# Temperature readout problem (Sensor Relocation)



## stumpac (Jul 12, 2006)

On our new X Trail, during the current heatwave, we notice that the outside temperature readout goes WAY out of whack when we are driving in city traffic or parked - it showed 45 degrees C on a day when the maximum for the day was about 35 - and only went down after we drove at highway speed for about 10 minutes. I assume this is because the censor is mounted in a bad place, in the engine compartment, which is pretty dumb. Any similar experiences? I have had several cars with this feature, but never this sort of problem.


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## Rockford (Jan 28, 2005)

Yes, this is normal for the X-Trail. If you want, you can tell people that the X-Trail is so smart it factors in humidity.
If you're on the highway the readout becomes more accurate.


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## mfreedman (Jun 13, 2004)

stumpac said:


> On our new X Trail, during the current heatwave, we notice that the outside temperature readout goes WAY out of whack when we are driving in city traffic or parked - it showed 45 degrees C on a day when the maximum for the day was about 35 - and only went down after we drove at highway speed for about 10 minutes. I assume this is because the censor is mounted in a bad place, in the engine compartment, which is pretty dumb. Any similar experiences? I have had several cars with this feature, but never this sort of problem.


I have the same problem. Yesterday my temp gauge read 48*


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## Fergman (Dec 8, 2005)

*Frontier temp gauge*



stumpac said:


> I assume this is because the censor is mounted in a bad place, in the engine compartment, which is pretty dumb.



Hello,

I have a Frontier that has an outside temp gauge as well and it seems to be showing much higher than the ambient temperature. Do you know where exactly the sensor is located?

Thanks,

mark


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## ERBell (Aug 7, 2005)

I believe it is located under the hood up front somewhere.


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## aussietrail (Sep 24, 2004)

ERBell said:


> I believe it is located under the hood up front somewhere.


That is correct. Stright under the locking latch of the hood. (what a stupid place to locate a temp. sensor! right in front of the radiator where the heat is  ) and that is exactly the reason why the temp. reading is out of wack at idle.


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## northernale1 (Apr 6, 2006)

kewl.. im movn mine,,,, also is there a way to stop the stupid flashing at 3degs and less


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## northernale1 (Apr 6, 2006)

ok,, so i just went and checked mine out,, simple to move,, just extend the 2 leads... now what would be the best place to move it too... also help on the flashing please


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## ValBoo (May 19, 2003)

Unfortunately the sensor has nothing to do with the flashing display below 3 degC. 
And apart from complaining, there is not much else that can be done !


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## aussietrail (Sep 24, 2004)

ValBoo said:


> Unfortunately the sensor has nothing to do with the flashing display below 3 degC.
> And apart from complaining, there is not much else that can be done !


Are you sure Marc?

The aftermarket sensor I have doesn't flash below 3 degC, so maybe you guys can find a sensor that offers a wider temp range. From memory, mine covers temps between -10 to +40 degC

The coldest day I have tested the operation of the sensor was -3 degC and the hottest was +42 degC with the car parked under the sun all day 

To test if the flashing of the display is caused by the sensor or not, next time you get the flashing signal, get out and disconnect the sensor at the front and see what happens  Just a thought!


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## northernale1 (Apr 6, 2006)

well -10 no good to me,,, gets alot colder then that here


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## ValBoo (May 19, 2003)

aussietrail said:


> Are you sure Marc?
> 
> The aftermarket sensor I have doesn't flash below 3 degC, so maybe you guys can find a sensor that offers a wider temp range. From memory, mine covers temps between -10 to +40 degC


Well in that case, perhaps we should try a sensor from another car (manufacturer)... we would have to find the specs & see if it matches.... and wait for a cold day  or better yet stick an "Ice-Pack" next to it !

BTW what happened to your original sensor ?


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## aussietrail (Sep 24, 2004)

ValBoo said:


> BTW what happened to your original sensor ?


I didn't have one, Nissan mechanics in Japan must have been drinking boose when they put my exy together LOL 

Nah, the 2002 model in Australia didn't come with one, so I installed my own


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## stumpac (Jul 12, 2006)

aussietrail said:


> I didn't have one, Nissan mechanics in Japan must have been drinking boose when they put my exy together LOL
> 
> Nah, the 2002 model in Australia didn't come with one, so I installed my own


I finally took mine in to the Nissan dealer, who confirmed that the sensor is mounted near the rad --- duh!!!

Any advice in terms of moving it?? Other cars i have had displayed "perfect" readings under all circumstances - i assume that the flashing at 3 degrees is deliberate - to indicate that road icing is imminent or at least a risk. On my 05 Audi the temp readout is augmented by a little snowflake at 5 degrees C -- same sort of warning i guess.


