Ambient temperature reading - Toyota GR86, 86, FR-S and Subaru BRZ Forum & Owners Community

humfrz · 08-13-2018, 02:00 AM

Hi Folks,

This is the first thing on my 2013 FR-S, with 22,000 miles, that doesn't seem to be quite right.

I know, I should consider myself lucky -

The ambient air temperature reading seems to not want to go over 76 degrees F, regardless of the outside air temperature. Yes, it's been up to 95 degrees F in these parts here lately. Even after driving several miles (city driving) it seems to be stuck on 76 degrees.

I know, this is a first world problem -

My question is that how is your air temperature gauge read? Hi, low, right on?

If it's off, by about how much?

Thanks,

humfrz

sly · 08-13-2018, 06:24 AM

Mine did read about 3 degrees high until I relocated the sensor. It sits right next to the radiator and picks up heat. Bad design. I moved it forward from its current spot and now it's mostly accurate. You have to be moving though. When the car sits in traffic it reads high again.

BRZnut · 08-13-2018, 06:58 AM

Mine is only accurate when the car is moving, otherwise it reads high.

BigTuna · 08-13-2018, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sly

Mine did read about 3 degrees high until I relocated the sensor. It sits right next to the radiator and picks up heat. Bad design. I moved it forward from its current spot and now it's mostly accurate. You have to be moving though. When the car sits in traffic it reads high again.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BRZnut

Mine is only accurate when the car is moving, otherwise it reads high.

As long as the sensor is near the engine it'll read "hotter" because its next to a hot engine with no air flow. It's not that it's misreading, its just that its actually hotter air until you start moving again.

As for the OP, to me, I'd start troubleshooting with the sensor.

EDIT: Wait. for some reason I was thinking we were discussing the engine air intake temp sensor... not the reading on the gauge cluster... In that case, recently mine has read at most 110degF (90-95 actual) when I get out to my car after work.and start it up. It cools down after starting to drive.

Tcoat · 08-13-2018, 09:24 AM

The highest mine has gone is 40. Has been as low as -25 though.

FRSBRZGT86FAN · 08-13-2018, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by humfrz

Hi Folks,

This is the first thing on my 2013 FR-S, with 22,000 miles, that doesn't seem to be quite right.

I know, I should consider myself lucky -

The ambient air temperature reading seems to not want to go over 76 degrees F, regardless of the outside air temperature. Yes, it's been up to 95 degrees F in these parts here lately. Even after driving several miles (city driving) it seems to be stuck on 76 degrees.

I know, this is a first world problem -

My question is that how is your air temperature gauge read? Hi, low, right on?

If it's off, by about how much?

Thanks,

humfrz

It's pretty accurate on mine especially once moving and not standing still, I think it is able to be adjusted it in techstream however as I could've sworn there was a ambient air temp offset value in there somewhere

Sapphireho · 08-13-2018, 02:32 PM

Mine is always about 10 degrees F high.

sly · 08-13-2018, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FRSBRZGT86FAN

I think it is able to be adjusted it in techstream however as I could've sworn there was a ambient air temp offset value in there somewhere

Yes. If you relocate the temp sensor forward and away from the radiator, put a piece of foil between it and the radiator to act as a heat shield, you can recalibrate it in techstream to make it 100% accurate. I haven't recalibrated mine yet.

Ultramaroon · 08-13-2018, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by humfrz

The ambient air temperature reading seems to not want to go over 76 degrees F, regardless of the outside air temperature.

Maybe you got the Bicentennial edition.

08-13-2018, 02:00 AM	#1
humfrz Senior Member Join Date: May 2013 Drives: 2013 FR-S, white, MT Location: Puyallup, WA Posts: 29,872 Thanks: 28,793 Thanked 31,826 Times in 16,429 Posts Mentioned: 708 Post(s) Tagged: 2 Thread(s)	Ambient temperature reading Hi Folks, This is the first thing on my 2013 FR-S, with 22,000 miles, that doesn't seem to be quite right. I know, I should consider myself lucky - The ambient air temperature reading seems to not want to go over 76 degrees F, regardless of the outside air temperature. Yes, it's been up to 95 degrees F in these parts here lately. Even after driving several miles (city driving) it seems to be stuck on 76 degrees. I know, this is a first world problem - My question is that how is your air temperature gauge read? Hi, low, right on? If it's off, by about how much? Thanks, humfrz

08-13-2018, 09:24 AM	#5
Tcoat Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Drives: 2020 Hakone Location: London, Ont Posts: 69,845 Thanks: 61,656 Thanked 108,284 Times in 46,456 Posts Mentioned: 2495 Post(s) Tagged: 50 Thread(s)	The highest mine has gone is 40. Has been as low as -25 though. __________________ Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar, because Racecar.

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08-13-2018, 06:24 AM	#2
sly Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Drives: 2016 Cosworth 2.2 BRZ Location: TN Posts: 302 Thanks: 81 Thanked 185 Times in 112 Posts Mentioned: 10 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Mine did read about 3 degrees high until I relocated the sensor. It sits right next to the radiator and picks up heat. Bad design. I moved it forward from its current spot and now it's mostly accurate. You have to be moving though. When the car sits in traffic it reads high again.

08-13-2018, 06:58 AM	#3
BRZnut Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Drives: BRZ DGM Limited Location: USA Posts: 1,237 Thanks: 5 Thanked 431 Times in 250 Posts Mentioned: 8 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Mine is only accurate when the car is moving, otherwise it reads high.

08-13-2018, 02:32 PM	#7
Sapphireho ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Join Date: Mar 2016 Drives: '15 ultramarine Location: Idaho Posts: 13,199 Thanks: 5,451 Thanked 18,247 Times in 8,614 Posts Mentioned: 155 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Mine is always about 10 degrees F high.

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