After leaving home this morning about 4 blocks away, my '05 MCS sounded off one single "ding". No lights came on or strange sounds. What does it mean??

 

It is probably the freeze warning signal. Mine "Dings" at 37. Degrees to let you know it is getting close to freezing and to watch for ice on the bridges. Mine went off this morning.

 

+1 Most likely its the 37 degree mark "ding" .

 

Next time it dings look at your display where your outside temperature read out is and you will see the current outside temperature pop up and then go back to its normal display.

 

That would explain it, partially. Last week we were below zero a couple mornings and it did not ding! I did warm it up in the driveway for a few minutes however. Any reasoning on that?

 

Sensor was frozen!? That does not make sense, unless your teeth were chattering so hard you could not hear it.

 

If it gets around 37 degrees it will ding. Think you were way too cold for that. I believe its not effected much by the heat coming off the car. Its usually pretty close to the actual temp outside, comparing it to other temp readings, weather channel, goggle and such. The thermo sensor sets in the bumper in front right behind the bumper grille.




Some people will get really weird readings like -30 degrees on a normal summer day. Which usually tells you the senor has gone bad.


http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/65816905133/

 

Haha many years ago that "ding" was what prompted me to move (back) to California. I was living in New Hampshire at the time, went out to the car one morning, chipped the ice off around the door, gave the lock a shot of de-icer, got in the car, started it up, the car went "Ding!" and the trip computer/display said "-11 F". I said "that's it, I'm moving!"