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## northernale1 (Apr 6, 2006)

easy to move only to leads to extend,,,,
just ryn to decide where to put it
nothin happened to mine,,, i just hate the flashing its iratating
not as bad as digital speed display but almost
rented a grand prix once with heads up digital display,, was ready to pull my hair out


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## aussietrail (Sep 24, 2004)

northernale1 said:


> easy to move only to leads to extend,,,,
> just ryn to decide where to put it
> nothin happened to mine,,, i just hate the flashing its iratating
> not as bad as digital speed display but almost
> rented a grand prix once with heads up digital display,, was ready to pull my hair out


Funny you mention that, cause this is my next project


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## stumpac (Jul 12, 2006)

aussietrail said:


> That is correct. Stright under the locking latch of the hood. (what a stupid place to locate a temp. sensor! right in front of the radiator where the heat is  ) and that is exactly the reason why the temp. reading is out of wack at idle.


Hi Jalal -- is it the little black thing just in front of the rad, with a little pin thing on the top? Any ideas as to where one might wish to move it? I would think in the grill somewhere so that it is a few more inches away from the rad??


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## stumpac (Jul 12, 2006)

whoops - put the reply in the wrong place -- see words added to your note!! Sorry about that - a newby error!


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## aussietrail (Sep 24, 2004)

stumpac said:


> Hi Jalal -- is it the little black thing just in front of the rad, with a little pin thing on the top? Any ideas as to where one might wish to move it? I would think in the grill somewhere so that it is a few more inches away from the rad??


That's the one. Yeah, anywhere on the grill and as far as possible from the radiator would be much better.

My aftermarket sensor is not that big, so I have located it outside of the car, just in the corner where the widscreen meets the bonnet.


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## Canada's Far East (Jun 15, 2005)

*Sensor Relocation*



stumpac said:


> Hi Jalal -- is it the little black thing just in front of the rad, with a little pin thing on the top? Any ideas as to where one might wish to move it? I would think in the grill somewhere so that it is a few more inches away from the rad??


Decided to do a quick (and somewhat short) re-location of the temperature sensor. Will assess this new location for a few days to see if the readings improve any (more accurate). If affirmative, will consider moving it even further from the radiator, hopefully for even better results.

Took a few pics, for the benefit of others.

Here’s the sensor, in it’s original location.



Fairly easy to remove – has the same type of connector as used on the white prop rod holder – has to be released from behind.



There’s enough wiring on it for a short move, without disturbing anything. However, there are just a few ties holding it in place and, with those released, it could be moved considerably further (away from the rad).



For now, I just placed it in the grill opening, where it fits quite nicely. It’s not very visible (it’s black) even in the open grill area.



As you may know, I have the CloudRider grill screens. With these re-installed, it’s completely hidden.



As I said, I’ll assess for any improvement (or otherwise) and will report on findings.

Cheers = Roger


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## aussietrail (Sep 24, 2004)

Very good and informative modification Roger. I am pretty sure you will notice an improvement in temp readings straight away.

Well done!


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## XtrailRookie (May 17, 2005)

Beautiful job Roger!
Please report back on your findings.
Thanks!


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## Canada's Far East (Jun 15, 2005)

*First Findings*



XtrailRookie said:


> Beautiful job Roger!
> Please report back on your findings.
> Thanks!


Just about every day I pass 3 outdoor thermometers, in different parts of the city. They tend to vary from one another by 1 to 5 degrees.

My sensor had been showing differences of 5 to 12 degrees in excess of these 3.

On just one trip today, the variance was only 1 to 3 degrees. 

Seems like the move of the sensor may have helped. However, it was somewhat overcast here today and the temp was below 20 c. I'll await some warmer temps before passing final judgement.....

Will follow-up after the weekend.

Cheers = Roger


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## stumpac (Jul 12, 2006)

Roger -- really helpful - thanks so much for all the work - i'm going to do the same thing and report on outcomes later too. Where does that grill come from?? I'm a newbie so forgive me for asking.


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## Canada's Far East (Jun 15, 2005)

*Grill Screens*



stumpac said:


> Roger -- really helpful - thanks so much for all the work - i'm going to do the same thing and report on outcomes later too. Where does that grill come from?? I'm a newbie so forgive me for asking.


Not a problem stumpac - that's what we're here for * to help one another *

Grill screens come from an outfit called Cloud Rider - here's a link to their site:

http://www.cloud-rider.ca/screens_show.php?vhcl_id=2659

They're in western Canada, either BC or Sask - can't quite recall which.

