Clean the ambient air sensor

[Torquative]

Hey guys and girls,

the "outside temp" on the WK seems to be a tad wrong. On the weekend it reckons it was between 27 to 31 degrees, when it was closer to 22-25, made worse by the fact the car was sitting under the carport and hadnt been driven - so no heat soak could have affected the reading. Ive noticed since buying the car its been off a bit. A thermometer attached to our building said 19 degrees, its sensor is at the sign on the ground level, but the car parked on the street was reading 28 degrees. I'll give it some room for heat soak and the like and obviously these are just approx. temps, but a 9 degree difference is a bit high - especially when the climate control system is relying on that info.

After reading 2 threads on here (one talk about changing the external sensor, one mentions changing the cabin sensor) Ive decided common sense tells me the ambient sensor is faulty and giving off a bad reading, which would explain why the climate control fails at being climatically controlled!

Before jumping into changing it, is there anything I could try to clean the sensor with without damaging it? Perhaps spray some MAF cleaner or similar at it to see if its just dirty?

Cheers

[cander24]

If you're looking to use a solvent based cleaner i'd be trying something along the lines of electrical contact cleaner.
Cheers

[Torquative]

I'm happy to use whatever wont kill the sensor!

[illlusion]

use contact cleaner it will be fine and check to make sure the rubbber seal in in place to stop any water getting in to the plug

[Torquative]

Cheers, will have a look when I grab some cleaner !

[RiCeY]

Climate control doesnt rely on the ambient temp sensor its just an informative tool. Climate control uses sensors in the cabin for reference.

[the_boozer]

ambient air sensor bet ya its pretty close when driving down road with air moving past it .

[Torquative]

Bet lost.

Changed the sensor on thurs night and strangely it started to show me what I wanted to see, ie the temperature at the sensor and not that + 5 to 10 degrees. I've been happy with the readings both while moving and stationary.

[AUSFITTER]

So which sensor was the one you replaced? Also how much was the part and ease of replacing?

Cheers

[Torquative]

The one that sits at the condenser just behind the front bar.

Ease of change was easy as, petty much unclip old one and replace.

Cost me $30 for genuine but I think their around the $40 mark retail

[AUSFITTER]

Hmm, i think i might have the same issue. I have noticed lately that my ac doesnt really want to constantly pump cold air, it goes warm occasionally and it only goes cold if i am driving which is shit if the car has been sitting in the sun for a few hours and starting the car 5 minutes beofre going anywhere does nothing. Plus like the issue you had with incorrect temp readings, mine was telling me it was 45deg yesterday when it was only about 32deg. Not sure if a new sensor will make any difference though, but only one way to find out i gues. I just had my system regassed, and there was no leaks anywhere, so i dont know what else it could be really.

[RiCeY]

Again for the hard of reading, the ambient air temp sensor does not determine the temp of the climate control.

[Torquative]

yes, and that was my bad to begin with. I went of a statement someone posted in another topic which is wrong.

I also forgot these cars are quite primitive and have pointless readings such as that, not all manufacturers have 4 speeds of fan based on a sensor located on the dash and nothing else.

Either way, for me it was the sense of satisfaction of having the outside temp showing right. Might have been a pointless exercise because it can say 99 for all that matters and still be influencing nothing but what the hey, I was bored, but to those experiencing AC issues sounds like its something else in which case NFI, perhaps someone with the knowledge might want to jump in and help out

[RiCeY]

Top end Euro cars have ambient temp sensors, not just Holdens. What else would you like the climate control to be based on? Your current star sign? You select the temp you want and it provides it based on the current temp within the cabin.

Possibly the condensor temp sensor or cabin temp sensor, low refridgerant or high engien temps.