Ambient temp inaccuracy

[brian42]

I don't know about the engine light, but somehow I missed this conversation when it first came up last year.

I remember in the old days we just stuck our head outside to see what the temperature was. Back then there were only 3 temperatures:

1. Cold as balls - put on a sweater or a jacket and a wool cap. Turn on the heat.
2. Just right - only short sleeves needed. Save on utility bills.
3. Hotter than hell - go inside and crank up the AC.

Unless I had money riding on the over/under of today's forecast, I can't conceive of any situation where I would actually even care if the temperature gauge was accurate or not.

The only real use for it besides having a convenient number to read is to control the climate control (AUTO) if you have it. I'm not sure if any other functions (e.g. ECM) use it for calculations.

AUTO uses dash vents only and I prefer dash/floor so I always control it manually. In the old days if I was cold I would slide/turn the knob more red, if I was too warm I would move it more blue, and if I was just right I'd leave it. The only difference now is that I have numbers that I make higher (more red) or lower (more blue).

 

[jdmartin]

The only real use for it besides having a convenient number to read is to control the climate control (AUTO) if you have it. I'm not sure if any other functions (e.g. ECM) use it for calculations.

AUTO uses dash vents only and I prefer dash/floor so I always control it manually. In the old days if I was cold I would slide/turn the knob more red, if I was too warm I would move it more blue, and if I was just right I'd leave it. The only difference now is that I have numbers that I make higher (more red) or lower (more blue).

It's so funny what people think they need in a vehicle. I have the exact same experience as you. My truck has auto climate control and I never use it. Telling me that it will keep the truck at 70 degrees or whatever is useless to me; what is important is if I'm sweating my *** off or freezing my *** off, in which case I'll turn up the heat or AC. It's not the same thing as in your house, where you'd have to be carrying the thermostat around with you. When I'm in the truck, I'm sitting literally a foot away from the thermostat controller, so knowing a number is really unnecessary.

Today I drove my Miata. There's no thermostat for telling me the temperature outside. There's no auto climate control. There's colors and slide knobs and buttons. After a while, certain features on cars are truly useful, and other things are just more useless crap to break. Cruise control is a nice feature, especially on a long trip. Power windows and door locks make sense because it's hard to reach over to the passenger side to hand-crank a window up or down. It's nice to have a radio with Sirius built in or be able to stream bluetooth as an alternative. But a lot of the rest of this is just plain unnecessary. Rain sensing windshield wipers. Auto climate control. Outside thermostats. ETC. It reminds me of some of the power tools I have - they'll have "features" on them I never even realize they have until one day when I'm looking through the manual to get blade replacement specs or something, because the features are totally unnecessary for satisfactory use of the tool.

 

[RamCares]

So yesterday my engine light went off, I was a little worried because I have only 19k miles on my 2020 Ram, stop by the NAPA store to use one of their diagnostic tools, and did say was the Ambient outside sensor, so he reset the light, but the sensor still not working well, but this one instead of giving me a high reading is lower and then just don't show any degrees at all, any ideas?

Hi PalafoxLaramie1,
If you decide to visit your local dealer to address this concern, feel free to send us a PM. We'd be happy to provide additional assistance.

Sarah
Ram Cares

 

[jdmartin]

Damn, it's been so long since I've seen "RamCares" on here I thought they were either dead or outsourced to China

 

[Big Tup]

Hi,
Maybe I missed it while scanning through the replies, but is there a dealer documented and dealer applied fix for this issue? Has Ram issued a TSB or anything similar to that?

 

[jdmartin]

Hi,
Maybe I missed it while scanning through the replies, but is there a dealer documented and dealer applied fix for this issue? Has Ram issued a TSB or anything similar to that?

They have - here's a picture of it:

PS: I liked your post because I like your picture of your dog

 

[bpwj76]

Damn, it's been so long since I've seen "RamCares" on here I thought they were either dead or outsourced to China

Same here. Haven't seen them post anything in a while. Even PM'd them about a problem I was having several months ago and never got a reply. Thought they were gone for good.

 

[bpwj76]

Back on topic... It's funny that I discovered this subject today. I have noticed that my outside temp gauge shows 20-25 degrees higher than what the outside temp actually is when I first get in and start the truck. It cools down to an accurate reading after several miles of driving though.

Well today, when I was out at lunch, I saw that it was reading lower than what the actual outside temp was. The gauge said 68, but the actual temp was 81. The temp on the gauge never changed the whole time I was in the truck (about 20 minutes) and I even turned it off and let it sit for a minute and restarted it and it said 68 still. Weird...

 

[yellowboy]

This truck is very innovative and has many unique features such as a temperature gauge that only measures the inside temperature of your rear view mirror !!!

 

[Brutal_HO]

Same here. Haven't seen them post anything in a while. Even PM'd them about a problem I was having several months ago and never got a reply. Thought they were gone for good.

I think they've either been too busy trying to answer PM's over on the other sites regarding the HD CP4 debacle, now under investigation by NHTSA, or just laying low for the same reason.

