Outside temperature reading stuck on -40*F???

Zero · 10-01-2012, 06:23 PM

Yesterday on the dash of my 335i the snowflake in the triangle light came up (signifying its cold as balls outside) came up and my outside temperature gauge is stuck saying it's -40*F outside. Also my check engine light came on too, any ideas what it is? Outside temperature sensor go out? I don't have iDrive btw.

Thanks for the help!

BMW_Belgier · 10-01-2012, 06:26 PM

Battery?

islandbimmer · 10-01-2012, 06:27 PM

broken wire or sensor . On the e36's they often fell out of their sockets and dangled underneath the bumper till you curbed them. Check the sensor see if the wires look oK .

BMW_Belgier · 10-01-2012, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by islandbimmer

broken wire or sensor . On the e36's they often fell out of their sockets and dangled underneath the bumper till you curbed them. Check the sensor see if the wires look oK .

Would that explain the CEL aswell?

Tom K. · 10-01-2012, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by islandbimmer

broken wire or sensor . On the e36's they often fell out of their sockets and dangled underneath the bumper till you curbed them. Check the sensor see if the wires look oK .

On my E46, it was chipmunk damage to the wiring near the sensor. While it didn't throw a SES light, the A/C compressor (thinking it was well below freezing) wouldn't come on.

Tom

Zero · 10-02-2012, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by islandbimmer

broken wire or sensor . On the e36's they often fell out of their sockets and dangled underneath the bumper till you curbed them. Check the sensor see if the wires look oK .

Alright, where's the sensor located at on the car? Pics? Thanks

mxchris727 · 10-02-2012, 03:05 PM

It should be right under the front bumper on the passenger side

Zero · 10-06-2012, 07:41 PM

Does anyone have a diagram where they can point out where it is? I looked under the car the other night and have been looking for diagrams to see what I'm looking for and can't seem to find anything. Thanks guys, I really don't want to take it to the stealership just to replace a sensor.

gzim335 · 10-07-2012, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zero

Does anyone have a diagram where they can point out where it is? I looked under the car the other night and have been looking for diagrams to see what I'm looking for and can't seem to find anything. Thanks guys, I really don't want to take it to the stealership just to replace a sensor.

im having the exact same issue...
u have to take off the bumper to get to the sensor.

r3dbimmer89 · 10-08-2012, 11:22 AM

That happened to me in my E46...my sister rolled over a high curb and popped the fender lining pulling the sensor off with it. Most likely your sensor is broken or gone but I think the SES light is something different going on.

ttribe · 10-08-2012, 11:45 AM

My ambient temperature sensor went out on the E60 M5 last year and triggered a limp mode on the engine. Get the sensor replaced and you'll be up and running again.

Zero · 10-08-2012, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gzim335

im having the exact same issue...
u have to take off the bumper to get to the sensor.

Have you done yours yet? If you haven't can you take a picture of the sensor and where it mounts?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ttribe

My ambient temperature sensor went out on the E60 M5 last year and triggered a limp mode on the engine. Get the sensor replaced and you'll be up and running again.

Hopefully that's it, I literally just got the car back from an oil change at the stealership so I can't think of anything that could have made the SES light go off

ttribe · 10-08-2012, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zero

Hopefully that's it, I literally just got the car back from an oil change at the stealership so I can't think of anything that could have made the SES light go off

I thought the ambient temp sensor was just a convenience thing but, according to my dealer service adviser, the car actually uses the sensor to adjust the fuel mix; hence the limp mode. My sensor was telling the car it was 125F outside when it was in the 90s, so it freaked out.

gzim335 · 10-08-2012, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zero

Quote:

Originally Posted by gzim335

im having the exact same issue...
u have to take off the bumper to get to the sensor.

Have you done yours yet? If you haven't can you take a picture of the sensor and where it mounts?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ttribe

My ambient temperature sensor went out on the E60 M5 last year and triggered a limp mode on the engine. Get the sensor replaced and you'll be up and running again.

Hopefully that's it, I literally just got the car back from an oil change at the stealership so I can't think of anything that could have made the SES light go off

just tackled it today with a friend,I took the bumper off n the sensor was on the driver side between bumper and radiator.
my issue was the wire was exposed,I reattached and wrapped it in elec tape and deleted the code after and my temp is reading again

I'll post a pic when I get on my PC
SES light is gone

fazman · 11-12-2013, 03:38 PM

What is an expected difference from the true outside temp? Mine seems to read a difference of +7*F to +11*F compared to what my iPhone reads as the local temp and maybe a difference of about +5*F compared to my friends stock e92.

