Slow reacting ambient temp gauge

I have a '16 TRDOR with very low miles and lately the ambient (outside) temperature gauge is extremely slow to react to changes in temperature. If I pull out of the garage and it is correctly reading say 56 deg, and the actual outside temp is warmer, say 65 deg it would take an hour or so at least to come up to read even close to 65 deg. My question is, has anybody else experienced this, and if so what to do to fix it. I have a feeling the sensor could be at fault but don't know for sure if the sensor is part of the mass airflow sensor. Can anybody verify this. If that is all it is I will replace the mass airflow and hope that fixes it.

 

Sounds like water got into it and it's reading the temperature of the water.

 

Mine always reads higher temperatures.

 

Don't think so. But I may be wrong too.

Look for a non descript probe around the front bumper/grill area, where air can flow over it easily.

This is what you are looking for.

 

The outside ambient temp sensor is designed to react slowly. Also you have to realize that the temp where the sensor is located is probably not going to match your phone or the bank sign.
Let's imagine they reacted in 5 seconds... what would happen? Driving down the road at 70 mph it would never be stable. Temps constantly change by a degree or 10 depending on weather, fog, etc.
I agree it should not take an hour but it should also not be constantly changing either. That would be worse than changing slowly!

 

Are you finding that it takes an hour of travel at 45+MPH to get close to ambient air temp, or is your ride just sitting in the driveway? What's the temperature of the surrounding metal after an hour? With no air flow over the sensor and the surrounding metal still at garage temp, what would you expect?

 

This is actual driving around in warm air.