 

[CPenn1086]

I am one of those weirdos (according to some people on this forum) that relies on the auto climate controls. I have always been "set it and forget" with all of my vehicles....leave it at a certain temp (usually 68-70) and I never have to touch the controls. However, in the Ram that is not the case and I blame this on the innacurate outside temp gauge. Like others have said, mine is consistently 15-20 degrees higher than the actual temp. After some driving, it eventually corrects itself.

Doesn't seem like a big deal, but I do blame the auto climate control not functioning properly because of this, and same with the auto comfort features (heated seats/wheel, ventilated seats). I am constantly making corrections, and having the butt coolers turn on when its only 45 degrees out is a little silly.

For something that has worked properly in EVERY single vehicle I have owned (except for the Ram), you would think there would be an easy fix for this.... What do you think, @RamCares?

 

[KWKSLVR]

I'm a meteorologist with a knack for calibrated instruments. I know this is very trivial but it makes my OCD flare up. While cruising down the road, my outside temperature reading on the dash is several degrees too warm compared to close-by calibrated stations. My other FCA vehicles don't have this issue. Is it common on the Rams? Will relocating the sensor fix it, or is it a programming issue?

The important question to ask is, "What would James Spann do?"

 

[jdmartin]

The important question to ask is, "What would James Spann do?"

I had to look up "James Spann", and he is a meteorologist in Birmingham, Alabama. For the other 18 thousand forum readers who were saying "Who the hell is James Spann?"

 

[KWKSLVR]

I had to look up "James Spann", and he is a meteorologist in Birmingham, Alabama. For the other 18 thousand forum readers who were saying "Who the hell is James Spann?"

James is a celebrity 'round these parts. Dude's got meme's

james spann memes - Google Search

 

[Idahoktm]

My temp reading the last couple of days has been off by about 5-10 degrees. I was going to pop the cover off of the temp sensor cover, then unplug/plug in the sensor to see if that fixes my problem. The sensor cover doesn't have a slot to fit a flat blade screwdriver into. Does it matter which side you pry from?

 

[djevox]

This thread started off hilarious. I deal with satellites, buoys, and weather stations that sense temp, and would never expect the imprecise ambient temp sensor of the RAM to have narrower than a ± 5degF (up to ~8) swing. I’m thinking expectations should’ve been managed here.

 

[Kaderast]

My temp reading the last couple of days has been off by about 5-10 degrees. I was going to pop the cover off of the temp sensor cover, then unplug/plug in the sensor to see if that fixes my problem. The sensor cover doesn't have a slot to fit a flat blade screwdriver into. Does it matter which side you pry from?

I've pryed mine off from the front. Correct, there is no slot, the first time prying it off can be very difficult, to the point you think you might break it. I used two tiny screwdrivers (the miniature ones you use for working on eye glasses) to start prying, then got a regular screwdriver in there to finally pop it open.

However, the dealership has replaced that sensor twice, and even a module inside the driver door panel that relays the ambient air temp, and my problem persists. My sensor is ALWAYS 7 degrees high. I have a $3000 weather station at work I compare it to. At one point I ever bought an aftermarket air temp sensor to replace it with, same problem. I've just accepted it at this point unfortunately.

 

[Namool]

The important question to ask is, "What would James Spann do?"

I have a 2020 ram 1500 Limited and the ambient temperature gauge is rarely accurate, less so in the summer than winter. I took it to the dealership who said they changed out the sensor, by the way it's in the driver's side side mirror, but still no change. They told me afterwards that the tolerance on the gauge is +/- 12 degrees F. That seems ridiculous so I contacted RAM USA. Mistake! They couldn't tell me anymore except to take it to another dealer. Haven't had this issue in any other truck or passenger car I've owned in the past 6 years. This is my first RAM truck.

 

[Idahoktm]

I've pryed mine off from the front. Correct, there is no slot, the first time prying it off can be very difficult, to the point you think you might break it. I used two tiny screwdrivers (the miniature ones you use for working on eye glasses) to start prying, then got a regular screwdriver in there to finally pop it open.

However, the dealership has replaced that sensor twice, and even a module inside the driver door panel that relays the ambient air temp, and my problem persists. My sensor is ALWAYS 7 degrees high. I have a $3000 weather station at work I compare it to. At one point I ever bought an aftermarket air temp sensor to replace it with, same problem. I've just accepted it at this point unfortunately.

Thanks. What's weird is it has always been dead on balls accurate, unless the driver's side mirror has been in direct sunlight for a while. Even then, it would cool off after driving a while and display correctly. I use the temperature at airports for comparison.

It started acting up two days ago. On day one, it finally got back to the right temp just as I was pulling in my garage, but it was off by about 5 degrees all day. Yesterday, it was off by 5-10 degrees all day, but after I washed and dried my truck it was right again.

I really don't want to pop that cover off because it looks like I'll never get it off without buggering up the plastic.

 

[397STROKER]

What I wouldn't give for a new truck without all these things that really do nothing. They are just things to be annoying and break but they really have nothing to do with the function of the vehicle and what it is for, driving, hauling, etc. I don't know how we ever survived back in the day without all these gadgets and technology. I am not saying technology is all bad, hell I make my living in it, but some of these things are just ridiculous. There are nice to haves and necessary to have, like brakes, but in the end the nice to haves are really just more things to go wrong that will **** you off but not really affect the operation of the vehicle.