Tesla Model 3 Upgrade to a HEPA Filter and How To Get Rid of Musty Odors - Cheaply!

[@RyoBLN]

14:40 The Black its Carbon. Tesla uses this Filter MANN frecious-plus

[@bgotsha]

Spot on tutorial. I never would have found leaves stuck in the air intake that is accessed via the frunk without this video.

[@BecauseTesla]

I'm glad you found it helpful. That's the reason I make these videos. Thanks for watching!

[@vigilante_stark]

Please make an update video and show us how the dirty charcoal filter looks like and how well it blocks the dust and odours.

[@ratsac]

Good idea to clean that evaporator. I had the evaporator on my 2010 Subaru Forester rust out and fail in 2018. It’s in the same spot as the Model 3 and was a PITA to change. No model 3s are that old yet, but I imagine it would be just as hard and twice as expensive to replace (it’s about 5hrs Labor charges if you don’t diy). You have to remove the entire dash and centre console to get to it.

[@MarvKirsch]

Excellent detail of how to do-it-yourself for the cabin filter, much appreciated

[@williambaridon9452]

Thank You Thank You! Followed you excellent video and changed to the XTechnor HEPA filters. Couldn’t have done it without you

[@alantzul1879]

So helpful! So far the best Tesla KZbinr 👌🏼👌🏼

[@brandonrossi1293]

The cheap priced one nearly killed me. Breathed in neary every toxin on the road with it. Every time I saw an old car my heart dropped because I knew my car was about to be gased and every passenger was about to complain. The pull thing rips off easily as well. Finally ordered one from tesla and the problem is gone .

[@johannpadron]

I like how detail this is. I learned a few extra things on this video compared to others. Good Job! I’ll use this one when the time comes for me.

[@BecauseTesla]

Thanks for watching. Yeah, if you've seen any of my other videos, you'll notice that they are a bit longer than other channels because I do want to put more details if I can. A perfect example is a recent video where I replaced all of the factory speakers. I go step by step to show all the details on removing panels to get to the speakers. That video is about an hour long, but I did put links in the description to jump around to a section that you want to see. I'm glad that you noticed the details!

[@peterjensen1229]

This definitely requires a level of flexibility. I might need an adjustment after this install.

[@SteveKing1212]

Thank you for the walk-through! I can barely change a tire and you made this very simple for anyone to do🤣. Thanks again!!!

[@prostovanka]

HEPA filters in general require more air flow to get the same amount of air pumping out of your vents. Someone should really test these to see if they are "HEPA" as the manufacturer claims them to be. If these filters meet the HEPA standard then I'm curious to know what is the reduction of airflow in the cabin because of these filters.

[@webx135]

When he says "More pleats = better filtration", that isn't technically accurate. "More pleats = less restriction per volume" because you have more surface area. HEPA filters are generally designed with really dense pleats so they can use a more restrictive medium without hurting the airflow too much. It's part of what is meant by "High-efficiency particulate air filter". It's meant to maximize particle capture without being overly restrictive. They use 3 different modes of capture rather than the usual 1 or 2, allowing them to catch particles smaller than their pores. I've had these same filters for about a year with no problems with airflow. So the static pressure and surface area seem to be enough. But I can't say much on their actual MERV rating. I might have a setup at work to be able to test them. Not really suitible for home central air, though, unless you have a special setup for it. Most homes use MERV-2/4 fiberglass filters or MERV-8 pleated filters. I'm running MERV-13's in my home now. MERV-16 I believe is operating-room grade. HEPA and ULPA are MERV-17 to MERV-20 which is basically chip manufacturing grade. MERV-16 units usually have like 4-6 times the pleats. With MERV-20, you might be running out of space and would need to install a larger filter rack.

[@lumpiastudio7535]

I watched so many videos out there regarding this problem and your video is by far the best! You made it look so easy . Thank you!

[@thomasjacques5286]

Awesome vid, and I'd use my vacuum cleaner and try and suck out that filter area first. Just the OCD in me.

[@BecauseTesla]

Great tip!

[@hanbada]

I used the same HEPA filter wrapped with a black sponge liner around the filter. It is time to remove the used filter and I was having a hard time removing the lower filter out from the filter housing. Please be aware of this.

[@acidburstman]

I thought you were about to say “you can save 15% with geiko” . Awesome demonstration. Some of the other videos I watch had terrible camera angles and they were hard to follow. This one showed everything I needed.

