So as I sit here this morning in a slightly cool Chicago suburb, temp about 64, my external temperature sensor is telling me its 102.

Just a tad off I'd say.

When I first got the car it had no sensor. I had to put a new one on. So while putting it Ono put it in a slightly different location, but not too far from the original location.

What do you guys think? Did I get a bad sensor? Do I need to reset it somehow? Any ideas?

 

If you do a cluster ECU rester using the dash and your key it will reset the temp sensor. When I do it mine usually reads somewhere in the 100s for a while and works its way down to the actual temp, my guess is the cluster reset forces it to recalibrate (but dont take my word for it). Hope this helps.

 

Sounds like a good idea. I'll have to try it after work

How so I do the ecu reset again?

 

Put your key in the ignition but dont turn it. Hold in your odometer reset button and turn the key to the first position. tESt should show up. use the odometer reset button to cycle through the numbers next to tESt till you get to 19. wait for it to flash L1off L1on L1off. when it gets to L1off press the button again and again cycle through the numbers till you get to 21. Wait till rESEt pops up, press the button once, your dash will make clicks and your gauges will twitch. That reset basically cluster resets all the things you can monitor from the ECU via the dash, like trip meter, fuel eco, average speed, external temp, ect. Hopes this helps, there is a thread on it and a huge argument, some believe it resets more in the ECU making your car drive better, some believe its just a cluster reset.

 

sorry, forgot to update this...

So, I did the ecu reset, and it was fixed, for about 2 seconds. Then it jumped back up to 101 degrees.

It seems to add a little on every few days. Right now it's at 122 degrees. And it doesn't matter if I just started the car, or have had it running for a long time. The temp stays very consistent at the high temp. Every now and then it may lose or gain a degree or two, but no where near what it should be.

I'm thinking I'm going to unplug it, and leave it unplugged for a day or two. Then try replugging it back in.

 

I'd get a new one and see what that one says.

 

I would bet its the wrong sensor or bad when you purchased it. The sensor will show resistance to the computer to tell the temp. If the sensor has too much its reasonable it would show high. You didn't by any chance splice the wire did you? Or let it touch any metal where its mounted? Mine is just dangling behind the bumper because someone left the housing off when i replaced the alternator. Its still shows fine it has always showed a little warm the first few minutes after i start the car. But goes down fairly quickly . Its a 04 s.

 

The car had no plug when I got it just 2 cut wires dangling down. I had to make my own connections. I don't think that would be it, but I'll double check them to make sure.

I'd hate to think I got a bad one. Especially since it did work for a while, it just started rising a month or so ago and won't go back down.