Outside Air temp sensor reads high

[My 5th]

I tried searching but couldn't find anything on this problem. The outside air temp display in my radio seems to read about 7-9 degrees hotter than the real temp. I pass a local bank with a temp display and my reading is always hotter by at least 7 degrees. I know the bank's temp could be wrong, and probably is, but 7 or more degrees is too much difference.

Can the Camaro's display be adjusted? Or is it a matter of checking the sensor to see if it's blocked, or getting hot air off the radiator? Where is the temp sensor located? Pics? Thanks.

[DevilKnightFalcon]

Mine is always dead on. I don't judge by those signs because they never seem to be accurate but I got in the car the other day around 5pm and it read 117 degrees. Went home, watched the news and the high temp for the day was...117 degrees.

[bradshaw]

Probably a bad sensor, take it to dealer and have it checked , mine is very accurate.

[Darth_Emma]

My car reads warm when it's been parked on a hot day on hot pavement. Once I start driving, it's accurate. My other car (which is not a Camaro) does the same thing.

[Frank in MD]

It will read high on startup, once you start moving temp display usually adjusts down by 5 to 7 degrees.

[2010 SSRS]

it's because the Camaro is the Hottest car on the streets

[rolnslo]

Originally Posted by 2010 SSRS

it's because the Camaro is the Hottest car on the streets

Another thing to keep in mind is the location of your car's sensor vs. the location of the bank's sensor. You are on the road (probably either asphalt or concrete) and you have the added heat sink capacity from the road giving off higher temps that your car's sensor is picking up. The bank's sensor is (probably) not located directly above a giant heat soaked man-made rock.

I ran across this interesting thermal map of Syndey Australia...notice how the roads are red and the rest (buildings) is blue. They recorded a 4 degree celsius (~7 degrees farenheit) difference between the roads and everything else.

[x626xBlack]

Heat radiates from your car. Until you drive long enough for the wind to cool the body to ambient temp, your car is reading the heat at the sensor... if the sensor is on the hood of a Black car and its 100 out side that hood could actually be 107F. It is not wrong, that hood is actually 107F. I bet that darker cars will show a higher temp since darker colors absorb heat instead of reflecting it like white cars.

If the sensor happens to be on the under carriage or close to it your sensor is reading the heat of the blacktop or the heat radiating from the black top...

So while your sensor is not reading ambient temp, the temp it is showing is correct for the location it is in.

Hope that helps.

[jtzako]

Mine is usually 'correct' within a couple minutes of starting to move. However in thick traffic or while in a parking lot it is always quite a bit higher than actual. This is normal so I dont worry about it.

[x626xBlack]

On other models GM puts them between the outside of the radiator and the inside of the front bumper so they cool rather quickly to outside temp when driving. Not sure on the Camaro

[balagan]

I wish my temp sensor read high, unfortunately when it says 49C it usually means it, even in the shade.

[rolnslo]

Originally Posted by balagan

I wish my temp sensor read high, unfortunately when it says 49C it usually means it, even in the shade.

OK, that's too damn hot for me. 49 ºC = 120.2 ºF

[My 5th]

My temp does go down after driving for a while, but it's still too high IMHO. My car is black and that might have something to do with it. Also, it seems to make a difference whether the AC is on Max recirculate, or just off Max and Fresh intake. Guess I'm gonna have to get under the hood and see if I can locate the sensor--maybe it fell out of a bracket or something.

[Huck1974]

Originally Posted by x626xBlack

On other models GM puts them between the outside of the radiator and the inside of the front bumper so they cool rather quickly to outside temp when driving. Not sure on the Camaro

Its right in front on the Camaro also. I noticed it when tearing the car apart yesterday