Outside temp reading WAY too high!

It's winter - in Colorado - at 7500 feet. Today, as I drove from home to Durango, CO, the outside air temp sensor on my new 2017 Tacoma Limited said it was a balmy 81 F degrees. Actually, it should have said something close to 45 F or so. Anyone else experience this issue? Just curious, since the temperature in the truck felt kinda cool, which was atypical. I don't think the outsider air temp is integrated into the cabin heater's performance, but, I'm not certain.

Ironically, that happened after I was headed home from the Toyota dealer to have the fluids checked (rear diff was 1/2 quart low), and paint removed from the outside of all windows on the truck (over spray during assembly?) Didn't notice the paint issue until the sun hit it just right, causing a flash of light, or halo around oncoming lights at night.

 

Usually people complaining about the temperature being off are being a little over dramatic (a couple degrees), but 45F - 81F is ridiculous. That should be a pretty obvious issue for a dealer to validate if it is consistent.

 

that is bad, as it does control the a/c clutch

ice the sensor, see if temp drops

 

Just covering our bases here...this wasn't soon after the truck was inside or anything?

 

Nope - rockin' down the highway, as the Doobies say. I'd been on the road for half an hour. Good thought.

 

Thanks! Suspicion confirmed. It got kinda cool in the cabin with that reading. I'll have to check it out, then head back to the dealer. Hope it's an easy fix.

 

Thanks for the tip! Makes it easier to look....

 

Yeah, I'd spot them 5 degrees or so, but a near-40 shift is a bit excessive.

 

If you have the tow package the outside temp sensor is about one inch from the power steering cooler, it possible to move it the center of the support just under the hood latch and it will preform better.

 

Hey - that's good to know! Thanks! We do have the tow package. The dealer replaced the temp sensor - said it tested bad - and the new one still reads high on longer trips. On short trips around town it reads fine. You may have the solution to the problem! As soon as I can, I'll take a look.

 

Well....I've looked around and can't find the power steering cooler - I'm pretty sure it's under the hood somewhere, though. Any tips on how/where to locate it?

 

You mentioned over spray on the windows. Any chance the air temp sensor might've also been hit with some factory paint? I've heard of guys gumming up their sensors with rattle cans when they spray behind their grills for that ULTIMATE MURDERED OUT BRAH look. When the sensors get painted over, they can misread the temp.

 

Entirely possible that the factory may have over sprayed something besides the windows, however the dealer replaced the temp sensor - which still reads incorrectly - which should have eliminated that possibility. Frustrating.

 

The power steering cooler is in front of the radiator just below the horns painted black. The temp sensor is just to the left attachrd the brace that is under the hood latch.

 

Awesome! Thanks for the help! I'll check it this morning!

 

Thanks Do Rag! Found it - moved it, as you suggested. Hope that resolves the issue! It was quite close to the power steering cooler, as you described. I moved it in front of the brace, still in the main air flow, using a piece of electrical tape to hold it in place. Easy to do, thanks to your description of the location!

 

Glad I could help.

 

How did it work?