We've owned 5 vehicles in the past 20 years that had outside temp sensors...not one of them was very accurate. At best within 3-4 degrees.

These are cheap sensors that have a wide degree of variance. More accurate sensors are expensive. For accuracy I use my IPhone. Local weather seems to be very accurate.

 

Mine only runs about 2 degrees too high.

 

I think of the temperature reading as more of an "estimate." The sensor itself is probably very accurate, but temperature is local, as they say. The sensor is reading the temp. of its own environment which is close to the actual outside temp. but influenced by road surface, engine heat, etc.

 

Why not just use the weather function on the Entune unit? It's incredibly accurate, and even has a radar feature for rain. I think that's super cool. makes me feel like an airplane pilot.

Give it one of the squares on your home screen and you'll always know the real temp outside.

 

Why not just use the weather function on the Entune unit? It's incredibly accurate, and even has a radar feature for rain. I think that's super cool. makes me feel like an airplane pilot. Give it one of the squares on your home screen and you'll always know the real temp outside.

I don't have entune installed on my phone but see all weather channel features in my HU, including radar, hourly and 10 day forecast, it is pretty cool, wonder how it works and whether it uses my cellphone data to access weather channel features, I have weather channel app installed on my iphone.

also, I have setup my home screen to display three sections, weather, 4 important phone numbers to call and Navigation Map which is kind of very convinient for us

 

My temperature reading always matches exactly the one on the bank clock that I pass on the way to and from work.

 

My temperature reading always matches exactly the one on the bank clock that I pass on the way to and from work.

From where I work to the highway to go home I pass 3 banks all within 1 mile of each other that have temps display. All three are different from each other and them temp gauge in my HL.

 

Those signs that display the temp. have the same problem with their sensors as cars in that their sensors are not in ideal locations for measuring temperature. They are often near concrete parking lots or busy intersections.

For anyone interested, here are the guidelines for measuring temperature accurately according to the National Weather Service:

Temperature sensor siting: The sensor should be mounted 5 feet +/- 1 foot above the ground. The ground over which the shelter [radiation] is located should be typical of the surrounding area. A level, open clearing is desirable so the thermometers are freely ventilated by air flow. Do not install the sensor on a steep slope or in a sheltered hollow unless it is typical of the area or unless data from that type of site are desired. When possible, the shelter should be no closer than four times the height of any obstruction (tree, fence, building, etc.). The sensor should be at least 100 feet from any paved or concrete surface.
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/coop/standard.htm

To the OP: My grandfather was a farmer and always had a thermometer on his front post as well. Farmers are greatly unappreciated!

 

Your car can use HD Data that comes from HD radio signals (FM) AND/OR your bluetooth connection on your phone. (Same stream that traffic data comes in on). You can indicate your preference in the settings.

I have unlimited data on my phone so I prefer it use my bluetooth data (faster).

 

I do believe you can use TIS to set a differential of plus or minus several degrees (in one degree increments) as a means of calibrating temp readings that are exceptionally imprecise as is. If you have the software and cable then it is relatively straightforward. If you have to kiss dealer ass for the adjustment, then not so much.

 

This is a very funny thread about an automobile.


:chug:

 

if you start looking for reviews on various merchandise, you find that they can't make anything very well. just a reason i would never step aboard a rocket to anywhere.

 

Why do you need "very accurate" temperature reading in your car?

 

because first they can do it, and second a very accurate temp gauge is displayed in tenths. don't they need a accurate fuel gauge or odometer?

 

Does anyone know exactly where the temperature sensor is located on the 3rd Gen Highlander?

EDIT: Apparently this issue isn't that important to you guys. :disappoin

 

Does anyone know exactly where the temperature sensor is located on the 3rd Gen Highlander?

Same place as the 2nd gen. Right in front of the condenser.

----------------

Just so yall know, the computer doesn't read and display the temp constantly. There is a logic built into it where it won't read the sensor and hold the temp static under certain conditions. For example, if your sitting stationary, it will change how and when it reads the sensors as it could give false readings due to heat from the radiator/condenser. There are a few other scenarios where its tweaked. So approximate temp is the best word.

 

To Pittisit:
That is interesting that there is a Weather Function in the Etune unit. I haven't played around doing any settings except the radio stations and connecting my phone with my Etune unit because the radio was defective from when we got our new Highlander on Christmas Eve back in December. It was always "frozen" when you first got in the car until the inside cabin temperature warmed up about 10-15 minutes later when it would wake up and do lots of beeping and radio station changing. I finally got a new radio unit installed by the dealer so I am ready to explore all the options available.
To the other post about having your phone bluetoothed into the radio. In the original radio in my Highlander, the Here Drive function on my Windows phone would not speak either through the radio or the speaker on the phone when I had the Bluetooth turned on my phone. I hope this new radio can be made to pick up the Here Drive Directions voice. I had to turn off the Bluetooth on my phone in order to hear the directions to get where I needed to go.

