air vent located inside the trunk below the windshield.
This might avoid getting some leaves or other stuff which might be the origin of the smell?

 

[bigroo42]

I should have been more specific. I paid 142 bucks back in July to have it cleaned. My issue is not paying for it, it's paying for it A SECOND TIME 4 months later. My inclination is that it wasn't done correctly the first time. I was watching the tech and he was struggling at best....

 

[joebruin77]

I should have been more specific. I paid 142 bucks back in July to have it cleaned. My issue is not paying for it, it's paying for it A SECOND TIME 4 months later. My inclination is that it wasn't done correctly the first time. I was watching the tech and he was struggling at best....

Did the original service include changing of the cabin air filter? I had a similar smell. They replaced the cabin air filter and the smell is now completely gone.

BTW, with the AC running, I sprayed 5 or 6 sprays of a 50/50 solution of pine sol and water into the air intake in the top of the frunk. This also helped a lot.

 

[BrownOuttaSpec]

Sucks that it came back. I would try fixing it yourself for about $15 rather than trying to convince someone @ Tesla to cover the re-do of the work. Should they cover it... yeah. Is it worth your time to escalate/phone calls/headache vs a $15 product from Amazon, probably not.

Check out this random guy's video i found when searching:
Smell fix:

30 day follow up:

I think some people just spray the cleaner directly into the vents but I think that would be difficult for the model 3 vents.
Different car but person just sprays it directly into the vents:

 

[bigroo42]

UPDATE :

Texted the service rep to have someone call me. A day later someone did. He said that this would fall under their 6 month parts warranty and they would complete the service free of charge. They definitely went above and beyond if you ask me. He definitely didn't have to comp the service... A+ for tesla service! Now let's just hope that the smell is erraticated this time.

 

[MarsOrBust]

Some threads about this here. I will tell you in 2 Tesla vehicles I have NEVER had the dreaded A/C smell. Make sure RECIRC is not turned on - that's how I have avoided the stink.

I know you keep repeating this RECIRC OFF.

IT DOES NOT WORK, at least not for me.
I have not used it in a little over a year now and that smell has come back 3 times this year alone.
Wish it was that simple as leave RECIRC OFF but if it was that then it would be a Tesla issue.

 

[valaeyron]

I know you keep repeating this RECIRC OFF.

IT DOES NOT WORK, at least not for me.
I have not used it in a little over a year now and that smell has come back 3 times this year alone.
Wish it was that simple as leave RECIRC OFF but if it was that then it would be a Tesla issue.

in all my cars I make sure to run the air, without the a/c or recirc, for at least a min or two before shutoff. No smell. If I forget, the smell often does return eventually especially in super hot weather, which makes for a great environment for mold to happily grow.

 

[TLLMRRJ]

I know you keep repeating this RECIRC OFF.

IT DOES NOT WORK, at least not for me.
I have not used it in a little over a year now and that smell has come back 3 times this year alone.
Wish it was that simple as leave RECIRC OFF but if it was that then it would be a Tesla issue.

Recirc off is just going to flow more humid and polluted outside air across the coils. The driest, cleanest and most conditioned air is the air inside the cabin, so it's better to recirc that air across the coils and filters.

 

[Uncle Paul]

Believe that some time ago, Tesla addressed this issue by leaving the fans on for a little while longer, to dry the filters and condenser coil.

This is not just a Tesla thing, but common in a lot of modern cars.

Aftermarket and auto parts stored sell sprays etc to address these smells. Some work better than others.