Outside temp display useless?
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: Atlanta GA
Outside temp display useless?
I've noticed the outside temp display doesn't seem to be very accurate. For example, driving home this afternoon it said the outside temp was.. 83! It was a nice day in SoCal, but I really don't think it was close to that. The manual is a bit vague about how it works - it only goes "up" when you're driving, and it sounds like it doesn't go down until you restart the car. If it has been running in the last 3 hours it just uses the last temp.
That's really wierd (and mostly useless). I know exterior temp measurements are usually a bit off, but at least my other cars make an attempt to keep it updated. Why even bother displaying it if it may be 3 hours old?
That's really wierd (and mostly useless). I know exterior temp measurements are usually a bit off, but at least my other cars make an attempt to keep it updated. Why even bother displaying it if it may be 3 hours old?
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 26,714
Likes: 344
From: Houston, TX
I've had temp guages in many cars. I have them on all three of my cars, and both motocycles I own now. I actually find it quite accurate - as long as you are not sitting still too long.
Many people forget that radiated heat off the road is going to be hotter than the actual ambient air temps that might be measured at a "official" weather site (usually airports). As a result, they will read a little high at times, especially on a hot sunny day.
Many people forget that radiated heat off the road is going to be hotter than the actual ambient air temps that might be measured at a "official" weather site (usually airports). As a result, they will read a little high at times, especially on a hot sunny day.
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 13,733
Likes: 66
From: Hurst, TX USA
When I leave work each day the news gives the temp measured a few yards from my office (at the DFW Airport). The car temp is never more than 1 or 2 degrees off. Only times I've seen it off more was on very hot sunny days. One day it hit 105 and the parking lot radiation measured 111 in the car gauge. A couple blocks later it was down to 105.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 7,837
Likes: 107
From: Huntington Beach California
Originally Posted by crt
I've noticed the outside temp display doesn't seem to be very accurate. For example, driving home this afternoon it said the outside temp was.. 83! It was a nice day in SoCal, but I really don't think it was close to that. The manual is a bit vague about how it works - it only goes "up" when you're driving, and it sounds like it doesn't go down until you restart the car. If it has been running in the last 3 hours it just uses the last temp.
That's really wierd (and mostly useless). I know exterior temp measurements are usually a bit off, but at least my other cars make an attempt to keep it updated. Why even bother displaying it if it may be 3 hours old?
That's really wierd (and mostly useless). I know exterior temp measurements are usually a bit off, but at least my other cars make an attempt to keep it updated. Why even bother displaying it if it may be 3 hours old?
Mine doesn't update very often at all. It is either defective or thats the way it was made. I drove out of the garage and it read 74 degrees. It took it 35 minutes to update all of a sudden to 88 degrees. My other two cars seem to change by the minute. Gotta ask the dealer whats up. 
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Team Owner
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 82,175
Likes: 1,319
From: McKinney TX
St. Jude Donor '21-'22-'23-'24
Mine seems to be pretty accurate. Just remember the owner's manual info. about updates to the sensor from page 3-28 (below).
If the outside temperature goes up, the displayed
temperature will not change until:
• The vehicle’s speed is above 10 mph (16 km/h)
five minutes.
• The vehicle’s speed is above 32 mph (52 km/h) for
two and a half minutes.
These delays prevent false readings.
If the outside temperature goes up, the displayed
temperature will not change until:
• The vehicle’s speed is above 10 mph (16 km/h)
five minutes.
• The vehicle’s speed is above 32 mph (52 km/h) for
two and a half minutes.
These delays prevent false readings.
Racer
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 344
Likes: 0
From: Rancho Santa Margarita CA
Mine is accurate. However, I do find the response time after starting to be very slow. It might be that I do not have the performance model you know the MN6, mine is the A4 Z51 slug......... 
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 10,399
Likes: 26
From: Austin Texas
Bear in mind that local temperatures vary by a considerable amount over a short distance. The two Official sites in Austin that report are as much as 10° different. Anybody that rides a bike can tell you of cold spots in valleys where the temperature changes drasticlly in a few feet.
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,945
Likes: 10
From: Salinas Ca.
Mine is stuck on 75degrees no matter what the outside temp is. I think the sensor was disconnected during some mods. I've got to figure out how to reconnect it. When it was working it was accurated within about 2-3 degrees.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 8,133
Likes: 144
From: Ex-SF Bay Area; now happily Denver area
Mine is pretty accurate...usually within a couple degrees of what I hear on the radio. But I can be driving down the freeway and see it change several degrees within a few miles. What the radio reports may not be very close to your specific area either.
In the end, if it's within a few degrees that's fine with me. I'm not going to be making any major decision based on what it says anyway.
In the end, if it's within a few degrees that's fine with me. I'm not going to be making any major decision based on what it says anyway.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,311
Likes: 1
From: Los Angeles CA
Originally Posted by Cookee
Mine is accurate. However, I do find the response time after starting to be very slow. It might be that I do not have the performance model you know the MN6, mine is the A4 Z51 slug.........
the inaccurate temp. readings are because Silver is the coolest color so it will throw the temp readings low while Red is the hottest color and it will throw them off high.... 
But seriously where is the outside temp sensor located? Mine works fine but I thrashed the one in my 330i as it was mounted below front air dam.. just wondering if the C6 is around the front air dam as well and maybe they are getting banged up getting up and down the driveways
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,292
Likes: 0
From: FL
Originally Posted by own2vettes
Not mine. I was just commenting to my wife yesterday as we drove for lunch. It was in the mid 60's outside yet the display read 37 degrees. Just a tad bit off. Maybe it also has a wind chill sensor built in.
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,867
Likes: 307
From: Wantagh,L.I. New York
If the Vette is like other Generous Motors cars, the temperature probe, an $8 item is located near the front grille. They have a fairly high failure rate. Changing them is easy, snap out,snap in. Mr. Goodwrench should do under warranty.