Prices are reasonable - product is top quality - service/delivery is excellent and they have a good selection for the X-T, including all season and winter screens.

After having mine on for about a year, I took them off recently for a good cleaning - was surprised to find that there was "minimal" dirt behind them...

Cheers = Roger


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## stumpac (Jul 12, 2006)

Hi Roger -- thanks very much - i did manage to find them - interesting that they are based in Sask! Good on them.

Anyway - i will be following up with them after i've figured out which one i want!!!

Thanks again.


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## stumpac (Jul 12, 2006)

Roger - one more stupid question -- how do you release the temp holder? Do you compress the plastic thing with pliers? I don't want to crack it and it seems pretty stubborn.

Stuart


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## Canada's Far East (Jun 15, 2005)

stumpac said:


> Roger - one more stupid question -- how do you release the temp holder? Do you compress the plastic thing with pliers? I don't want to crack it and it seems pretty stubborn.
> 
> Stuart


Hi Stuart:

Pliers would work IF you could get them in behind....

You've got it right that "compression" is the key....

I got my hand up-under and compressed one side of the connector - - then I "forced" that side part way out of the square hole - with the one side "jammed" in place, I used a small slothead screwdriver to compress the opposite side - I reached the screw driver in from behind, pushed on the right spot and out it popped.

While compression is the key, patience will assist greatly :crazy: 

It would also help if you knew what it looked like and how it worked - - I'll try ro find a pic and post it for you...........

Cheers = Roger


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## stumpac (Jul 12, 2006)

Hey Roger -- thanks so much -- as i said, i'm paranoid about busting the thing. I'll let you know how it goes!!

Stuart


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## Canada's Far East (Jun 15, 2005)

stumpac said:


> Hey Roger -- thanks so much -- as i said, i'm paranoid about busting the thing. I'll let you know how it goes!!
> 
> Stuart


Stuart:

Here's a pic of the prop rod holder so you can see how it "grips". Have to release it by compressing 2 sides, either on-at-a-time or both together.

Hope this helps.



An update on the improvement in accuracy with the sensor relocated:

Multiple readings over the weekend have shown a variance of only +/- 1 degree. On several occasions it was spot-on. 

Doesn't seem to be a need to move it any further....

Cheers = Roger


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## stumpac (Jul 12, 2006)

wow - amazing pic! Thanks very much - going away for a few days but will keep you posted on the outcome here --- thanks again.

Stuart


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## stumpac (Jul 12, 2006)

A postscript to this thing -- followed your advice Roger and removed the sensor without breaking the mount - moved the sensor to the grill area where it is "washed" by fresh air rather than the heat from the rad -- and it seems to be reading temps that are in line with radio reports and local signs -- why Nissan doesn't realize that the fix is simple, i'll never know.


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## aussietrail (Sep 24, 2004)

stumpac said:


> why Nissan doesn't realize that the fix is simple, i'll never know.


Because they know there are forums out there like ours that will offer a solution and which they will probably implement in future models and call it an "enhancement". hahaha


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## Canada's Far East (Jun 15, 2005)

*Broken Picture Links*



Canada's Far East said:


> Decided to do a quick (and somewhat short) re-location of the temperature sensor. Will assess this new location for a few days to see if the readings improve any (more accurate). If affirmative, will consider moving it even further from the radiator, hopefully for even better results.
> 
> Took a few pics, for the benefit of others.
> 
> ...


One of our members sent me a PM to advise that the links to the pictures in this post were not working and he could not access them.

My apologies – it was an error on my part. 

I have rectified the problem and the pictures are available now - - click to enlarge.

Cheers = Roger


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## GFB (Oct 16, 2006)

While I was sleeping this side of the globe, it seems that Canada's Far East came up with a good alternative location for the sensor. Nevertheless, I will still post this in case somebody wants to explore any further alternative. 

Sensor location checklist: 
Not directly exposed to engine/radiator radiation & convection heat.
Not directly exposed to the sun (or a metal body panel baked hot by the sun).
Not directly exposed to heat radiation from hot road surface. 
Not directly exposed to mud/dirt splashing up from tires or road. 
Must have a good exposure to outside air flow. 

Some cars have the sensor in the area just behind the front bumper, but to the side (not in the middle in front of the radiator). My Renault Scenic has it sticking out underneath the side mirror housing (a very good location with just a small deviation due to road surface heat).

Cheers


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## stumpac (Jul 12, 2006)

I relocated mine into the grill opening, and it's working just fine - occasionally engine heat will have an impact, especially in heavy traffic, but that's the case with all of them. The new location, albeit aided by a black garbage bag tie (hi tech) is invisible from any angle, and seems to be stable enough.


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