It got down to 59 yesterday. When I got in the LR today it was about 83. The dash readout still said 59. The A/C worked fine.

Does this sensor have any connection to the A/C & heater, i.e. if it is not working will it affect whether the A/C or the heater works?

Anybody have this problem and if so how do you fix it?

If it's not connected to the A/C or heater it's no big deal but the geek in me would still like to know how hot or cold it is outside.

 

The temp sensor is usually found right behind the grill, in front of the air conditioner condenser. From what I understand, it has nothing to do with your A/C or heater, just telling you what the ambient temp is.

 

I wrote something about this the other day because my AC had been cycling annoyingly sometimes when i first started the vehicle on hot days, as if it were encountering a pressure drop / freeze up of evaporator and had to pause for a second.. but I seriously doubted that.

Never looked much more into it, but one day the same thing happened to me - when i got to work it was unusually cool out and when i started it a few hours later the sensor didn't update yet, and still refused to in stop-go traffic. With the cooler temp readings the system never cycled - so I would say it's somehow related to how it interprets pressures and temperatures elsewhere in the HVAC system.

Either way though, it's not actually a problem (I don't think) with the temp sensor. The vehicle is programmed to only update the temperature readout with the sensor data if you're traveling above a certain speed, and even then it will "smooth" the data and only provide updates periodically (I'd say max every 60 seconds, again only if you're at a fast enough speed for it to use new data).

Most modern vehicles work this way - but the ones that don't will always show you some crazy weird numbers sometimes (ie. 110 if you're in traffic on a 90 degree day) etc.

 

As mentioned above it should update after driving. But it does affect the A/C operation along with many other sensors in the LR3. If it doesn't change after driving it needs to be replaced, when they go bad it usually reads cold.

 

Here are the two parts I can find. I'm wondering which one is what I need to order. My guess is it's probably the more expensive one.

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/wcs...3_pri_thmb.jpg

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/wcs...0_pri_thmb.jpg

 

The second link is the ambient temperature sensor which is what usually goes out.

 

Thank you. When I drove it yesterday it started out at 59 and slowly crept up to 68 . . . but the outside temp was 78, so it looks like it's working (sort of) but is probably on it's way out. Can't believe it's the less expensive item that I need to get.

 

And of course no one has that particular part in stock or has any idea when it will be stocked. ARRGH!