Left a Model Y out in the rain overnight, and next day after accelerating, water came dripping into passenger seat well from under the glovebox.
Found lots of threads talking about it, but no solution being clarified, or having service center fix it without explanation, etc.
Good youtube video here but on an older model 3 without hepa filters so difference design: ->
I have a model Y with the hepa filters. Left it out in the rain overnight, and when we drove it the next day, in an acceleration, water started pouring into the passenger footwell.
Started diagnosing, and discovered that the lower part of the air intake (underneath the hepa filter casing), is a two piece design, with a seam at the top. So when I did a water test (2-3 minute of using a hose on the windshield), and I took the hepa filter off, there was a puddle at the bottom of this air intake.
So whats happening....is that in rain, water will go on top of this seam, and then slowly drip into the air intake. Then on acceleration, the puddle of water moves up the air intake, and then comes out in the passenger footwell (water is flowing out of the cabin air intake that is to the side of the glovebox. In certain cases (recirculate vs not) I'm sure that water can also easily soak the cabin air filters.
Its easy to test too. Just take the hepa filters off, and here with a turkey baster, put some water on the seam and you can see water drip through the seam crack and start puddling in the air intake.
Now, I showed tesla service center this and they told me to come bring it in. They also verified via water test that it was puddling water, so...their fix was to add this foam tape. And....I verified with a turkey baster that it does work.
I have 2 model ys, exact same problem though.
But I didn't want to deal with driving to the service center, so decided to fix myself. I didn't have that nice foam tape, so I just used some flextape (I think any normal duct tape would work just fine), and I covered the seam and even made a little "fin" to direct the water away from the middle.
But yeah, just look at the bottom of one of my filters. Water has been an issue for sure.
And the fact....that with any rain, moisture has been entering the hvac system via the air intake. Hopefully that is resolved now.
And...don't forget to change your hepa filters! These are 2.5 years old.
Some more notes:
1. I also had my local library 3d print this part, which I think helps get foam into the evaporator coil: Tesla Model 3 Evaporator Coil Cleaner Hood by Yonkiman
2. Also learned that the Hepa filters are used anytime that the air recirculation is off (i.e., pulling air from outside), so the "bioweapon defense mode" is basically just turning on pulling outside air to max.
Found lots of threads talking about it, but no solution being clarified, or having service center fix it without explanation, etc.
Good youtube video here but on an older model 3 without hepa filters so difference design: ->
I have a model Y with the hepa filters. Left it out in the rain overnight, and when we drove it the next day, in an acceleration, water started pouring into the passenger footwell.
Started diagnosing, and discovered that the lower part of the air intake (underneath the hepa filter casing), is a two piece design, with a seam at the top. So when I did a water test (2-3 minute of using a hose on the windshield), and I took the hepa filter off, there was a puddle at the bottom of this air intake.
So whats happening....is that in rain, water will go on top of this seam, and then slowly drip into the air intake. Then on acceleration, the puddle of water moves up the air intake, and then comes out in the passenger footwell (water is flowing out of the cabin air intake that is to the side of the glovebox. In certain cases (recirculate vs not) I'm sure that water can also easily soak the cabin air filters.
Its easy to test too. Just take the hepa filters off, and here with a turkey baster, put some water on the seam and you can see water drip through the seam crack and start puddling in the air intake.
Now, I showed tesla service center this and they told me to come bring it in. They also verified via water test that it was puddling water, so...their fix was to add this foam tape. And....I verified with a turkey baster that it does work.
I have 2 model ys, exact same problem though.
But I didn't want to deal with driving to the service center, so decided to fix myself. I didn't have that nice foam tape, so I just used some flextape (I think any normal duct tape would work just fine), and I covered the seam and even made a little "fin" to direct the water away from the middle.
But yeah, just look at the bottom of one of my filters. Water has been an issue for sure.
And the fact....that with any rain, moisture has been entering the hvac system via the air intake. Hopefully that is resolved now.
And...don't forget to change your hepa filters! These are 2.5 years old.
Some more notes:
1. I also had my local library 3d print this part, which I think helps get foam into the evaporator coil: Tesla Model 3 Evaporator Coil Cleaner Hood by Yonkiman
2. Also learned that the Hepa filters are used anytime that the air recirculation is off (i.e., pulling air from outside), so the "bioweapon defense mode" is basically just turning on pulling outside air to max.
