sdkirby

My outside thermometer seems to read 5-10 degrees high. The dealer said this was normal because it picks up engine heat and the sun heats soaks the bumper where the sensor is. Any of you guys have this issue?

SouthernBoy

It's not unusual if you are sitting in traffic or have just got in an started you engine. If you have been moving for a bit, the reading will be pretty dead on accurate.

e46m3

Dealer is pulling your leg. I don't have that problem. A margin of error of +- 2 is acceptable but not 10 degrees.

rets

You could try to calibrate it +/- 3 by pressing MID buttons, or there is a thread called "Acura Info on temp sensor Logic and Calibration" if you like to know more about this... U would find it in Garage.

Novice

I think it is normal. When I park my car under a covered area, the temp is right on (use one of the XM weather channels to see the current temp-the nav screen displays the temp if you choose one of those stations). If I take the car out and drive under the sun (not to mention boiling roads), the temp goes up as much as 10-15'F.

caball88

the temperature is only accurate when the car is moving.

acura_driver

When I first bought my TL I thought the outdoor temperature reading was 5-10 degrees high. To test it I held a known accurate digital thermometer out the sunroof while driving. The TL thermometer was within 1 degree the two times I tested it.

Also note that the actual temperature on the road can be several degrees higher due to heat radiated by the asphalt and heat from other cars if the traffic is heavy.

-r

JetJock

My temp reading....in the garage...sitting overnight is around 7 degrees high. I reset it myself using the instructions in the manual....but it's stilll reading high. I know the engine and road heat can cause high readings, but I check it in my garage after the engine is cool...and the temperature is stable.......it's still too high. It's not worth making a special trip to the dealer, but does anyone know if they can adjust it beyond the 3 degrees mentioned in the owners manual? During a call to my service department, one mechanic said it was possible, but another said it was only adjustable by 3 degrees and no more...anybody know the facts???

Ron A

Does it go up 10-15 degrees more than what it was when parked under a covered area, which would be normal, or does it go up 10-15 degrees over the actual outside temperature (meaning it went up 20-30 degrees more)?

Does the temperature displayed when driving under the sun on boiling roads still match the XM/navi temperature?

Novice

Ron:
over what it was under a covered area. I should've made it clear-the temp of the parking I use is very close to the temp I get from the forecast

No, it is always 10-15 higher on really hot days at around 3-4pm.

sdkirby

I compared the TL thermometer with XM radio and the TL is reading 5 degrees higher. and I was driving 55 mph at the time. I am going to call the dealer one more time and if they still don't want to fix it, then I bust out the pen and paper and write Acura a little letter.

lindros2

My TL's temp gauge is normally 5-10 degrees high even with -3 calibration. I've just grown use to it...

sdkirby

Sounds to me that a lot of people are having this problem. I definately think that something should be dobe about it. Buying the TL was a huge upgrade for me as far as luxury aminities go, and the outside thermometer was another perk that we all paid for when they developed the feature and rolled it into the MSRP. Whether anybody here cares or not, I will be writing Acura a letter expressing my anger towards the issue at hand. Maybe I am over reacting, but when I drop over $35K on a new car, especially an Acura, I expect every feature work as advertised.

acura_driver

Before complaining about the accuracy of the TL outdoor thermometer compare it another known accurate thermometer next to the car. Ideally one held out the sunroof while the car is moving.

Using the weather forecast, temperature given on the radio, or even what is shown on a bank sign for the reference temperature is silly, and inaccurate.

-r

jjsC5

I think only one person here seems to have a clue as to what is the real cause.

Anytime there is a lot of sun hitting the pavement, the temperature one foot above the road actually is going to be significantly hotter than the ambient temperature higher up, or in the shade. I have had many cars with temp guages (I have three now), and they all read pretty high on a hot sunny day. 10 degrees is unusual, but 5 - 7 degrees is not.

Try holding a thermometer a foot off the pavement on a hot sunny day, and compare your readout to that. Also, experiment with concrete vs asphalt.

Road Rage

I disagree.

Radiant and convection heat from engine exhausts, the road surface, etc. can easily cause the temp display to read higher than amnbient air temperatures taken at weather stations. The Owner's Manual doesn't go into detail, but it clearly sets that expectation.