[@CarlosSilva-ux6rd]

Awesome video! Thank you for taking the time to show us! That damn screw is the death of me, btw! Had to squirm around like a snake to put it back in!

[@craigkovatch7564]

Thank you for including the visual of the evaporator itself, and the technique with the applicator hose. The official video is centered around a more traditional A/C design, shoving the hose all the way in is not appropriate when you're accessing the evaporator directly. Your video will help me avoid this mistake I would have otherwise made. Cheers!

[@MacMcIntire]

You can buy a replacement screw for the cabin air filter cover plate that's a thumb screw. It's way easier to access the filters. @t

[@BecauseTesla]

Good idea! Thanks!

[@jefffenton5932]

Just did this with the Xtechnor filters. Thanks for the great video!

[@jm100368]

of course you can't find any ac cleaner in stock right now. Thanks Corona!

[@BecauseTesla]

Thanks for letting me know. The 2 that were originally listed are just the 2 brands that I have experience with. There are other brands that do the same thing. You can search online for "foaming AC evaporator cleaner", and you'll find more. Here is a cheaper version: amzn.to/3ryHl0M , and here is a more premium version: amzn.to/3y9lNKk . Good luck with everything!

[@techworld8961]

Tesla website says “Tesla recommends replacing these filters every two years.”

[@jonathanh548]

Love the intro to all you video!! Always make me have a good laugh!! Thanks man... and always great info in your videos.

[@leoclarke6462]

Love the start with the drones!!

[@MaxHasManyHobbies]

Make sure to wear goggles while doing this. My spray tube came apart while I was trying to shake the can while spraying. Went all over the place including my eyes.

[@techworld8961]

Great video! Thanks!

[@commuterbranchline8132]

Thanks for sharing dude, most helpful, especially cleaning the evaporator. It’s gonna be better long term to keep on top of that job👍

[@itsarubiconday]

Neither of the filters you mention are actually HEPA certified filters. The term HEPA is vague, like ‘natural’ in food labeling. Do either of the filter you’re recommending advertise a HEPA certification that can be validated?

[@reinaldomoll]

Great video as always Erik. I ordered from your links and plan on changing them today. I bought the extra cover to place on top of the intake to prevent leaves and feathers and stuff from entering. I enlarged all the holes to 3/8" however to prevent strain on the motor. *on a side note, Skillet is coming to a club 10 minutes from my house next month and I plan on going!!!

[@BecauseTesla]

I've thought about buying the intake cover and doing the exact same thing with the holes for the same reasons you mentioned. If you have the chance to go see Skillet, do it! They put on a great live show. If you have the opportunity to meet their singer, John, tell him Erik says "hi". He knew I was filming him for my channel, but I haven't texted or emailed him the link. Thanks for the reminder! LOL.

[@reinaldomoll]

@@BecauseTesla I just bought the tickets today, going to be awesome! They have so many great songs. "The best band you've never heard of"!!!

[@BecauseTesla]

@@reinaldomoll that's awesome! Have fun! Yeah it's amazing how many people have never heard of them....even though they've been nominated twice for Grammys and their music is played on TV during NFL and WWE shows.

[@cyprianskiba8768]

Abstract ocean filter is $45 and the Techlor one is a little more at $50

[@BecauseTesla]

Either brand will work just fine. Use my discount code if you shop at Abstract Ocean, and it will be even cheaper! Code: becausetesla

[@eshepley]

I noticed you didn’t unclip orange wire from cover. Looks like we have similar set up in that orange wire won’t unclip from cover. Abstract Ocean has video recommending unclipping wire from cover. Could have done real damage. That orange wire is not to be messed with.

[@BecauseTesla]

I had no problems removing the door with the wire attached, so why add more steps. Right?

[@ethancushing]

clear helpful walkthrough. thanks so much!

[@hiteshpatel3910]

What I want to know is that does this Hepa filter reduce air flow when turn on fan compare to original Tesla filters ? I wish you did the test before changing it😜

[@BecauseTesla]

I have not noticed any reduced airflow since installing the HEPA filters. Overall, it's been great!

[@bubbatellez6395]

Is it still doing good?

[@bubbatellez6395]

And has the odor returned? I’m looking to do this to my Model 3 soon. It smells like ass

[@BecauseTesla]

@@bubbatellez6395 Yes, nothing new to report. No bad smells.

[@thomasjacques5286]

Just ordered an MY and the Owners Manual says to change the filters every TWO YEARS. When the time comes I'm going with HEPA filters. But wonder if the airflow remains the same as the OEM filters. I wonder if there is a screen/filter for the air intake? Thanks for the vid, I'll need this in a couple of years..... Cheers

[@BigZeus]

I notice a somewhat pungent carbon smell after install, is that normal?

