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AC No Longer Cool - AC Compressor Super Loud

10929 Views 21 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  Mike
I hope that everyone is doing well. For the past two summers, I've really noticed the AC compressor running extremely loud. I know there's a lot of posts about this and I even reached out to Tesla last year and they said it was normal. However, I have a friend with a 2019 Model 3 (pre-heat pump) and he experiences very little noise. Over the weekend a M3 passed by while I was walking and it was deadly quiet. Now they could have had the AC turned off, but it was a hot day and I expect that AC was being used. Also, over the past two weeks of hot weather, I've noticed that my AC is no longer cooling the car efficiently. if the car is stopped at a light or in traffic, I get virtually no cool air. At speed and while on the highway, the car starts to cool, but the air is not cold. I've setup an appointment with Tesla, but thought I would reach out to the brain trust here to gather some further insight.
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Did you change your cabin air filter? You're about due for that.
I changed them in late December.
My air conditioner has been acting a little weird with the last couple of software updates. It hasn’t been as loud like you’ve been saying but at least three different times the last month it appeared not to work. Air would blow but it would not be cold. One time was when I just picked it up from the service center. I actually had to put it in manual, and select recycle, then it started to work, and then I could put it back in Auto.
Also when I was at the service center I heard the technician telling a woman with a model Y that on the newer models they have had a lot of problem with the air conditioner temperature sensors. She stated that it was so loud they could not hear her at the drive through.
I hope that everyone is doing well. For the past two summers, I've really noticed the AC compressor running extremely loud. I know there's a lot of posts about this and I even reached out to Tesla last year and they said it was normal. However, I have a friend with a 2019 Model 3 (pre-heat pump) and he experiences very little noise. Over the weekend a M3 passed by while I was walking and it was deadly quiet. Now they could have had the AC turned off, but it was a hot day and I expect that AC was being used. Also, over the past two weeks of hot weather, I've noticed that my AC is no longer cooling the car efficiently. if the car is stopped at a light or in traffic, I get virtually no cool air. At speed and while on the highway, the car starts to cool, but the air is not cold. I've setup an appointment with Tesla, but thought I would reach out to the brain trust here to gather some further insight.
please post resolution. Might be as simple as dyi adding coolant. I assume that's same process as any car. Although this is a bit new car for needing that without other issues
I actually have an appointment with Tesla on Monday. Coolant? Playing dumb here, as I've only seen the ability to add windshield washer fluid. Outside of that, I've changed the cabin filters once. LMK if I'm missing a simple fix here. Thanks.
I actually have an appointment with Tesla on Monday. Coolant? Playing dumb here, as I've only seen the ability to add windshield washer fluid. Outside of that, I've changed the cabin filters once. LMK if I'm missing a simple fix here. Thanks.
If that means refrigerant, since the one Tesla uses is somewhat more toxic than its predecessors, that's probably not a good idea to DIY it. Don't just buy one of those generic refrigerant cans at Wal-Mart, it's probably the wrong kind and will damage the compressor.

There is a container full of blue fluid that is coolant, but if it's low you'll get an alert. That would not cause the compressor to be loud, but it will make the vent fans run at full blast if it's just a little low, or has air trapped in the system.
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Here's a video. Car part store will loan for free pressure test kits, screw it on and read if it's in range. Add if not, being sure to add the right stuff. As Jasonf says, this is likely not a dyi for most people, and even unlikely your problem. But often older cars, this is what people test first.
will be interested in your outcome.
the one Tesla uses is somewhat more toxic than its predecessors
More info on this please.
So after five days in the shop waiting for a part, my car is back home and working great. On a positive note, they gave me a Model X as a loaner. Fun car to test drive for a few days. I was told that there was damage to the compressor and associated radiator due to excessive debris. These parts were replaced ($1800 later). I tried to get an understanding as to how these parts could have been damaged as I thought that area was sealed, but given our current lockdown situation, only communication was through the chat on the Tesla app so I never got a straight answer. I want to know how to prevent it from happening again. The car has 175,000km, so it has been driven, but we haven't hit anything or have driven on rough gravel roads (mostly highway). The helicopter screaming noise is gone and I can park and sit in my car now without turning heads or getting sarcastic comments ("hey, I thought electric cars were supposed to be quiet). And most importantly the AC is cold again. This was the first major out of pocket repair for us. Hope it's the last for awhile.
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Middy (2020 LR AWD Model Y) lost AC on our way back on our latest road trip. Seems the car knows something is up when you press "auto" and the AC button (I manually selected it hoping for some cool air) switches from blue (selected) to gray (not selected).

