Whenever the temperature climbs, we all see social media posts of car dashboards offering blisteringly hot temperature claims, but how accurate are they? As the big question is, really, where is the temperature measured from?
For the most part, modern cars have a sensor that measures the ambient temperature. This is used to provide information to the car’s computer about what it needs to consider when starting and running the engine and the car’s heating and cooling system.
For example, in very cold climates, some cars will initiate a pre-heat function before starting the engine so that everything warms up properly.
The sensor itself is usually a ‘thermistor’ – a thermal resistor – which is an electronic device that offers a lower resistance in colder temperatures. Using this simple device, the car’s computer can measure the resistance and calculate the ambient temperature quite accurately.
But the key to all this, is where the car measures the temperature from?
Where is the outside temperature sensor located in your car?
For the most part, the car’s ambient temperature sensor is likely located behind the front bumper bar near the car’s radiator. Many cars will have the sensor placed lower down on the radiator support or bumper housing to avoid any measurement impact from the heat of the engine, but this can potentially place it closer to the road, which may be hotter (or even colder) than the air temperature.
Many cars now place this sensor in one of the car’s wing mirrors, moving it away from the road and engine, which can provide a more accurate reading.
For example, Australia’s best-selling car – the Ford Ranger – has it mounted under the left-hand (passenger-side) wing mirror housing, near the ‘puddle lamp’ bulbs.
Even my own car – a Peugeot 308 wagon – has the sensor on the bottom of the right-hand (driver-side) wing mirror. You can see it protruding as a little ‘nub’ from the mirror housing.
What if my car temperature reading is inaccurate?
If you are worried about the reading your sensor is giving, either hot or cold, you may have a fault with the sensor, or the sensor may not be properly exposed to the outside air, meaning it provides an incorrect reading. This can happen with dirt or mud buildup, or even snow and ice in colder temperatures.
This can be potentially problematic for your car, so it is best to wipe it clean or if the problem persists, have this checked by a qualified mechanic.
With over 20 years of experience in digital publishing, James Ward has worked within the automotive landscape since 2007 and brings experience from the publishing, manufacturer and lifestyle side of the industry together to spearhead Drive's multi-media content direction.
