crisco

I think mine always reads 3 degrees celcius too high. Has anyone else noticed this? If it is off, is there anything the dealership can do to 'recalibrate' it?

ClutchPerformer

Mine is always 5 deg F too high. I think engine heat may have something to do with it. The temp. sensor is behind the front bumper.

crisco

Yes, I did just performed a search on this topic - and it seems to be a relatively common thing. I guess I'll just have to live with it...

dom

They can definently recalibrate it and in fact so can you. Someone posted this once, instructions right from the service manual. Try a search. Actually I'll try as well as I'm interested too.

crisco

Thanks Domn, I'll try a search

crisco

Voila! originally posted by CDR last month:

"The "Outside Air Temperature Indicator" adjustment is not described in the owner's manual, but is described in the service manual (p22-228) -- and you've found the secret press and hold of the reset button ...

1. Turn the ignition switch ON.
2. Press and hold the reset select button for 10 seconds. While you continue to hold the button, the display will scroll through temperature settings from +3 to -3 (sequence 0, 1, 2, 3, -3, -2, -1).
3. When the desired correction value appears on the display, relesase the button, and the recalibrated outside air temperature will be displayed.

Example: True temperature +70 deg F; displayed value 68 deg F. Correction should be +2.

The manual also suggests removing the sensor (leaving it electricly connected) and submerging it into an ice water container to calibrate (very close to 32 F/0 C).

My experience is also that the initial temp reading after being parked is off, but the "after driving" value seems fairly accurate. But I'll try the true calibration check sometime."

ClutchPerformer

Sweet.

Um....What's the "reset select" button?

dom

I'm guessing its the km/miles reset button?

Anyone?

crisco

yes, I think that's the one

ClutchPerformer

I knew that...

gfxdave99

My 2c

So far mine is very acurate.

corbs

Manual says that the temp will be off when the car is not moving (because of it's location engine heat affects the temp), but once you are moving and the sensor is getting "fresher" air the accuracy will go up.

I guess if you're going to adjust it, you have to figure out when you'd like the gauge to be correct, at standstill or while moving. . .

fdl

My temp guage is suprisingly accurate. It is sometimes off by a degree or 2, but I consider that pretty good. Also, it takes a while to get the right temperature, maybe 5 minutes of driving.

crisco

I'm pretty sure that my gauge is off by 3 degrees - its evident during routine driving on the highway after the initial equilibration from warm up etc. I guess I'm just being picky about it - I just hate having to 'autocorrect' in my head each time I glance at the indicator. Its the same for the clock - I'm one of those who can't stand it when the clock is either 5 min fast or slow.
And the other important thing of course, is knowing when the freezing point is attained on the road (ie - possibility of ice forming).

Ok my rant is over, back to work!!

kiteboy

I would be very wary about deriving road temperature from the air temp, especially regarding a specific point like freezing. The air temp can change much faster than the ground (because of heat capacity) so depending on how the temp has been changing over the last few hours, the ground could either be a lot colder or warmer than the air. Add to that other variables like road usage and the result is no correlation between the two temps at all.

Bass Mechanic

i have a digital multimeter that has a temperature probe. after driving around for about 30 minutes to make sure the temp sensor was stable i stuck my temp probe out the window and drove another 5-10 minutes. my temp gauge was only off by 1 degree reading slightly lower than the actual temp. its pretty accurate if you ask me.

NeoChaser

good thing i searched b4 i posted

yeah mine is ALWAYS 3 above wutever mall signs says.


edit: just used that trick, it works.. just took down 3 from wutever it was..

MrChad

This is great ours is always 2 degrees F too high, now I can fix it.

Man, I've got to get the helm book soon.

Belzebutt

Mine's also about 3 degrees higher than what the weather report or my house outdoor thermometer says... Seems like that's the common thing. But I think it depends on whether it's really cold or really hot out, I think in the fall it wasn't that far off.

I just use it to see whether it's really cold or really, REALLY cold anyway


PS. 555 posts, woohoo!

MrChad

It's 7-F degrees outside at my house....feels about the same as 10-F to me.

dom

Bump for useful instructions.

My gauge is reading about 5 or 6 deg too high.

Nogard13

Mine seems to be just right or 1 degree F off when I drive by banks that have the temperature listed.

Anywho, you can correct it and the instructions ARE in the owners manual (I read it myself just yesterday, and I do not own the service manual). You do it just as you do when you set your Mem 1 Key options (i.e. what displays, light setup, etc). One of the options is to change your temperature display. This, however, only works when you use that key to unlock/start the car. It will be back to 0 change when you use your other key.

clee109

Unless you program both keys for the temp

joerockt

Is it really going to ruin your day if your temp is off by a few degrees...lol...

dom

Yes.

Its 28 Celsius here today. My gauge reads 35? WTF.

I need to know whether or not to have the top button of my shirt done when I exit the car.

jwhite4

Semi-related, but it always bugged me that cars would have an external thermometer reading, have electronic temperature controls (ie. you set it for 72), but wouldn't have a way to display the actual inside temperatute. You know there's a sensor in the car, feeding the control unit, because that's how it knows how much to heat or cool the car. Just wish there was a way to see it. Especially in the summer, I'd like to know really how hot it gets inside.

Jeff

joerockt

NO!! NO!! ES TOOO SEXY!! DON'T DO IT!

jesuswalks

how do kno if your temp. gauge is off?

Tsx6363

this should happen to most cars considering the sun adds to the heat of the air surrounding the car...

Dan Martin

A/S/L?

joerockt

Andy Vieira

This was very helpful. Ty.
I learned how to calibrate the sensor and i learned that i definitely need a new one.
Actual temperature outside right now, 86°F
sonia's reading, 113°F

Midnight Mystery

Mega bump for Sonia. Whoever that is.

Andy Vieira

HA! I forgot to clarify. Sonia is our 04 TSX

Midnight Mystery

She sounds nice! Any pics?