Yes, one can adjust the air temp a few degrees, but this is best done with a very accurate digital thermomenter ( I have a lab one accurate to .5degF) mounted in the same area as the stocker, and done first thing int he morning.

One other thought - is the accruacy of this feature really that important to anyone?

Mike_TX

Something else not mentioned here is that the official weather service temperature is measured 25 - 50 ft. off the ground, so as to keep it from being affected by heat radiating back from the ground, concrete, metal, etc. in the area. Also, the temp is measured in the shade, inside a small box through which air is pulled by a fan. The object is to measure the air's temperature.

Furthermore - and to make it more confusing - the weather service in most areas updates the temperature only on the hour, so radio stations, etc., may be working with temperatures up to an hour old.

The thermometer on your car is measuring real world temps right above road level, so (as others have pointed out) it should be higher than the radio reports it to be in the summertime.

Having said this, though, 10 degrees is too much of a variance. I've had a ton of cars with temp readouts and on average they have tended to be 3 degrees above the "radio temperature".

Mike

sdkirby

Well, then in the evening the temp should be fairly accurate since the roads have cooled down and there is no sun to heat soak the car. My father has a professional grade thermometer that I will hang out the window while moving and compare temps. I will post the results, but I will not be back online till next weekend as I am going on a business trip in the morning.

pabound

Raod Rage:

Yes, to some, it is important.

Road Rage

Well, I could understand when it gets near 32degF, but otherwise I do not get it. To each his own, of course. I know when it is hot, and cold, - I wish they had a sensor rather than that one that said "moron yapping on cell phone ahead" or some other more useful thing.

I seek to understand, though - if accuracy to within 2 degrees is important to you, may i ask what is the nature of that interest?

pabound

Well, Road, it has always been important - not that it is of by 2 degrees, but that's (at least in mine) it off more like 8 degrees on the average (Compared to local weather stations).

Personally, I follow the weather closely as a hobby; my job (neurosurgery) is intense, and I look at it as another way to focus my energy and thoughts towards.

BUT what really kills me on the whole temp thing is that I had, before the TL, a 97 Grand Cherokee with 130K miles on it..let me tell you, that temp guage in it was ALWAYS dead on balls accurate - for a friggin GM product!

My < .02

RAdams

When did GM buy Jeep? Sorry, I'm being a wanker.

AcuraVic

My temp reading in the TL is +-2 degrees. In the 5 series it is dead on with the weatherman. I know where the temp sensor is in 530 (under the front spoiler, cause wifey broke it parking) but where is it in the TL ?

pabound

OK, Road, I GIVE up, you WANKER!!

Dooooh; I mean Chrysler (Just the same, though...)

redwingrider/Tl

So What Are The Steps To Recalibrate The Temp Sensor?

Thanks Tim

Ron A

Here is the thread to calibrate the temperature sensor. It is clipped on the back of the front bumper beam.

http://www.acura-tl.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67481

fla-tls

Mine on my '02 TL-S is quite accurate. I actually spent the time to calibrate it with ice water. Fill a cup with ice and water and put the sensor in it. Mine read 34 degrees (a bit higher than freezing) and seems to be very accurate with all of the bank/weather report, etc temps - usually within 1 degree.

With the '02, you have to be going at least 20 mph for a while for it to read accurately. I think the actual speed in the manual is 19 (damn kph conversions!)

This won't account for variability throughout the sensors range, but it's a good start and worked for me.

nick04tl

i dont det why the accuracy is that important either. does it matter if it is 94 or 99? both are hot.

fla-tls

There's nothing worse than a digital gauge that's off. Perhaps it's a personality thing for me (and probably others). If you're going to give me a gauge that reads 92 degrees it should be very close to that. If your gauge reads "hot" then that's something different.

It kinds reminds me of the boost lights from the old Buick Grand National. There was a yellow light and a red light... Who can argue with that?!?

Q. "What was your max boost?"
A. "Umm... yellow?"

Road Rage

That's a funny story - hey, I love precision, no doubt - it is in the engineering equipment all over the labs my Team supports; I got a Baume & Mercier watch - I would be embarassed to quote my speakers...but I guess the digi thermo in my car does not get to me.

BTW, I have found mine to be pretty accurate - naturally, it will not read accurately when one is crawling in bumper to bumper in August, right?

