Always great instructions! After doing this, the heater trick does help but one thing I've found that "revitalizes" the filters for longer than the heater is to spray a fine mist of water with a little hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol in it into the inlet under the frunk with the fan on high. If you spray it with a misting bottle (from a salon store) the mist is really fine, doesn't puddle, and just dampens the filters, killing the bacteria. 2 bursts of like 5 seconds each is good. The peroxide and alcohol also evaporate 100% and leave no residue unlike Ozium, Lysol, and other things I've heard being used.
OK! My 2021 Tesla Model Y is about to roll over 30,000 miles and I just spent $60 on Amazon buying the cleaner and filters to do this myself. So much cheaper than having Tesla do it, and I know it will get done right when I do it!!!
@@SaraJAwesome well, I got one filter in the mail but I think I was supposed to buy two of them correct? I think I need to buy one more. EDIT: OK I'm an idiot and didn't even take out the filters from the box. Apparently there's two filters inside one box, so I'm good to go! Yes, I'm an idiot lol.
Hey, haha 😂 I’m an idiot too, so at least you’re on the right channel! Bahahahahaha jk😆 Thast great, let me know if you need any help. If you do, please message me on Instagram at sarajawesome I am on there more than this right now.
You are correct about the condensation. I have had this problem in my Y. The main issue for me was that using AC usually automatically goes into recirculating mode. I manually put it to fresh air mode often and it seems to dry out the chamber. FYI I have had this issue on my non Tesla vehicle that was used in recirculating mode All the time. Since using it in fresh air mode seems to solve the issue for me.
It could help with the right conditions, but keep in mind you will suck in all the debris from Outside that will clog up your filters faster and then breed more odor causing bacteria (bugs, leaves, pollen, dirt, dust, exhaust fumes from other cars). It also depends on the temperature of the outside air and the humidity of the outside air as well. When you are pulling in “fresh” air and it’s hot outside, your A/C compressor has to work harder to constantly cool off that hot air from outside. When it’s on recirculating you’re circulating cleaner air and it’s getting the temperature to you want easier and faster.
Excellent video Sara and quite informative! You’re correct to think Tesla could program for heater to automatically dry out the condensation after use of AC, especially based on outside humidity like your area. Hope your husband and kids appreciate all your work. Keep doing what you’re doing!😊
You're right about dry climate. Due to living in Southern California, I have had no problems with my model y performance and my model 3 long-range. Enjoyed watching your video as always 👍
Thanks for helping everyone replace filters and clean coil. One caveat. AC chemical coil cleaners are better. The foam you use is not just to clean( as a detergent) or disinfect; it actually has a very high PH chemical removing a thin layer of aluminum oxide so it improves the heat exchange. You do not need to dry it after using it; actually the opposite. As soon as you turn the AC on, the condensation makes the remainder chemical drip down the bottom drain. You don't need to rinse it. You don't want that chemical to stay there too long; it will keep etching the aluminum fins. I used the foam to clean and service the front condenser( the car's AC and radiator) also.( check between the front radiators; they are probably full of leaves and rocks and hair and dirt etc.
Awesome and amazing! Thanks for sharing this with humor and finesse. I’ll save this video for the future when the need arises. I live inSouthern California, 1-½ year on my MY with 46K, still no smell. You’re right, it’s the weather that’s the culprit.
Thanks a lot for this. Approaching 15k miles on the Y in the first year and I may change the filters before summer hits. This is one of my favorite videos you’ve made so far. Not much maintenance on Teslas but this is a big plus to know how to do.
You’re very welcome! But if you car isn’t smelling super horrible rn, I would wait u til AFTER summer to do it. Because the condensation from using the A/C in summer is what causes the problem. So if you do this after every summer your new clean filters will stay clean longer. Does that make sense? Like every summer, you’re breeding that bacteria on them with the moisture caused by A/C usage.
@@SaraJAwesome it makes a lot of sense. I rented a Polestar 2 in Arizona recently with 17k miles and it smelt like you said when I turned the AC on. Guy that rented it to me didn’t notice it apparently. I told him it was probably his cabin filter.
I've been on a roadtrip and missed this video last week. You're a real jewel to undertake this chore again for your hubby, Sara! I'm thankful that we live in a dry desert, so I haven't needed to sanitize the system for mold and mildew - just change the filters. I'll say this for both my previous LEAF and current Model 3: the process is a royal pain in the keister! I hope my next EV has a more convenient location for the cabin filters. For example, you can change them in the Ioniq 5 via an access cover in the rear of the frunk. A MUCH better idea!
Great tutorial. Thank you. Its nice to be able to do things like this for a few dollars and not depend on Tesla service. The time and cost are a burden and for what can be achieved in a short time on your own its worth the effort.
