Anyone know where the external temperature sensor is located? I think mine is getting dirty or something as it is not accurate for cold temperatures anymore. used to work good.

Thanks

 

You can see it hanging down in the lower air duct on the front bumper. It's a black cylinder about an inch and a half long mounted horizontally just below the top of the opening. How much is it off by?

 

if you take your front bumper off, you'll see it clear as day attached to the frame of the car. If you have been in some type of front end collision than that might have cause the issue.

 

Thanks for the help. No damage to the bumper or sensor. Typically below about 40F is off by about 5F. In years past, it was right on the money every time.

I am thinking it might be dirty or the connections.

So I have to remove the front bumper to get at it? Or is it easier then that?

Thanks

 

I think to remove it you might have to take the bumper off to get at the bolts. Other than that, it's right there when you look into that opening.

 

Yah, mine's starting to sh*t the bed too (05 w/ 65K miles). It reads a pretty consistent 2 degrees low. Used to be right on the money.

 

I think there is a recalibration procedure in the owner's manual.

 

you can recalibrate the sensor +- 5 degrees.

 

Re-calibration -- ahh very nice. Is that in the owner's manual or shop manual?
If shop manual - could someone scan that section and post it?

 

It's in the owner's manual. For the '04 it's something like hold down the trip odometer reset for 10 seconds and the display will start cycling from 0 to 5 to -5 and back to 0. You just let go when it's where you want it.

 

FYI, if its in the owners manual then you can find an electronic copy of it in our FAQ section.

 

Mine (relatively new 07) seems accurate when it's "working", but sometimes I think it "freezes" and stops updating the temperature, just reporting the last reading received from the sensor.

It's also surprisingly slow to update given the amount of air that moves over the sensor. If it's in the 20's outside, it takes almost 5 miles of driving before it gets close to the right reading if it was 50 in the garage. Go figure...

 

It's probably done on purpose so as to not be bouncing all over the place from localized heat pools hanging out on the pavement.

 

Perhaps, but today I drove home 12 miles (39F the whole way), parked in a 50F garage, and then went to dinner an hour later

It still read 39F all the way to the restaurant. But then went I get done and leave, suddenly it's 45F, 6 degrees warmer outside than in my garage...