BernardP Posted April 18, 2005 Share Posted April 18, 2005 The title says it all. I have observed through all winter and now spring that the outside temp indicator displays a consistent 3 °C more than the actual outside temp. Does anybody know if it can be calibrated, either by the owner or the dealer? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deer Killer Posted April 18, 2005 Share Posted April 18, 2005 How do you know what the actual outside temp is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenzo Posted April 18, 2005 Share Posted April 18, 2005 How do you know what the actual outside temp is? Easy. Look at the Legacy's readout and subtract 3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest *Jedimaster* Posted April 18, 2005 Share Posted April 18, 2005 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardP Posted April 18, 2005 Author Share Posted April 18, 2005 Easy. Look at the Legacy's readout and subtract 3. OK guys, one for you! Actually, that is what I am doing when driving. But this is not what you really want to know. What I do is compare with a regular thermometer outside my house, check with temp as reported on the radio, and compare with the outside temp gauge on my wife's Passat. The vote is unanimous...My Legacy is showing 3° C higher than it actually is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCDetails Posted April 18, 2005 Share Posted April 18, 2005 Are you taking into consideration that the sensor on the car may be off because of heat radiating off of other areas? Put your thermometer from your house right by the sensor for the thermometer in your car and see if they level out. I've got a picture of the thermometer inside an SUV that says 120 degrees. I know damn well that it wasn't 120 outside, but I'm sure that sensor thought it was. It was a black truck and it was out in the August afternoon sun. I'm surprised it didn't say 320 instead of 120. _________________________________________ “Cleanliness becomes more important as godliness becomes more unlikely.” O C D E T A I L S . C O M OCDETAILS BLOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gt_ltd Posted April 18, 2005 Share Posted April 18, 2005 Easy. Look at the Legacy's readout and subtract 3. hey I am eating!! This Space For Rent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoundBoy Posted April 18, 2005 Share Posted April 18, 2005 umm... the temp on the radio is reporting the temp in the radio stations immidiate area. +/- 3 degrees is not unheard of over a few miles. Especially if the station is located in a city vs open area. Plus... your temp sensor does read a bit higher due to location. The same can be said for your house thermometer depending on where it is located (enclosed area / open to wind, etc) Think of the temp as a guide. Its just using simple resistance to measure anyway. If you are that sensitive to the 3 degree difference... then I feel sorry for you having to live in that plastic bubble. are you john travolta ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRS Posted April 18, 2005 Share Posted April 18, 2005 umm... the temp on the radio is reporting the temp in the radio stations immidiate area. +/- 3 degrees is not unheard of over a few miles. Especially if the station is located in a city vs open area. Plus... your temp sensor does read a bit higher due to location. The same can be said for your house thermometer depending on where it is located (enclosed area / open to wind, etc) Think of the temp as a guide. Its just using simple resistance to measure anyway. If you are that sensitive to the 3 degree difference... then I feel sorry for you having to live in that plastic bubble. are you john travolta ? Would 5 to 6 degrees off be enough for you? He's from one of those foreign countries where they use them funny Celsius degrees. Seriously, mine's often 5 to 8 degrees F high, even at speed when there should be good airflow across the thermocouple. Could be that my front plate causes some sort of eddy or low pressure wake that actually pulls some warm air forward from the radaitor. On my previous GM vehicle the outside temp could be adjusted, within a range, by the dealer service department. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoundBoy Posted April 18, 2005 Share Posted April 18, 2005 5 or 6 degrees from where ? The radio gives me the temps at the philly airport, and philly proper... both of which are very different places then where I am (20 miles away) Even the temp on is house therm is suspect. Think standing out in the open vs stading behind a wall when in wind... or in the sunlight for that matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest *Jedimaster* Posted April 18, 2005 Share Posted April 18, 2005 There's one bank I drive by a couple times a month that is dead on with my dash display. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRS Posted April 19, 2005 Share Posted April 19, 2005 5 or 6 degrees from where ? The radio gives me the temps at the philly airport, and philly proper... both of which are very different places then where I am (20 miles away) Even the temp on is house therm is suspect. Think standing out in the open vs stading behind a wall when in wind... or in the sunlight for that matter. There can be large variations in temperature across an area, but my comaprison is to an airport temperature reading, where the actual hygrothermometer is within a tenth of a mile of the roadway as I go by. I can get an instantaneous report from this site at anytime via telephone or computer. I work for the federal agency that records and provides "official" weather conditions across the country. Air temperature is air temperature. When you are in the sun you are feeling solar radiation warming your body; when you are in the wind you are feeling evaporative cooling. That's why 80 degrees standing in the sun feels a lot hotter than 80 degrees in the shade, and why 20 degrees in the wind feels colder than 20 degrees when it's calm. Here's an explanation from USAToday. The road surface temperature can be several degrees different from the air temperature above it, but if there is decent mixing of the boundary layer (wind, convective currents, etc.) and good air flow across the vehicle's temperature sensor, then it should be close to the official air temperature. My previous car's readout was very good, usually within 1 degree F. However, if I was stopped in traffic on a sunny day without a good breeze, then yes it would start to climb due to the effects of the hot road surface and the hot radiator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRS Posted April 19, 2005 Share Posted April 19, 2005 There's one bank I drive by a couple times a month that is dead on with my dash display. I like the bank signs where the ventilator fan that blows outside air on the sensor doesn't work or a bird has built a nest in it and plugged it up so it reads like 103 (which it is inside that sign with no airflow) but it's really only 75. And some people actually belive it's that hot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bretm1 Posted April 19, 2005 Share Posted April 19, 2005 I think the temperature calibration option only comes with the atomic clock option. Maybe it will be standard in '06. I wanted to know if we could actually get the engine bay temperature to read on the inside panel. It takes me about an hour to get to work and I want to be able to cook half a chicken with some vegetables in there and maybe simmer potpourri. I have no purpose in life and very few friends. PS: Up north did they call the movie Farenheight 911, Celsius 911?? This is not my beautiful car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rao Posted April 19, 2005 Share Posted April 19, 2005 Mine seems to read a little high as well. At least it is consistently high so I just subtract a few degrees to get at the real temperature. Rob IF YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR CAR YOU SHOULD NEVER DRIVE IT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meier motor sports Posted April 19, 2005 Share Posted April 19, 2005 I think the temperature calibration option only comes with the atomic clock option. Maybe it will be standard in '06. I wanted to know if we could actually get the engine bay temperature to read on the inside panel. It takes me about an hour to get to work and I want to be able to cook half a chicken with some vegetables in there and maybe simmer potpourri. I have no purpose in life and very few friends. PS: Up north did they call the movie Farenheight 911, Celsius 911?? hmmm move the sensor to get different temperatures. i like that. and that joke is pretty funny! lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRS Posted April 19, 2005 Share Posted April 19, 2005 ...It takes me about an hour to get to work and I want to be able to cook half a chicken with some vegetables in there and maybe simmer potpourri... Umm, Umm Good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardP Posted April 20, 2005 Author Share Posted April 20, 2005 Seriously, mine's often 5 to 8 degrees F high, even at speed when there should be good airflow across the thermocouple. Could be that my front plate causes some sort of eddy or low pressure wake that actually pulls some warm air forward from the radaitor. On my previous GM vehicle the outside temp could be adjusted, within a range, by the dealer service department. Soooooo........ I am not alone in this. It is a minor issue, of course, and I was just wondering if anyone had had experience with the indicator being recalibrated. I will put this on my to-do list for my next visit to the dealer, along with the creaky front passenger seat and oversensitive remote lock/unlock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TC100 Posted April 22, 2005 Share Posted April 22, 2005 Th temp guage is off. The Q is can it be calibrated? And where is the sensor located? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rao Posted April 22, 2005 Share Posted April 22, 2005 It is in the space between the grill and the lower bumper cover on the driver's side. It is a small black colored plastic cylinder. Rob IF YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR CAR YOU SHOULD NEVER DRIVE IT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TC100 Posted April 22, 2005 Share Posted April 22, 2005 thanx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bemani Posted April 22, 2005 Share Posted April 22, 2005 You should take it to the dealer and baffle the techs there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitestar Pilot Posted April 23, 2005 Share Posted April 23, 2005 Mine's always been high by a few degrees as well. Always figured it was because of nearby engine heat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feesh Posted July 16, 2005 Share Posted July 16, 2005 Mine was always high as well.....Now its stuck on 77 and its 105 outside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlloydlgt Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 could one put a resistor in line to effect the temp and bias it to a more accurate level? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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