Great video did the stuff in my Model 3. it’s two years now and it started smelling in rain a few weeks ago. Now that fixed. Awesome channel by the way. Watched many videos from you after I found this first helpful video ❤
Welcome back, Sara! I'm glad you mentioned the magnetizing trick. As you may recall from your Model 3, that screw (at least before the refresh) is on the top, making it tougher to get to. I found that using a "short" driver a lot easier to get in there. BTW, you can magnetize the screw itself, without the need of a special magnetized bit, if you have a strong magnet laying around. Just drag the screw across the magnet for several seconds and voila! I changed our Model 3 filters after watching your other video and used the same stuff. Excellent result. Less than six months later, it started smelling funky again, even though I live in semi-arid SoCal. So I decided to try something "different". I have a small, 120v ozone generator and stuck it in the air intake and ran the fan on high for about 20 minutes, total. 10 with the ozone generator running, then another 10 without to clear the ozone out of there. Hasn't been a problem since, but I'll probably clean the coils and change the filters again in another month or three, regardless. Hope your husband and kids appreciate your work!!
Thanks Sara!! Very thorough and informative video! Next time you’re at Giga Texas for an event or whatever, maybe you can find a Tesla engineer who can answer whether they are working on this longstanding issue/complaint from Tesla owners. Seems like a software update to allow owners to run a 10-20 minute drying cycle after AC use could go a long way towards the issue!
Shoot, I already tried that. Talked to two of them and they’re were like oh! I had no idea! Bs. Either that or they lied and aren’t really Tesla employees. It was at the bar for the bar crawl. I’m gonna keep trying though. Maybe one day someone will listen. I already tried to talk to Sandy Munro about it. He was busy and said email me about it, and I did and never heard back. But I’m sure it’s not him that actually checks his emails. I’m sure someone else just ignored it. I don’t blame him personally.
When I bought my 2019 Model 3 Dual Motor back in November 2022, the first thing I did was change the filters based on your videos and it was pretty easy compared to other car related tasks I've had to do over the years. It wasn't smelling bad yet, but it was a noticeable improvement after the coils were cleaned and filters changed. Hopefully here in Indiana, I only have to do it once a year. This summer, I'll have to remember to run my heater and dry it out every now and then. Another great video!
Oh my gosh! Congratulations and welcome to the family!!!!!!! 🎉🎊🎈🍾 And thank you so so much for that compliment! I appreciate the support! But no monetary support is necessary. I just appreciate the thought!
So sweet that you're using your grandmother's dinner knife. When my kids were young they lost some of my tools (like I probably did to my dad when I was young). Funny thing was when I opened my Christmas present, it was the tools they lost! Good thing because I didn't inherit my grandmother's silverware and I keep my fingernails too short to help. Thank you for documenting the process. My model Y just passed 26,000 and just passed 2 years. It's not usually humid out here but with the big rains we've (fortunately) had I'm experiencing the stinky sock odor you've described. So I'm ordering the items you recommend and following your excellent step by step instructions. Your husband is fortunate to have you to take care of this for him. I'm sure he does his share of things for you, but it's nice to have someone take care of the maintenance. So good on you. Thanks for setting the time aside to carry this maintenance out in front of us. I know you're a busy person. You do an excellent job on these tutorials and I know I can reference back to them when I take care of them again in the future. And, yeh, I prefer peppermint...
I just installed mine today following your video! Thank you so much for the help! It was easy. My filters were surprisingly not as dirty as I thought since I'm doing this for the first time after 60K miles... 9:39 your filters actually look worse than my 22 model Y! Mine were white not yellow either I used the Klima cleaner you mentioned and the straw busted out of the can and shot foam in my eye. I thought it would burn but I was fine. Then it busted off a 2nd time (this time I was wearing sun glasses) and shot foam all over the floor xD an eventful cabin filter swap to say the least!
I recommend trying the Arm & Hammer HVAC Biodegradable coil cleaner. It's 19 fl. oz. The smell is citrusy and not chemically. I've also heard Adam's Aerosol Air Fresheners are pretty effective and you don't have to do anything with the coils. Thanks for the vid!
I have 21,000 miles on my Model Y. It’s time for me to do this. There is no smell thank god. But I can imagine the filters must be filthy. Thanks for the reminder. Ordering filters today. That peroxide spray idea in one of the comments is awesome. Kill the bacteria to prolong the filter.
My 2018 Model 3 Performance has never had a problem. I live in West Palm Beach, Florida where it is more humid than anywhere. I got lucky I guess. Good to see you again.
Super vid, Sara A.!!! Now I feel confident in changing my own 2021 MY filter. One idea: I wonder if it would be beneficial to spray the Klima into the evaporator while the fan is on high in order to get the Klima deep into the ventilation system instead of just on the evaporator itself? Thanks!!!
