External Temperature showing -19

billgibney

Just bought a 2021 captur from a dealer, everything's great except for the external temperature.

When I start the engine it shows the temperature correctly then goes down in 1 degree increments to -19c.

It slowly over about 25 mins goes back to the real temperature.

I rang the dealer and they said to drop it in as it's just a faulty sensor but I'm wondering if it could be something more as I thought a sensor would either work or not work

Any ideas?

Buddy Bubs

If sensor doesn't work I believe it can show the minimum or maximum all the time.

I had a BMW constantly show minus 40 until I got it fixed.

If it's just showing the same value all the time I'd say that's what it is

prawnsambo

I had that with a Nissan Qashqai (not dissimilar from your car). Started off doing something like yours and gradually ended up showing -40 all the time. Played havoc with the air conditioning that operated on the assumption that it really was -40 outside.

Nissan service found a wire had come disconnected from the sensor. Took about a day for it to get back to normal.

GavPJ

The outside temperature sensor can go faulty.

Believe it or not it can have a knock effect on your aircon/climate

control and on some cars/vans etc have an affect on your DPF system.

BlakeS94

Think it's a Renault van that has the ambient air temp sensor within the wing mirror, so if it breaks you go buy an aftermarket part which doesn't contain the sensor.

Down the road have endless DPF/Adblue trouble and think the garage are scammers because they're telling you your DPF trouble is from a wing mirror 😂

ofcork

Dont most cars have the temperature sensor in the wing mirror,remember the brothers 156 you could see the little add on to the mirror.

prawnsambo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122098088#Comment_122098088

No. I think the OP's car is quite like the Nissan Qashqai (also Renault Kadjar) and has it in the front behind and slightly above or below the grille (depending on the model).

billgibney

It actually works normally after a while

It might be 6 degrees when I turn out the engine but after a few seconds it drops to -19 then slowly back up.

It doesn't do it every day though, it's intermittent

billgibney

I noticed that the car was very warm even with the air con set to 19

prawnsambo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122109305#Comment_122109305

Yeah, that's the aircon working off the ambient temperature and boosting the heat on that basis.

Sounds like it's a dosgy connection to the ambient temperature sensor. Or a dodgy sensor. But I'd check the connection first.