[@cathyk9197]

Thank you for this vid. I have allergies and a HEPA filter should help!

[@thefish5861]

Man, for a car that is supposed to have such brilliant engineering, that is an almost impossible place to access the air filters.

[@Racing2Learn]

Excellent tutorial!

[@sidewinder193]

Thanks for the video. How are these filters doing now? Any odor?

[@Themachinewon]

You stated, you'll need to replace it every year, HEPA is suppose to give you up to 3 years,,, ??? Whats your thoughts ? The drone thing was cool ~~~

[@BecauseTesla]

I wouldn't trust the HEPA filter for 3 years, but it depends on where you drive. If you leave your car parked outside and drive through the dusty desert, you may need to change more often than a person who parks in a garage and commutes down the street to work. Me personally, I think I'm going to keep it in until I start seeing dust in the cabin and / or musty smells. Then I'll do another thorough cleaning and filter replacement. Hopefully that will be in 3 years, but we'll see.

[@dannylorenze6188]

Thank you! Very Helpful

[@bcfran3g844]

You are great. However this is too much for me to do myself. My car is 4 months, so I will wait for my Model X first year birthday.

[@BecauseTesla]

You are great too, and with a little confidence you can do this also. 😎

[@realdealGod]

3:36 HOW DID YOU GET YOUR FRUNK TO OPEN LIKE THAT?? My wife and I always complain because we have to open the frunk manually and than close it manually! How did you do it?

[@BecauseTesla]

I installed a Power Frunk from Hansshow. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fWrVkpavo5lohc0

[@jeff05989]

do you try to clean the leaves inside also? I put a filter in the frunk also although it doesn't fit perfectly I think a lot of leaves being stuck in there makes it smell too

[@BecauseTesla]

Yes, I cleaned out all the leaves before installing new filters. I've also installed a leaf guard grill on my air inlet in the frunk.

[@youngjongchoi1183]

Thank you! It's Very Helpful!

[@blakecmaster]

When you put the little filter door back on after install. Does it click in place or just held by the screw. There’s not an air tight fit on it even after putting the top screw back on.

[@BecauseTesla]

The bottom of the panel (door) slides down into a groove to hold it down, and the screw holds down the top.

[@alexc6946]

I’m wondering why there’s no filter on the front intake where the outside air comes in. It seems like anything can make its way in there

[@dackenisking]

Agreed.. tesla should include it. They sell it here www.taptes.com/products/hood-air-conditioner-compressor-protective-cover?_pos=1&_sid=62bd81ae4&_ss=r

[@BecauseTesla]

There kinda is. The plastic piece that I removed has slats in it to allow air in and keep debris out. The problem is that the slats are spaced out too far to allow leaves and debris in. You can add a 3rd party cover that completely covers it but has hundreds of holes to allow air in. They also make an additional paper filter to put in there, but I'm hesitant to add extra strain on the blower motor (just like your home's HVAC system).

[@dsheffer2]

Great info Erik, appreciate it!! I’m ordering my M3 in May, can’t wait! How are the white seats holding up? I’m going with them as well with black exterior.

[@BecauseTesla]

Seats are holding up great, but do require regular wipe downs. Still love them though.

[@mlee6050]

if go white ceramic coat them, it makes them stay cleaner and easier to clean

[@eshepley]

I just watched Abstract Ocean video and charcoal part was facing front of car. Who's right?

[@BecauseTesla]

I'll explain my theory, and you can decide who is right. The air flows from the front of the car to the back. The filter has 2 sides, a paper element to catch debris and a charcoal element to eliminate odors. If air is flowing from front to back, I would prefer to have the paper element facing the front of the car as my first line of defense to capture leaves and debris. The air that makes it past that first paper element will now go through the charcoal side to freshen the odor before blowing through my vents. If I were to face the charcoal side to the front, I don't think it would do a very good job of trapping debris since that is not the purpose of a charcoal filter. Am I wrong?

[@gajuoh2133]

The procedure is just like my bmw x2 which I don’t like at all. idk why manufacturers make it this hard to change the cabin filter. 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@ephemeral.intrepid]

I would not recommend this filter. The charcoal should be on the air intake side. Charcoal is know to have fine dust particles and if it’s directly on the evaporator then it’s going to leave residue. Even w the cleanser it won’t get everything off. I would find one w the charcoal on the other side.