I've just assumed that it was my ER FMIC which was warming up that temp sensor???

captainaudio · 11-12-2013, 04:04 PM

fazman · 11-12-2013, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by captainaudio

10-01-2012, 06:23 PM	#1
Zero Private 8 Rep 52 Posts Drives: 335i Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: CA iTrader: (0)	*Outside temperature reading stuck on -40F???** Yesterday on the dash of my 335i the snowflake in the triangle light came up (signifying its cold as balls outside) came up and my outside temperature gauge is stuck saying it's -40*F outside. Also my check engine light came on too, any ideas what it is? Outside temperature sensor go out? I don't have iDrive btw. Thanks for the help! __________________ - Muffler Delete - BMS DC Intake - 5%/Side 50%/Shield - Depo Blacklines - Shadowline - M3 Bumper - Full LED/HID swap - Forgestar F14s - Hankook V12s
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10-01-2012, 06:26 PM	#2
BMW_Belgier Lieutenant Colonel 99 Rep 1,597 Posts Drives: E92 335xi n55 Join Date: May 2012 Location: Switzerland iTrader: (0)	Battery? __________________ BEFORE: 130i N52 (2006-2011) NOW: 335xi N55 (2011- )
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10-01-2012, 06:27 PM	#3
islandbimmer First Lieutenant 16 Rep 346 Posts Drives: 2007 e92 SG Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Victoria BC Canada iTrader: (1)	broken wire or sensor . On the e36's they often fell out of their sockets and dangled underneath the bumper till you curbed them. Check the sensor see if the wires look oK .
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10-02-2012, 03:05 PM	#7
mxchris727 Captain 193 Rep 666 Posts Drives: '03 M5, '06 325i, '12 M3 Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Westport, CT iTrader: (0)	It should be right under the front bumper on the passenger side __________________ BMW GT1 (INPA, DIS, WinKFP, ect..), ISTA/P & /D is up and running! PM me if you want to stop by and code your car.
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10-06-2012, 07:41 PM	#8
Zero Private 8 Rep 52 Posts Drives: 335i Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: CA iTrader: (0)	Does anyone have a diagram where they can point out where it is? I looked under the car the other night and have been looking for diagrams to see what I'm looking for and can't seem to find anything. Thanks guys, I really don't want to take it to the stealership just to replace a sensor. __________________ - Muffler Delete - BMS DC Intake - 5%/Side 50%/Shield - Depo Blacklines - Shadowline - M3 Bumper - Full LED/HID swap - Forgestar F14s - Hankook V12s
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10-08-2012, 11:22 AM	#10
r3dbimmer89 Major 331 Rep 1,268 Posts Drives: P-Car Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: SoCal iTrader: (0)	That happened to me in my E46...my sister rolled over a high curb and popped the fender lining pulling the sensor off with it. Most likely your sensor is broken or gone but I think the SES light is something different going on. __________________ Past: BMW (22 G20 M340i, 15 F80 ///M3, 12 E92 335i, 08 E90 335i, 02 E46 325i) Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, VW, Lexus Present: 24 992 C2
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10-08-2012, 11:45 AM	#11
ttribe First Lieutenant 16 Rep 370 Posts Drives: '09 E93 335i Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Phoenix, AZ iTrader: (0)	My ambient temperature sensor went out on the E60 M5 last year and triggered a limp mode on the engine. Get the sensor replaced and you'll be up and running again. __________________ 2012+ 09 E93 335i - Space Gray, N54, Sport, Premium, Comfort, Logic7, Nav Mods - Reflectors, LUX, Pedals, M3 Spoiler, Black Grilles, Macht Schnell, Aero, ESS, StopTech 2011-12 07 E60 M5 - Indy Red
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11-12-2013, 03:38 PM	#15
fazman Brigadier General 681 Rep 3,696 Posts Drives: 335 e90 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Los Angeles iTrader: (0)	What is an expected difference from the true outside temp? Mine seems to read a difference of +7F to +11F compared to what my iPhone reads as the local temp and maybe a difference of about +5*F compared to my friends stock e92. I've just assumed that it was my ER FMIC which was warming up that temp sensor???
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11-12-2013, 04:04 PM	#16
captainaudio World's Foremost Authority 1181 Rep 4,535 Posts Drives: M4 Cab - Cayenne GTS - Jag XK Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Upper East Side Manhattan - Boca Raton FL - Lime Rock CT iTrader: (0)	__________________ Drivers Club at Lime Rock - International Motorsports Research Center - Society of Automotive Historians - Madison Avenue Sports Car Driving and Chowder Society (0nly a VP) - BMWCCA - Porsche Club of America - M Gruppe - Polish Race Drivers of America (PDRA) - Glen Club (Watkins Glen International) - Jaguar Club of Southern New England
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