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The intake is clear. Also the my has the hepa filters which prevent that issue.
rotarypower101
Member
Have you documented any of the details? Link?
If they are as thorough as the Road Noise & Front Wind Noise thread you did, I would be Very interested to see what variations you have tested and the conclusions you have come to, and if they apply to all geographical locations.
If the intake screen (way down inside the opening) is free from leaves then the condenser may have mold. A foam AC cleaning like Klima or Kool-it will help. I use 2 cans Klima when I replace my filters every 6 months. No stink.
ODWms
Member
I finally replaced the air filters / cleaned the coils for the first time, after 100k miles, 5 1/2 yrs. Never had a real problem with the odor although I would notice a very slight smell from time to time during wet weather, when I'd do multiple back to back trips (high humidity situations). This was not unlike any other car I've ever owned, so it never appeared to be an issue. I'd purchsed the filters (including one for the top opening under the hood), and some "Kool It" cleaning solution maybe 3 years ago, and just never got around to it.
What surprised me was the condition of the filters after all that time. They were dirty, yes, but only slightly so. I noted a very small amount of what looked like tiny grass clippings in the folds of the filter closest to the intake, but that was about it. I live in Florida, and even with our warm weather (and frequent rain showers) I'd think I'd see more of this problem, but in all this time it has been very tame. Possibly it has to do with the fact the car's garage kept, like, 95% of the time its parked?
What surprised me was the condition of the filters after all that time. They were dirty, yes, but only slightly so. I noted a very small amount of what looked like tiny grass clippings in the folds of the filter closest to the intake, but that was about it. I live in Florida, and even with our warm weather (and frequent rain showers) I'd think I'd see more of this problem, but in all this time it has been very tame. Possibly it has to do with the fact the car's garage kept, like, 95% of the time its parked?
Marsh25
Member
So my car continues to have this issue after replacing the filters and cleaning the coils twice. I even removed the filters and fogged the intake with lysol while the fan was running. I'm thinking the mold spread up the vents after the previous owner left it uncleaned for too long. Has anyone used an ozone generator to clear the smell? It's the only other solution I can think of.
What kind of climate do you find yourself living in? I haven't had any issue after replacing my filters, car was low miles relatively when I bought it, turns out the filter gets dirtier than I would expect. I also did the coil cleaning with that green can and a 3D printed adapter for the top and bottom coils.
Marsh25
Member
I live in Souther Ontario (Great Lakes), so the same as southern Michigan or upstate NY. Fair mix of seasons. The car was a company demo car and sat for long periods. During one of those periods last summer it got a terrible molde infestation. After cleaning the coils it got better, but the coild cleaning didn't happen until January. I think spores spread further into the system and now I need to kill mold that's in blind sections of the venting,
Is the smell persistent or does it go away shortly after you start the ventilation? Before going to the drastic step of ozone generation I would park the car in the sun with all windows open, power off the car and let it sit for an hour. Keep an eye out for rain.
The sun should dispel the odors and the reboot is probably good for the car systems.
I just worry about the effect ozone would have on the interior components.
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Marsh25
Member
I did. I see this was useless as everyone assumes that today is my first day and I've not read through this post. I ask about ozone generators and everyone wants to re-diagnose because it couldn't be even remotely possible that I have a damn clue what I'm doing. Thanks anyway.
Marsh25
Member
2 cans of Klima and new filters. Follow directions and do 2 full treatments raining each can. I do this every 6 months. Also run with recirculate off unless really needed. The fan runs for 15-20 minutes when parked so leaving recirculate off when parking also helps. Lastly, try one of these:
everyamp.com
Cabin Air Filter Clip (Bad Smell Preventer) for Tesla Model 3 and Y
A moisture barrier clip on the bottom of the cabin air filter can keep moisture from saturating the filter and causing a bad vinegar/moldy/cheesy/feet smell in Tesla Model 3 and Y.
everyamp.com
