If you smell an odor coming from the air conditioning on your Tesla this could be an easy solution. The smell that is coming from your Tesla’s air conditioning could be a few different things. What does the odor smell like? Have you checked the cabin filters in a while? When was the last time you used your Tesla’s air conditioning?
These are all questions you are probably asking yourself. With that being said in this guide I will be going over the most common reasons why your Teslas air conditioning has a smell. Remember you can contact the Tesla customer support team if you need more help.
Why Does Tesla Air Conditioning Smell?
When you smell an odor whenever you turn on your air conditioning there could be a few reasons why this smell is coming from your air conditioning. It could be dirty or even mold cabin filters.
It could even be stale air that is trapped in the air conditioning unit because it has not been used in a while. Did you know that there are coils in your air conditioning unit by the cabin filters?
These coils can build up moisture and mildew that could be causing the smell coming from your air conditioning. And last but not least it could also be due to a faulty air conditioning unit.
In the case that you need some help with your Tesla’s Air Filter, I have just what you need. Read below to see what you can do about the smell coming from your Tesla air conditioning.
1. Dirty/Moldy Cabin Filters
One of the most common reasons that you smell a bad smell whenever your Tesla air conditioning is on, is due to having dirty or even moldy cabin filters. When your Tesla’s cabin filters are dirty or moldy this can be what is causing the smell whenever you use the air conditioning.
If there is mold on the cabin filters this is a sign that there is a lot of moisture coming from the coils. You should keep up on cleaning and replacing the cabin filters on your Tesla to prevent a smell from dirt or mold. Both are not healthy to breathe in as well.
Fix – Replace Cabin Filters
When you are noticing a smell every time you turn on your Tesla’s air conditioning this is your first sign to check the cabin filters. The Tesla cabin filters should be cleaned often to keep them as clean as possible for the air quality.
If you notice that there is mold on the cabin filters you should replace the cabin filter with new and clean cabin filters. This should take care of the smell coming from your Tesla’s air conditioning.
2. The Coils Have Mildew On Them
If you are noticing a smell when you use your Tesla air conditioning and it smells like mildew. There could be mildew on the could of your Tesla air conditioning.
These coils can have a lot of moisture on them which is causing the mildew smell when you are using your Teslas air conditioning. You may also notice mold on the cabin filters when you check that, that is a sign that the coils have a lot of moisture.
If there is a build-up of mildew on the coils and that is the cause of the smell when you are using your air conditioning the best thing to do is clean the coils.
Fix – Clean the Coils
As mentioned above, if you experience a smell when using the air conditioning on your Tesla the first thing you should do is check the cabin filters. If you notice that there is mold on the filter and you replace it but there’s still a smell coming from the air conditioning.
There could be mildew built up on the coils that are close to the cabin filters. If there is a build-up of mildew on the coils, clean the coils off to get rid of the mildew. This should get rid of the smell on your Tesla air conditioning, especially if you replace the cabin filters too.
3. Moisture is Causing the Smell
Did you know that the air conditioning can contain moisture and cause a smell? Noticing a smell when turning on your air conditioning could be due to moisture within the air conditioning unit.
Based on other Tesla drivers the smell is due to moisture. When the moisture has been trapped for a while this can cause a strong mildew smell after a while. However, there is a way that seems to work for other Tesla drivers.
If you run the heater for a bit this can dry up the moisture and get rid of the smell coming from your Tesla’s air conditioning. Also, make sure that you check the cabin filters and clean the coils of any excess moisture.
Fix – Run Your Tesla Heater on Max to Dry Everything Out
If you are still getting a smell coming from your Tesla air conditioning and you have cleaned or replaced the cabin filters and cleaned off the coils. Other drivers of Tesla who have also experienced this said they turned on the heater for a few minutes before the air conditioning to dry the excess moisture that is still in the unit.
This is common when you have not used your air conditioning in a while. Once you turn the heater in for a few minutes this should take care of the smell coming from your Tesla air conditioning.
4. Cold Stale Air Got Trapped in AC Unit
Have you used your Tesla air conditioning in a while? Maybe even since last summer? There could be a chance that your Tesla air conditioning has cold stale air trapped in the unit that could be causing this smell.
As I mentioned above this happens when you have not used your Tesla air conditioning in a while. When there is stale air trapped this can create an odor when you use your Tesla air conditioning.
This is thankfully an easy solution that other drivers of Tesla have stated worked for them. I know this sounds too easy but try to run just the fan on your Tesla for a few minutes to see if this gets rid of that stale odor.
Fix – Run Just the Fan
If there is stale cold air trapped in your Tesla air conditioning that is causing this smell. Other drivers of Tesla who have also experienced this stated that when they run just the fan for a few minutes they will get that stale air out of the unit. So try to turn on just the fan for a few minutes to see if this will get rid of the smell when you use your Tesla’s air conditioning.
5. Faulty AC Unit
If none of these solutions have solved the smell coming from your Tesla air conditioning there could be a chance that you have a faulty air conditioning unit. This could be possible especially if you are noticing other features not functioning properly along with the smell.
This could be a minor issue or could be a major issue depending on what is wrong with your Tesla air conditioning. If you are noticing the smell ever after doing everything that is listed above contact the Tesla customer support to report the issue.
Most likely the Tesla customer support might recommend you schedule an appointment with your nearest Tesla Service Center to get a professional to diagnose the issue.
Fix – Schedule an Appointment With Tesla Service Center
As stated above, if you are still getting a smell whenever you use the air conditioning in your Tesla. Follow the steps above to see if this gets rid of this smell. If none of these steps have worked, contact Tesla customer support to report the issue.
If there is a fault in the air conditioning in your Tesla You will have to schedule an appointment with your nearest Tesla Service Center. Once the mechanic diagnoses the smell and issue they will go over what needs to be done to fix this problem.
My Final Thoughts
In conclusion, when you are smelling an order whenever you turn on your Tesla air conditioning there could be a few reasons why this is happening. Go over all the steps I listed above to see if this solves the smell coming from your Tesla air conditioning.
Also, consider if this smell is coming from your hair conditions it could be due to not using your air conditioning in a while. This is why you should follow the steps above before you spend any money at the Tesla Service Center.
With that being said, if the air conditioning unit is faulty on your Tesla you should go to a professional at a Tesla Service Center to fix this issue before it gets worse.