but it's actually over 85 degrees. What gives? I checked the exterior temp probe, and it is connected and in the cylinder where it's supposed to be. Does this mean I need to replace the probe? Looks like it just plugs in to two wires going into the front trunk. Any clues?

 

Occasionally the temp sensor in my Turbo appears to be slow to reflect the correct temperature but it soon displays the correct ambient temperature after engine start. I don't know how long off hand I am pre-occupied with ensuring the engine sounds ok and giving the car a preflight -- so to speak -- checkout but when I glance at the temp display it is correct so it doesn't take but maybe a moment or two.

There is no rhyme or reason as far as I can tell when the sensor appears to be at least temporarily "stuck" or inoperative. It is an infrequent event so it is difficult to discern a pattern.

My recommendation would be if the reading doesn't reflect reality in just a few moments after the starting the engine then perhaps with the engine off and the key off and removed disconnect then connect the temp probe at the wiring harness. My thinking is some surface corrosion at the connector accounts for the behavior.

If this doesn't help then perhaps the sensor is bad but I would expect it to fail in such a way the temp reading would be something/anything other than 65F.

 

Macster, thanks for your reply. A few hours after I posted my question, I was in the garage and I turned the ignition to the "On" position and the exterior temp display quickly started climbing from 65 degrees to 81 degrees, which seemed to be correct. The only thing I had done was to remove the probe from its normal spot in the "cylinder" in the bumper, but I did not disconnect it electrically.

 

"My recommendation would be if the reading doesn't reflect reality in just a few moments after the starting the engine then perhaps with the engine off and the key off and removed disconnect then connect the temp probe at the wiring harness. My thinking is some surface corrosion at the connector accounts for the behavior. "

^This^ If it doesn't work, swap it out with a new or a known working used one... Good Luck

 

I drove the car today, and it seemed to be just fine. Let's see if it happens again.