How to: Replace 3rd Gen Ambient Air Temperature Sensor

[BigRondo]

Has anyone found any other solution to this improper temp problem, ie cleaning the sensor or cleaning/reseating the contacts at the sensor, etc? Mine just started reading about 10F high for no apparent reason. It actually displays the correct temp upon a cold startup in the AM, but once I start driving and the engine heats up, the display temp climbs 10-12F. I'm sure there is a bit of salt film on it.

Thanks for the info!

Try cleaning the contacts and see if that fixes it. If not, I'd say that replacement is in order.

Good luck and be sure to let us know how you make out. :biggthump

 

[Eddie O'Neill]

Great write up on how to replace the sensor. I took off my grille, but can't find the sensor. I have a 2005 V8, anyone know where the sensor is located.
Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Eddie O'Neill]

Great write up on how to replace the sensor. I took off my grille, but can't find the sensor. I have a 2005 V8, anyone know where the sensor is located.
Thanks in advance for any help.

I found it, located next the the windscreen washer bottle

 

[Eddie O'Neill]

I found it, located next the the windscreen washer bottle

So I replaced the sensor, $51 from local Ford dealer, still reading 10 deg higher than it should (,confused, any other ideas.

 

[Eddie O'Neill]

Having thought about this it made no sense that the sensor was in the engine compartment. See the locating holes for the sensor housing next to the windscreen washer bottle.

Having looked at the previous photographs posted by BigRondo, explaining where the sensor should be I removed the secondary black grill guard and found the locating holes. I passed the cable loom through the bulk head just behind this part here.

The wiring loom was just long enough to reach the new location.

Why the sensor was located where it was, who knows? Was it a manufacturing mistake or did someone move it?

It's fixed and it reads the correct external temperature, I am we'll pleased as it was really bugging me.

 

[BigRondo]

Nice job getting it sorted. Glad I could help out.

 

[Reprise]

Did mine the other day...piece of cake, thanks to these instructions. Now it's not 117F outside. Thanks, Rondo!

 

[BigRondo]

Did mine the other day...piece of cake, thanks to these instructions. Now it's not 117F outside. Thanks, Rondo!

You're welcome. Glad to help. :biggthump

 

[Tyleryac]

Just got my explorer today and noticed this issue. Will be fixing next week. Thanks for the write up!

 

[BigRondo]

Just got my explorer today and noticed this issue. Will be fixing next week. Thanks for the write up!

Welcome aboard!!

You're welcome. Good luck getting it sorted and let me know if you have any questions.

 

[Tyleryac]

I got the sensor installed yesterday. Problem solved. I even got the part for $5 from RockAuto.

 

[BigRondo]

I got the sensor installed yesterday. Problem solved. I even got the part for $5 from RockAuto.

Nice job and thanks for the update!

 

[Fire488]

I know this is an older post, but I was wondering if my issue could be this sensor failing. I have a 2007 Ford Explorer Limited V8. Lately the LED indicator on my heat and air conditioner panel that displays the outside or exterior temperature has been dropping all the way to -40F and then returns to the actual temperature only to drop again. This cycle repeats over and over. The problem is that this makes my heat when set to auto kick on to full blast as it sees the temp as being -40.
Funny thing is that when I first took delivery of this truck i had this exact issue and the dealer said that the battery was shorted and replaced it. they claimed the battery caused this issue. My battery is new and i removed it and load tested it to see if it may be the problem. it was ok. Then i removed the battery from my other car and installed it and it did the same thing.
Any ideas anyone?

 

[Tankentaisha]

Does anyone know how low the thermometer will actually read to? I know that Subaru only goes down to -22 and anything colder than that gives a -- reading, which means that for a lot of the winter the thermometer doesn't know how cold it is.

Anyway, I'm hoping that the Explorer thermometer will at least read to -40 if not -50 so it can do what it was put there for - tell us the temperature.

 

[Drewmcg]

How certain are you about this?

Well,

the computers use that sensor to determine a few things, so I am betting the odds are good that it is there. If you have a computer display, you have the outdoor temp display. Also, seems like there may have been an overhead console or rear view mirror display, too. If you don't have these, you won't have the display.

Shawn

Reason I ask is b/c I'm getting a late build (6/02) XLS back on the road after sitting for a few years (bad rear timing chain guide), and it looks like a mouse ate the wires that go into the ambient air sensor at the front grill.

If its just used to display temp on the dash (e.g., under the mileage, like photo in this thread), I can live w/o it. But if is needed by the PCM for ignition/fuel issues, etc., then I need to deal with it. This could be a problem since I see no cut wires that appear to lead to it, so I have no idea where to tie a (new) pigtail/sensor into.

I do not have auto temp control for the heating system (manual only); front heat/a/c only.

Also, does anyone know where the ambient air sensor wires tie into the harness, etc., on a 2002-2005 Explorer 4-door? Thanks.

 

[Drewmcg]

Reason I ask is b/c I'm getting a late build (6/02) XLS back on the road after sitting for a few years (bad rear timing chain guide), and it looks like a mouse ate the wires that go into the ambient air sensor at the front grill.

If its just used to display temp on the dash (e.g., under the mileage, like photo in this thread), I can live w/o it. But if is needed by the PCM for ignition/fuel issues, etc., then I need to deal with it. This could be a problem since I see no cut wires that appear to lead to it, so I have no idea where to tie a (new) pigtail/sensor into.

I do not have auto temp control for the heating system (manual only); front heat/a/c only.

Also, does anyone know where the ambient air sensor wires tie into the harness, etc., on a 2002-2005 Explorer 4-door? Thanks.

Figured out where the wires were cut (bit) from, and spliced them back. Still no temp on the dash, so must have a bad sensor as well.

 

[Drewmcg]

Okay I "replaced" the ambient air sensor (in front of A/C condensor behind grill), but still no temp display on dash. It turns out there was no sensor their in the first place, just a plastic dummy shell to clip into the wired receptacle. I guess the original buyer did not opt for the package that included outdoor air temp, so they just put a dummy cover in their instead. Still, I'm surprised that when I put the actual sensor in their it still does not show up on the dash.

I think this answers the earlier question I posed: this sensor has nothing to do with the ignition/fuel system, and is just a thermometer for info dash purposes (at least on manual climate control Explorers like mine). Cheers.