I've got an 04 100 series. Anyone have issues with their outdoor temperature readings being off. It seems like at best it's 3 or more degrees off. Sometimes much more. Where is the sensor located? Has anyone had to replace theirs?
Outdoor thermometer not accurate
- Thread starter patrickfinley
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Given all the factors of taking temp and that it's a convenience feature, +/- 3 seems perfectly acceptable.
Mine is usually +/- 2 as well. Then again, it's not like I drive around with an atomic clock for the time and uber-expensive monitoring equipment for the temperature, so I don't really have a super accurate baseline to go off of. I usually just compare it to the local gas station thermometers that display the temp for traffic driving by. I'm sure those things aren't exactly spot on, either.
It's good for a pretty close ballpark figure...but I wouldn't depend on it being 100% accurate.
It's good for a pretty close ballpark figure...but I wouldn't depend on it being 100% accurate.
Yeah, mine is usually at least 3 degrees Fahrenheit out. Sometimes seems like even 3 degrees. But I do think this is normal as they are probably not calibrated to be ultra accurate. Any heat from the engine or other external factors (such as a dark color, or heat from the road) could skew the numbers very easily.
Mine is also showing a tad too high temp. Water actually freezes on the road while the thermometer is showing a degree C above freezing. Always.
The sensor is placed behind the front bumber, close to the right frame rail.
The sensor is placed behind the front bumber, close to the right frame rail.
- Thread starter
- #9
Does anyone know where the thermostat is located on the vehicle?
I did not know there was a calibration procedure, I'm going to check that out.
I did not know there was a calibration procedure, I'm going to check that out.
I think I've read somewhere that it's behind the front bumper, close to the right frame rail.
- Thread starter
- #11
Ha, I need to read more betterer.
BTW, how do I get access to an 04 LC FSM? Edit found it.
https://forum.ih8mud.com/100-series-cruisers/527487-factory-service-manual-fsm.html
BTW, how do I get access to an 04 LC FSM? Edit found it.
https://forum.ih8mud.com/100-series-cruisers/527487-factory-service-manual-fsm.html
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Yep, toyota placed it behind the front bumper in all their cars. On most of them, it sits directly in front of the radiator or a little to the right of it, closer to the bumper. Not sure about the 100 though.
Happy 500th post!
Happy 500th post!
The outside temp feature in my 2000 LC is impressively accurate in my opinion.
In winter, it is always within 2 degrees F of the big digital thermometers they have at the gas stations.
It works great at temperatures between 0 and 40 F.
Maybe the air inside the bumper gives an artificially high reading at higher temperatures, especially if you park it in the sun.
But mine seems to work very well in winter.
In winter, it is always within 2 degrees F of the big digital thermometers they have at the gas stations.
It works great at temperatures between 0 and 40 F.
Maybe the air inside the bumper gives an artificially high reading at higher temperatures, especially if you park it in the sun.
But mine seems to work very well in winter.
Have you?
- Thread starter
- #16
Wow, that Factory Service Manual is way cool to have. There must be over 2000 pages of information in there.
BTW, I checked the Air Conditioning section of the manual and all it didn't say anything about calibrating the outdoor ambient sensor.
BTW, I checked the Air Conditioning section of the manual and all it didn't say anything about calibrating the outdoor ambient sensor.
Given the generous range of resistance accepted from the sensor, it looks like the thermometer is not supposed to be very accurate.
At 25 C (77 F): 1.6 to 1.8 kohm.
This being a NTC, I would try a series resistor of about 200 ohm (to start with) if I wanted it to show a lower temperature.
At 25 C (77 F): 1.6 to 1.8 kohm.
This being a NTC, I would try a series resistor of about 200 ohm (to start with) if I wanted it to show a lower temperature.
The FSM has saved me thousands of dollars in repair labor.
Does anyone have the FSM for a 99 LX? I know they're similar to the 04, but there are so many systems that are a little different, it would be good to have access to that. Anyone?
I found my 98 FSM somewhere on the interwebs free, google it. You mighe also search this site, I think I found mine through a thread in the 80 section that lead to a site that had a metric tone of FSM downloads for free.