 

In the original radio in my Highlander, the Here Drive function on my Windows phone would not speak either through the radio or the speaker on the phone when I had the Bluetooth turned on my phone. I hope this new radio can be made to pick up the Here Drive Directions voice. I had to turn off the Bluetooth on my phone in order to hear the directions to get where I needed to go.

I'm not sure which Entune unit you have, but in my XLE this is how I can hear my iPhone navigation through Entune when my phone is connected through bluetooth:

Press AUDIO button next to screen
hit SOURCE on top right of screen
hit AUDIO on screen
hit SELECT DEVICE on screen
select your phone
hit CONNECT AS AUDIO PLAYER

Once connected you can hear your phone navigation (but not see it) through the Entune system. You may have to turn up your phone's volume and then turn up the Entune volume knob. I couldn't hear it at first. Good luck.

 

If I thought the temperature sensor in my new Highlander was off only +/- 2 degrees, I wouldn't be whining about it, but it seems often to be off much more than that most of the time during really cold weather and always on the high side. In our Michigan driving conditions when the temperature is falling, you want to know if the temperature is going below freezing so you can be more careful, so it is important.
To the person who told me to look at the temperature on my phone--I thought we weren't supposed to be looking at our phones while driving? I have two weather apps on my phone. They are usually within a couple of degrees of each other, but like all the other comments, it depends upon where those temperatures are measured. We are on the west side of town and it is always colder here than what the weather men say it is at the TV station in town or at the airport.

 

As a cold weather driver I agree with the original poster that temperature readings are very important in the winter. It is a safety issue, just like floor mats that get stuck.

I wouldn't consider it a safety issue. People were driving without up-to-date temps for over 60 decades.

 

Not sure why anyone would rely on their car's temp sensor for super accurate readings....I'm happy just knowing the approximate outside temperature. :smile:

 

Can someone tell me where to see the outside temp?
(Sorry for this foolish question)
Thanks.


从我的 iPhone 发送，使用 Tapatalk

 

Should be on the top of the MID screen, which is in the center of the instrument cluster (tachometer, speedometer, etc).

Correction: if you have the color screen, it's on top. If you have the monochrome screen, it's on the bottom.

 

2019 Avalon, 400 miles

car thermometer is reading 100
it's 115 outside


We pay a lot of a new car and it's disappointing when the tech doesn't work as expected. I'm hoping this is the only function that doesn't perform like it should.

 

2019 Avalon, 400 miles

car thermometer is reading 100
it's 115 outside...

It's working better than I would be at 115 degrees. :lol:

Are you sure it was actually 115 where you were? I know it's not uncommon for temperatures at my house to vary considerably from the 'official' temp.

 

i have NEVER seen the temp in an area matching up. whether it's a bank sign, news, aol weather, or my thermometer at home, temp in the car, ECT. my wife and i argue about what the temp is all the time. we have three units in the house with senders to the outside (in the shade). whenever we argue about the temp, i will take out my "skymate" it measures wind speed and temperature in tenths. the skymate is as close as your going to get to the temperature at your location! maybe you should get yourself one of these.

 

I've had my new 2018 LE about 2-3 weeks now. I got out of work early today and driving home I noticed the display showed it to be 82 degrees outside. This is TEXAS and it's NEVER 82 degrees on August 1st :nono: I pull up the outside temp on my iPhone and it's 96 degrees! What's up with that?

 

Mine is not as bad as some others. Reads, I would say, an average of 2.5-4 degrees high. Can't remember if I've seen elsewhere on this forum if this is adjustable by the dealer/techstream/Carista. I totally agree with others that it is an irritation that it is not very accurate. My 2013 Accord's indication is, on the average, spot on.

 

okay, I think I know what the problem was with my sensor reading 82 degrees when it was actually 96 outside. I now realize that this should have been obvious so don't beat me up :grin: One the errands I did on my way home that day was stop and have my car washed. Im sure the water from the washing caused the sensor to get wet and after it had time to dry out it started reading accurately again. I only figured that out by googling it and found others mention their sensor being WAY OFF (like 20 degrees +) after they washed their car. All good now.

 

FWIW...my HL dry. Dash reading...83. Outside thermo in sun..92 deg F. :dunno:

 

Same problem. We're having a heat wave here in Seattle. It's 92 degrees. Our 2018 Highlander with 930 miles said 82. After driving it 30 minutes it had risen to 87, but then we got home. I wonder if we drove another 30 minute if it would rise to 92 (which is the actual, accurate temperature). I replaced my 2002 Toyota Avalon with the Highlander. The Avalon had outside temperature, and it was pretty much spot on. Took maybe a couple of minutes to display the correct temperature. I can't believe the technology 16 years later is worse.