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Ouside thermometer will not stay accurate !

8034 Views 15 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  B20Vtec
Anybody experience the outside thermometer not staying accurate?? Mine was off about 4 degrees, and I was able to set it (as it has about a 6 degree range of adjustment). But today I noticed that it's off about 14 degrees. WTH? Anyone with relevant info, I would sure appreciate the input before taking it to the dealer.
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4 degrees may or may not be normal depending on where you drive but a 14 degrees difference seems wrong. Maybe something is wrong with the temperature sensor? Last time I've heard of this was with the 8th gen civic.
It's located in the grille. So it really is very dependent on movement creating airflow past the sensor to be accurate. If, say, you are stuck in traffic and pointing into the sun, it could be wildly off from the sun's heat as well as the heat coming off the car's own radiators.
And I agree, if you have airflow past it, a 14 degree difference sounds like a lot. Unless you adjusted the offset when it didn't have that airflow.
i'm 16 so I never remembered the 8th gen, but that sure sounds like it could be the problem. Thanks!
Could be the sensor or it could be as dick suggested and you adjusted the offset without airflow so the temp difference is higher the second time. Maybe bring it in to your dealership for a look.
I would definitely just take it back to the dealership to deal with it. Maybe don't tell them that you were finnicking with it though.. that may cause an issue
Not telling them you did anything to it and making sure there isn't any sign that you did do something is key since they sometimes look for signs of it.
Very true.. sometimes they have little markers on things to check and see if they're moved or not. One of the things my dealership used to do was put your lock nuts directly opposite the valve stem, so if the car came in and it wasn't in that location, they knew that you took the wheels off for something at some point
Original poster does not note his location. Temp over hot asphalt could easily be 14 deg higher than 100 feet away from any pavement. Particularly depending if you are in a hot spot like the desert out west or deep south.
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The outside temperature reading on my 9th Gen. was off by two degrees from the factory. I re-calibrated it using the menu on the iMID. I let the car sit in the garage overnight and then compared the ambient temperature in there with what the car showed. Made the adjustment so the car showed the same as the garage. I note that it can take several minutes for the system to get to the correct outside temperature once the car is moving. Often, the displayed temperature will be a few degrees from what signs say along the way. After three years, it is holding true to my original adjustment.
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Mine was 6° off versus my phone, and tablet and my neighbors car parked beside me. We were chatting before leaving for work. He has a Caddy.
Your tablet and phone were likely getting temperature from a weather service since their own sensors are much too influenced by the device's own heat. The Caddy may have the sensor in a better--more ventilated--position than the Civic. You have to be moving or the car cold and in the shade for the Civic to have a prayer of being right.
Maybe the HVAC system needs to be rebooted? Really best to just bring it to the dealership at this point, also let us know how they fixed it!
Mine was 6° off versus my phone, and tablet and my neighbors car parked beside me. We were chatting before leaving for work. He has a Caddy.
At least you Civic will have more things going right with it than the Caddy :D
If your neighbor hasn't complained to you about the Caddy as yet, it might just be only a matter of time!
If he hasn't complained yet, he's holding out on you and lying !
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