Service appt on Monday and yes, service bulletin on the temp sensors was already performed over a month ago.
So after five days in the shop waiting for a part, my car is back home and working great. On a positive note, they gave me a Model X as a loaner. Fun car to test drive for a few days. I was told that there was damage to the compressor and associated radiator due to excessive debris. These parts were replaced ($1800 later). I tried to get an understanding as to how these parts could have been damaged as I thought that area was sealed, but given our current lockdown situation, only communication was through the chat on the Tesla app so I never got a straight answer. I want to know how to prevent it from happening again. The car has 175,000km, so it has been driven, but we haven't hit anything or have driven on rough gravel roads (mostly highway). The helicopter screaming noise is gone and I can park and sit in my car now without turning heads or getting sarcastic comments ("hey, I thought electric cars were supposed to be quiet). And most importantly the AC is cold again. This was the first major out of pocket repair for us. Hope it's the last for awhile.
My WAG: the debris being described may/may simply be three years/175k km worth of salt, sand, bugs and other things slowly chocking off the airflow through the condenser (radiator for a sealed AC system). Next time my car is up on the rack I'll have a look and see if the general design can lead to that situation over the longer term.

If the condenser is chocked off, the compressor ends up working overtime to the point that it is trying to compress a fluid versus a gas…and when one tries to compress refrigerant that should be entering the compressor as a low pressure gas, the extra wear leads to a failure.

Or perhaps the "excessive debris" was actually bits of the failed compressor floating around your sealed system…

Or you could have simply had a bad OEM part from day one.
Middy (2020 LR AWD Model Y) lost AC on our way back on our latest road trip. Seems the car knows something is up when you press "auto" and the AC button (I manually selected it hoping for some cool air) switches from blue (selected) to gray (not selected).

Service appt on Monday and yes, service bulletin on the temp sensors was already performed over a month ago.
Update?
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Middy (2020 LR AWD Model Y) lost AC on our way back on our latest road trip. Seems the car knows something is up when you press "auto" and the AC button (I manually selected it hoping for some cool air) switches from blue (selected) to gray (not selected).

Service appt on Monday and yes, service bulletin on the temp sensors was already performed over a month ago.
Service appt got rescheduled due to parts plus we are on the next leg of our expanded road trip, so had to move the appt.

As the AC now works, then it kinda works, sure looks like the replacement temp sensors are more faulty than the original ones from the factory.

I'll know more August 17th.
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Update:

Having eliminated the remote possibility that TeslaFi is involved (which it wasn't), I caused Climate Keep mode to fail twice while the car was parked to help the Tesla Diagnostics team see some fresh log data.

Middy is currently at the Castleton IN service center and diagnosis will continue into tomorrow.

Could be an octovalve issue, I'll know more once they finish diagnosing what's going on.

Who knows, could be a new service bulletin gets created from our experiences...
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Update:

All the problems were caused by.... wait for it... low refrigerant!

Turns out Middy was born with too low amount of refrigerant from the factory.

Now the AC is ICE cold (ICE... get it?).

Also, Service Bulletin SB-20-31-006 was performed and my charge port's deadfronts were replaced (luckily, one came out after the service center put the car on one of their destination chargers!)

I thought issues with deadfronts were a thing of the past... sigh

Castleton IN service center is another one I strongly recommend. They didn't rush through the diagnosis and kept me up to date at the end of each day.
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All the problems were caused by.... wait for it... low refrigerant!

Turns out Middy was born with too low amount of refrigerant from the factory.
They don't think there is a leak?
They don't think there is a leak?
I forgot to mention they added dye to check for leaks, none found
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My M3 A/C runs loud and long while in garage overnight. Also losing 6-7 miles of range every nite and there is a puddle of water on the floor in the AM. Turned off Sentry Mode and Cabin Overheat Protection. Still does this. Tesla service said this was normal. I don't think so. Anyone experiencing similar problems?
My M3 A/C runs loud and long while in garage overnight. Also losing 6-7 miles of range every nite and there is a puddle of water on the floor in the AM. Turned off Sentry Mode and Cabin Overheat Protection. Still does this. Tesla service said this was normal. I don't think so. Anyone experiencing similar problems?
Are you somehow turning on Climate Keeper or Dog Mode or Camp Mode?
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