Outside Temperature Gauge Seems Out

[corradovr6]

Hi All,

The outside temp gauge on my Yaris always seems to read about 2C too high, except when its zero outside when its pretty much OK. Any suggestions as to what to do or is it a normal Yaris problem?

Cheers

[Demonic Angel]

I can't say I've experienced it, but thats generally because I dont have another tool to measure the temperature and also its not detrimental to the car if it is out by a few degrees.... its just a handy tool!

Where are you getting the "correct" temperature from?

[jane-b]

Where are you getting the "correct" temperature from?

That was my next question... :D

[Blue84]

Never been a problem to me either, bear in mind there is probably always going to be a slight difference between temperature reading gauges anyway.

[blue-baby]

Who honestly cares about 2 degrees,lol :!Removed!:

[Al J]

That's an interesting one! I'm imagining that the temperature sensor in the Yaris is a thermistor shoved somewhere near the front of the car. I also imagine that it fluctuates depending on how fast the car is travelling (or is it cleverer than that?).

Anyway, assuming you checked this out whilst stationary (safer! ) what did you compare it to? Have you tried more than one thermometer/temperature gauge? It could be the one you are comparing to that is inaccurate. Perhaps the best test would be three Yarii parked side by side and check the outside temperature reading on each.

My guess is it would probably be different in each case.

Personally, I wouldn't worry about it.

[Woody27]

They are quite often mounted in the wing mirrors in other cars. Also you are right Al that they can get cooled by blowing air, they can also get hot if sitting behind a metal panel or black plastic (specially if dark coloured car) so can quite easily be different to the temperature outside in calm air! Yeah where are you getting the temperature from?

[seveer unaek]

It's mounted on the left side of the radiator, just down from the horn. A simple device which measures ambient temperature. It can't be 100% accurate as it will be receiving some warm air from the engine.

Iv got an additional thermometer measuring the air-temp at my apexi... that's usually a few degrees higher. Sat in traffic today the outside temp was 27c, the filter was receiving 52c! Talk about heat-soak! Before I relocated the filter though, it would regularly reach 85c+ as the meter would then stop working! WAAARM!

On the motorway back from Brunters it was 14c outside and 12c at the filter... yummy cool air... nice and dense!

[DaveSR]

Where are you getting the "correct" temperature from?

The BBC

If it's hot it's hot and if it's not it's not !

[Cabbage]

Hi All,

The outside temp gauge on my Yaris always seems to read about 2C too high, except when its zero outside when its pretty much OK. Any suggestions as to what to do or is it a normal Yaris problem?

Cheers

Yes mine's also 2C too high (2002 Yaris SR). When I bought it I moaned to Mr T and they said they had received no other complaints about this. They changed the sensor but it is still the same.

Apparently all Toyotas use the same (innacurate) temperature sensor. It's not particularly important but it is !Removed! irritating. You expect a gauge to be fairly accurate. I moaned to Mr T and as usual they weren't interested. I made the point that Toyota could be held liable if an accident was caused by someone skidding on an icy surface if their temperature guage was innacurate and showing plus 2 degrees C. Yeah I know this sounds pathetic and nit picking but when you pay £10,000 for something you expect it to be perfect, and Toyota's attitude annoyed me. Maybe they've now have a different sensor, that is accurate, on later models.

[Demonic Angel]

I paid £10,000 for my car and to be honest, the fact that the temperature sensor is out 2 degrees or whatever makes no odds to me! If anything, hey cool its 2 degrees warmer than it should be!

Its just a cool gadget, it doesnt affect or matter to my car and the workings of.... and if an accident was caused by someone skidding on ice because they're car shows 2 degrees instead of 0, well thats not Toyotas problem, you should assess the situation and not drive so fast or aggressivly if it may be icy outside, 2 degrees wont make a jot of difference! And nor will the sensor if you hit said ice! If your gonna skid, your gonna skid, regardless of what the temperature guage tells you....

You say Toyota werent interested, yet they changed it for you.... this is a car that could save your life one day and you're worried about the temperature sensor being a bit out?? Your Yaris is fine otherwise, get out and enjoy driving it and dont worry about it, its not worth it! Enjoy the car, thats what its there for - worry if you have serious problems with it, not because of a dodgy temperature reading!!

[Kev Mc]

I personally couldn't care less if it's 100% accurate to a fraction of a degree or completely & utterly wrong as I've never once paid any attention to it in all the time I've had my car, it's hardly going to change the way I drive or what clothes I wear or anything like that, that's where good old common sense comes into the equation.

[reece]

I’ve found it to be accurate. When I listen to local radio and they give a temperature reading 9 times out of 10 it’s the same as mine which is displayed .

No complaints here :D

[alanbradley]

Its "an indication" rather than a definitive imho. Mine generally reads 2 or 3 degrees over what is determined as "correct"

A

[Hexa-dB]

It only needs two displays "No coat needed", "Wear a coat" :D

(and maybe a rarely used "TSHIRT!")

[Al J]

I’ve found it to be accurate. When I listen to local radio and they give a temperature reading 9 times out of 10 it’s the same as mine which is displayed .

No complaints here :D

Yes, I found the same. Steve Wright tells me the temperature and sure enough, he's usually right! As for Toyota being responsibe if you have an accident... sorry, that's rubbish. The driver is the person who make the decisions, simple as.

I wonder if these people who are so bothered about the temperature gauge have exactly the correct tyre pressures as stated in the manual? Oh, hang on, tyre pressure gauges are usually off too!

It only needs two displays "No coat needed", "Wear a coat" :D

(and maybe a rarely used "TSHIRT!")

Likin' that.

[seveer unaek]

Iv found it to be pretty accurate too.

Also, who really gives a airbourne-sexual-encounter whether the tiniest gadget on the car works or not?? How would you get by in a car without a temperature guage?? Oh no, my car doesn't tell me the temperature... i don't know if it's icy or not, how do I know whether to put the suncream in??!! ARGH! My life is ending!!!

I'll tell you how you know it's icy... if you step out of your house, your little fella shrinks and you fall on your backside then you know it might be a tad icy.

If you step outside and start to sweat, suncream may be an idea.

I tell you, it's hard work this!

[corradovr6]

OK, thanks, some of the useful comments some, well, not so.

I've measured it versus a thermometer and gauges in different cars which all were the same (+/- 1C max).

[reece]

I've measured it versus a thermometer and gauges in different cars which all were the same (+/- 1C max).

There you go then

Everyone is now happy :)