[@ephemeral.intrepid]

PS The video is great.

[@andrewrodriguez3275]

Thanks for this vid! Would you recommend switching out the Tesla filters with these HEPA filters upon delivery of my Model 3 or should I wait and replace after 12 months of driving?

[@BecauseTesla]

There is nothing wrong with the factory filters, so I would wait. Once it is time for you to replace your filters, you now have options. However, if you have severe allergies or an extreme asthmatic (or any other upper respiratory disease), you may benefit from the upgrade to HEPA filters right away.

[@EwoutSchalkwijk]

That speaker down there? What is it's purpose? Telephone? It is certainly not a part of the HiFi audio...

[@BecauseTesla]

You are correct. It is not part of the audio system. I believe it is part of the alert system when the car warns you of various hazards ahead.

[@PhilipBarkes]

Good work. Thank-you.

[@CarmenRusso1]

How have these held up so far? Did the musty smell return yet?

[@BecauseTesla]

Holding up great...no bad smells yet.

[@megadime]

Thanks for the very informative video! I think tesla needs to simplify the process for changing consumables. My old hyundai accent has a faster process. Come on Elon! You can do better that this

[@InSaN3ViSioN]

Funny, on the Model S you change the air filter by simply opening the frunk and popping out the top panel and the air filter is right there. Not sure why they couldn't do this with the 3!

[@edricflo]

Where did you get the annual change recommendation from? I noticed the Tesla Manual says at least every 2 years.

[@BecauseTesla]

Sorry about that. Yes for the average driver, every 2 years is recommended. The manual gives a safe recommendation based on the average driver, but it really depends on how much you drive. I drive a lot...usually 25,000 - 30,000 a year. So for me, it would be recommended to replace it once a year. I should have explained that better in the video. Thanks for watching!

[@TeslaFrancePicardie]

Merci pour cette démonstration 👍🤝

[@BecauseTesla]

De ríen 😎

[@geoffreyhansen284]

Does the hepa last longer than the generic

[@BecauseTesla]

It has been my experience that the HEPA does not last longer...it just filters out more particles from the air.

[@wasteoftimegames]

How long did the clean smell last ?

[@BecauseTesla]

The minty smell lasted about a week, but more importantly, the musty smell was gone for at least a year.

[@Themachinewon]

Any One use this ? Motrobe Tesla Model 3 Air Intake Vent Filter, ?

[@latibes]

useful content! great

[@rccarslover7143]

It doesen t have any filter there from factory?

[@BecauseTesla]

Yes, it does have a regular paper filter element to remove first, as demonstrated in the video.

[@rccarslover7143]

@@BecauseTesla i was reffering under the "Frunk" ,if it has that filter. Not the 2 inside the car

[@BecauseTesla]

Inside the Frunk is just an air inlet that leads to the filters on the inside of the car. No factory filter in the Frunk. If you add one, you would be double filtering the air. That’s fine if you have allergies, but the downside is that it will add extra stress to the blower motor, and could potentially cause premature failure of that air blower motor. I have the leaf guard on mine. No extra paper filter in my Frunk.

[@Yellow_Afryca]

No superchargers in Elon’s hometown which is Pretoria, South Africa interesting

[@BecauseTesla]

It would be very interesting if there were Superchargers in other parts of Africa, but not Pretoria. If you look at the map of locations, the only places in the entire Southern hemisphere with Superchargers are Australia and New Zealand. There are no superchargers on the continents of Africa or South America. Does anyone know if Tesla is selling cars there yet? That may explain why.

[@LVgirl71]

Tesla recommends changing this cabin filter after 2 years, not every year!

[@BecauseTesla]

That is a general recommendation. It was originally 1 year in the manual, and then they changed it to 2 years, but it all depends on the driver. I drive my car a lot. I'm close to 30,000 miles in 1 year, which is twice the average. So that's 30k miles worth of debris in my filters. You may see that much in 2 years on your car if you have normal mileage. I'll put it this way: I'll check my filters every year, and if they need to be replaced, I'll replace them. If they look fairly clean, I'll leave them in for another year. This can also be different for people that leave their car parked outside. They may need to check them more often since there are more opportunities for dust, rain, dirt and leaves to infiltrate the filters.

[@RyanGosling6]

I have a problem choosing a exterior color with white or red which is really tuff

[@BecauseTesla]

I understand completely. I was on the fence between White and Midnight Silver (Gray). If it's any help...white is going to cost less.

[@Jake-sl2xj]

Great instructions. Thank you