‘I’ve Had My Tesla for 5+ Years’: Man Sits in Tesla. Then He Realizes There’s a ‘Hidden’ Feature That Let’s Him Split These in 2
A Tesla owner shared the “hidden…feature” he never knew his EV’s air conditioning system packed. Here's how to customize the airflow.
A Tesla owner shared the “hidden…feature” he never knew his EV’s air conditioning system packed. TikTok user Fraser (@fraserstesla) regularly posts about his car on the popular social media application. He said that after buying the vehicle he “made it [his] personality” and uploaded a series of clips detailing his ownership experience.
Like this one, where he shows a rear door handle shortcut trick that unlocks the vehicle’s charger port. This could be helpful for folks looking to speedily disengage their charge port and get on the road.
But Fraser’s video about his Model Y’s AC clip may fix a gripe several Tesla users have expressed with the brand’s climate controls.
“So I had no idea this was a feature,” Fraser says at the top of his video. Next, he taps a portion of the infotainment screen, where the interior cabin’s air conditioning temperature is displayed. Doing so prompts a screen that shows off the various climate control settings drivers can fiddle around with. A graphic of the Tesla’s dash, along with its steering wheel, depicts an image of the AC’s airflow, which Fraser manipulates via the touchscreen.
“So I had no idea this was a feature on the Tesla. When you’re on here, where you can move these around like this,” he says. Next, he implements what looks like a multi-touch input, which spreads the airflow more evenly throughout the cabin.
He does so by pressing two fingers on one of the streams and moving them apart. Subsequently, the stream is divided into two, resulting in an expanded air conditioning blast. This way, the airflow is disseminated more evenly throughout the cabin. “You can do this, split in two?! That is, what? How? This is insane, how? How did I not know? And you just put them back together like that. Look, I can just. And now it’s just one. Crazy,” he says.
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In his clip, he repeatedly un-pairs and re-pairs the air streams to further demonstrate the functionality.
Tesla AC Hate
InsideEVs has previously reported on another Tesla owner who said that one of their biggest issues with the car is that it never gets cold enough. In a TikTok video of their own, the driver lamented that every time they get into their car it takes forever for the ride’s cabin to reach a comfortable temperature.
Furthermore, they said that interacting with the car’s climate control display does little to remedy this issue. They recorded themselves tapping and dragging on their large dashboard screen, aiming the car’s airflow in different directions. However, they said doing so still doesn’t provide them with enough cooling power.
Like Fraser, they are able to bifurcate the stream using just one finger by dragging it around horizontally. Despite doing this, they still say in their video that the airflow still doesn’t feel strong enough.
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There are several reasons why a Tesla’s air conditioning system isn’t cooling or heating its cabin properly. The simplest fix could lie in your system’s settings. Check to make sure your EV’s climate control settings aren’t calibrated to Auto mode. Since EV batteries are drained more quickly when air conditioning and other features like music and navigation are used, auto AC controls can help squeeze more range out of the car. However, they might not provide comfortable climate levels. So be sure to engage manual mode to increase/decrease that airflow.
Second, make sure the car isn’t switched on to “fan only” mode, which effectively blows the same temperature air that’s already in the car and is filtered from outside. After ensuring AC mode has been turned on, also ensure that the “closed circuit” option has been engaged. This will ensure that the already cool/hot air that’s been emanating from the AC system stays cycled inside of the car. Furthermore, this YouTube video breaks down the various options Tesla drivers have when interacting with its air conditioning system. Toggling the defogger vents and foot vents can also concentrate air flow to specific areas of the car, resulting in stronger airflow streams.
Potential Tesla AC Problems
If the aforementioned fixes still don’t result in a pleasant Tesla air conditioning experience, then you may want to consider swapping out your Tesla’s air conditioning (HEPA) and/or cabin air filters. This Model Y user gushed about how easy of a process this was for them. Moreover, they were able to save some money by purchasing filters online rather than doing so through Tesla’s service department.
This Tesla owner shared their own air conditioning woes that were ultimately fixed when they performed a filter swap. Upon removing their old filter, they saw that it was caked with dirt, dust, and dead bugs. The flotsam and jetsam prevented air from flowing into their vehicle, resulting in it overheating and making the car dangerous to drive, not just uncomfortable to sit in.
According to the Teslord blog, other air conditioning problems can be directly tied to a car experiencing “low refrigerant” levels. The site recommends scheduling a service appointment at a Tesla dealer, or certified-Tesla repair shop to assess if this is indeed the problem.
Another reason for weak Tesla AC flow can be directly tied to a failing or faulty compressor. Without it, the Tesla’s refrigerant cannot be utilized properly to regulate the temperatures of air flowing through its vents. The same blog piece states that diagnosing whether or not a compressor is faulty can result in a rattling noise, which could indicate that the compressor itself is loose. Additionally, a build-up of water vapor could “contaminate” oil that’s used for the compressor.
Coolant pipe malfunctions can also occur, and without this component working properly, you’ll be exposed to hot air inside of your EV. Temperature sensors, and software issues should also be explored when servicing your Tesla’s air conditioning system, too. These above-mentioned potential problems were also echoed in a separate Tesla-centric blog as well.
Commenters React
Folks who replied to Fraser’s video were either just as stunned as he was to discover this hidden feature, or knew about the functionality all along.
“I did that on the first day,” one penned.
“Another secret: there's a user manual,” someone else quipped.
“That’s not hidden lol,” one user on the app echoed.
But there were others who seemed grateful for Fraser’s post. “I've been driving a Tesla for a year and watched every video before I bought it and didn't know that until now,” one TikTok user penned.
“I’ve had my Tesla for 5+ years and just knowing about this now,” another penned.
InsideEVs has reached out to Fraser via TikTok comment for further information.
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