Outside temperature gauge not accurate?

[Holidazed]

My "outside temperature gauge" on the roof of the truck always seems to be about 3-5 degrees warmer than any other temperature I see listed outside or hear on the radio. Has anyone else noticed this isn't accurate? or is it just mine?

where is the sensor located that picks up this temperature reading?

[fueler]

the sensor is behind the front bumper, mounted on the middle radiator support that runs up and down.... mine is quite accurate though, im sure the difference depends on where their temp sensor is located and also keep in mind that you are driving and maybe you just came from an area where the temp really is off by 3*

[Densetsu]

It's located in front of the radiator, next to the horn, attached to the center bar.

If I'm in stop-and-go traffic with a warm engine, then the gauge will be 3-5 degrees higher than it should be. Otherwise, when I'm driving along normally it seems fairly accurate compared to time/temperature signs on buildings and weather reports on the radio.

[bmlawless]

Mine is usually within a couple of degrees which is all I really need. According to a service bulletin from Infiniti, the fix for an inaccurate reading is to replace the console which is very expensive. their definition of inaccurate was 7 degrees. Personally, I would replace a sensor before I replaced the console, but hey, what do I know?

[Holidazed]

thanks for the fast reply guuys.

mine is usually off (warmer) by only a few degrees so its not a big enough deal to replace anything. I am going to check it out and see if I can clean the sensing unit incase it has mud/rust/salt built up on it from the past 8 yrs. not sure if it will make a difference but its worth a try I guess.

[W O T]

Is the ambient sensor there in that exact spot on the 01+ as well? Mine always seems to read warm aswell

[Flyingdog]

i always check my sensor against the molson clock, just south of the Burrard St bridge. my qX4 reads about 2 degrees warmer ....

that was unil i did a trouble diagnosis on the a/c. i didn't find any problems, but it does ask if there is a temperature discepency and there s an adjustment for it. i idn't actually adjust it, but i have noticed since then that the tempurature is pretty spot on now.

the only other thing i can recommend is that the weather network and radio usually quote the airport temp, not necessarily the downtown temp. downtown will usually be a little warmer. i'm not sure where the molson locks measure from

[Chuck Tribolet]

Is the ambient sensor there in that exact spot on the 01+ as well? Mine always seems to read warm aswell

Yes., the '01s have a sensor there.

Mine reads warm also, even during a long highway run.

[01qwhite]

yea mine is usually about 2 degrees warmer

[G8rDuc]

There was a TSB on it for 01 Pathy's. We had it done while there was still a warranty left and they fixed it at the dealership. Mine is dead on, when it used to be about 5-7 degrees off.

[Major..Tom]

I know this is an old thread but was reluctant to start a new one. I recently purchased a 2011 Pathfinder LE and have noticed an issue with the outside temperature gauge. The gauge usually reads extremely high when the truck is first started and takes several minutes to level off. Once leveled off it is close to being accurate. I've owned 2 other Nissan's with outside temperature gauges and have never had this issue. They were reading accurate all the time. Could this just be a Pathfinder issue, possibly normal for these trucks?