Thanks, Sara. Just in case I need to do this…. I live in SoCal, so after 6 months, partly in the Summer, I’ve had no bad smells in my Model Y LR. But, this is an excellent How-To! You are really handy with car maintenance, that’s great! I’ve found that clips age and become brittle with time, and finally they will begin to break or get lost. It hasn’t happened yet on my Tesla, but it has on every other car I’ve owned. Thanks again for your videos!
It's not just Tesla's. I had this same issue with a 1990 Acura Integra that I bought new and drove in a dry climate. If it is not set up to drain properly, it will start to smell.
How could I not do my own next time? When I watched when you did your M3 I wasn’t convinced and let Tesla do it. I think with that screw being moved to the bottom has made this job look a bit easier. I like the idea of a local workshop. It would be a huge hit IMO. I’m going to try that other commenter’s suggestion of the spritz in the vents to tide me over until the end of summer. Maybe it will help a little bit. My smell isn’t unbearable yet. Thank you so much for this instructional video.
Thx for sharing Sara 👍🏼 Gonna change my filters soon after 2 years now and about 31000 kilometres. You should buy a set of plastic snapping tools, cost not much and better as a butterknife 😊 Keep on the good work 👍🏼
I followed your video here and did it! Man it was not easy. That location is so deep up inside. My body was a pretzel Tesla also did NOT leave the filter tabs out. And my panel glove compartment lower panel was missing one black plastic tab!
1:35 there actually is a way to do what you're doing and set a timer for your heater to go on for a few minutes after you park you have to use the Tessie app and you have to create automation, for it takes a little bit of scripting, but I can send you how to do it
Thanks for the great video and for taking the time to explain each step and show how all the clips work. Much better than some other filter change videos I have watched.
I finally got around to changing them yesterday and watched this as a refresher just before. It made it so easy. Thanks again! Well, so easy until trying to clip the final panel back and had a pesky horse fly keep taking a bite out of my leg. So between trying to put the panel back and trying to get the fly off my leg, that part took 30 minutes. 😀
I was about to get new Tesla filters. Thanks for showing me that. There's other options out there. Hopefully your husband notices. Sometimes I'll do work on my wife's car ( detail, rotate tires, cabin filter) but she won't notice unless I tell her I've done something to it. Haha
Thanks Sarajawesomed - this video should help everyone in humid climates. I agree with you i wish tesla had phillips head instead of having to go out and buy a T20 haha
Will this bad smell also eventually happen to the Model X? I just bought my first Tesla, a 24 Model X and I'm in the honeymoon phase, I LOVE IT!! You mentioned this bad small happens to the Y and 3, but not X or S?? I wonder why?
Are you sure your husband wasn't playing a prank on you with the 'fart' noises? #GreatOpportunity, j/k I didn't hear any fart noises; great editing. 😃 Thank you for this awesome DIY; it should help save costs for Tesla owners.
I think you should find someone with a Honda Accord and do a video on how to change the air filter and then compare how it differs from Tesla air filter maintenance. From a maintenance perspective the air filter design & position needs to be redone with consumer satisfaction in mind.
I wonder if the New Model Y with a HEPA filter has same issue. I just changed my filters on my Model Y after 18 months and 50k miles. And there was still no smell like my Model 3 had after about year in Middle TN.
I use iPhone 13 Pro Max. I record in 4K 60 FPS and use a JOBY brand gorilla tripod and JOBY brand phone holder on top of the tripod. I do have to take my phone out of the case to record. Then I airdrop my videos to my Mac book and edit with Final Cut Pro software;)
It’s weird. Tesla only charged me $52 to change my cabin filters so I just have them do it. My invoice shows $34 for 2 filters and $18 for labor. Wonder why they charge you so much? Or do you also have them do a cleaner?
@@SaraJAwesome okay! Thanks for clarifying! I looked back and saw did have them clean it once near the beginning. It was closer to your estimate. And since I’ve just had them change the the filters once a year and that seems sufficient. Good stuff!
have the idea this is a design problem and wouldn’t occur this often if the air filters were further away from the the evaporator coil… probably much further away 🤓
@@SaraJAwesome I live in the UK but you could always open the windows, also the same could be said if you have ac at home. If you cant do those things then why in hell are you driving an ev car?. Genuine question....
@@reevosss7 As someone who has spent time in both the UK and Texas, USA (where Sara lives) it would not be reasonable or comfortable to drive around when the temperature is above 38°C for approximately 100 days a year. EV’s allegedly reduce carbon footprints but they don’t eliminate them entirely.
@@reevosss7 building an EV is worse for the planet due to all the components they have to source. So is the phone or laptop you're using to make your post. Are you going to completely stop using that as well to make sure the planet is going to be ok? You're being a stickler on someone using AC when you clearly are having a massive impact on the planets health. Moral of the story. Dont be that guy.