I took my digital thermo out this morning - placed it in the grill opening right next to the TL's sensor, and took a reading. The TL was within 2 degs of that, which is std digital probe accuracy. A few minutes later, the FM station near me said it was 73 degrees, right in the middle of the TL and the lab instrument. Good enough for me.

fla-tls

It sounds like it actually does get to you. Taking the time to calibrate/check your sensor with a highly accurate thermometer is not the action of a man who doesn't care, eh?

Perhaps if it were 5 degrees off when you checked you'd have a different post?

Just pulling your leg, man...

Road Rage

Ouch! I have an insatiable curiosity for the truth, but I really do not care. I don't sleep in my car either.

jazzpicker

What's the purpose of having a temp. sensor if it's inacurate???

żGotJazz?

Road Rage, what you say is essentially true - especially for an automobile design. However, if the sensor has some sort of heat shield around it, and air is constantly flowing around the sensor (maybe from car movement), the effects from radiant and convection heat can be reduced enough to be insignificant. I wouldn't expect a car's outside temperature sensor to be protected to this level, though. Probably some partial solution was implemented.

I'm curious: What reference points are people using to determine that the Acura TL's temperture display is inaccurate? About the only reliable source they should be using is a near-by airport's reported temperature - because they have to be accurate. Pilot's lives depend on accurate readings from airport sensors. Don't compare your car's temperature with a bank sign (your TL's sensor may actually be more accurate!) or a radio station (Where's their temperature sensor located at compared to your TL? Temperature in a decent-sized city can vary by quite a few degrees ... I just checked, and Phoenix had a 4 Deg F temperature variation throughout the city limits)

Now, if you want some brain-chow (with easy to understand examples, I hope):

Here's a few of the reasons why it is difficult to get an accurate temperature reading on your TL ...

Also, check out the temperature at some anonymous dude's house in Phoenix ...

Novice

Here is my little observation today re: temp display.

The XM temp was 88'F.
The display reading was 94'F.
Then, it rained like hell all of sudden.
Then, the display reading fell to 78'F.

So, I guess it all depends on the road condition.

Road Rage

[QUOTE=żGotJazz?]Road Rage, what you say is essentially true - especially for an automobile design. =QUOTE]

It is all true - and I have studied the position of the sensor, and it is susceptible to all the things I said. Again, Acura mentions this in the manual. They did not go the lengths you suggested to isolate the sensor, although i agree with your points that it would have provided for more accuracy. And a lot of additional cost, needless IMO.

You are correct that the reference points some are using are questionable.

That is why I did proximity tests: my reference was a laboratory grade digital thermometer. I mounted it within an inch or so of the TL's sensor, in the morning, in the shade, with the engine cold The readings were within 1 or 2 degrees of each other. As the engine started to warm up, the TL's sensor started to rise too, as the heat from the engine bay affected it, and the rad fan was not on until I cut on the A/C, at which point the TL's indicated temp dropped a bit. But it never again was as close to the "reference" thermometer as it was under the cold-start conditions.

Novice

Good point, RR!

Road Rage

It isn't inaccurate - but it is susceptible to conditions that under certain curcumstances make it less accurate. If you understand them (they are not complex), then you know a reading on the highway is useful, and especially when temps get to near freezing. In the winter, it would be useful to know that the mountain road you are whizzing by on has ambient air above 32degF. Ice and cars do not mix well.

In stop and go traffic, you will understand that the indicated temp may be different than what the weatherman says - but that is often the case anyway, since the weather temp sensor is not travelling with a bunch of cars, but is likely in the shade up in the air somewhere.

godfreyl

I have the same hot reading experiences. In fact it has been so hot in some parking lots that there is no temp displayed when I start the car, just ---. As it cools off 112 finally shows, and the temp continues to adjust down as I drive the car. I have had other cars with temp displays and never had this problem. This is something Acura should improve on!!

Road Rage

Hmmmm, interesting. It would be simple to program the display so that if it gets a sudden rise profile, it would hold the last "good" read it got, and then re-check against what it is indicated. It would be very rare in normal conditions for the temp to go up 15 degrees in 5 minutes. I'll bet other systems have some sort of conditioning programming.

Good point.