How accurate are Car Thermometers?
By Greg Horan on June 24, 2012, 10:17am
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While driving my car around on Thursday afternoon I noticed my car thermometer peaking at 101 degrees! However the actual high temperatures reports showed low to mid-90s! So, why was my thermometer and possibly yours recording such a high reading?
The main problem is that most sensors are typically located at the bottom of the grill which is shaded from direct sunlight but it allows excess heat radiated from the pavement, and from the engine to cause readings to be higher than the official readings.
Some cars such as Buick locate there sensors at the top of cars which produces a more accurate reading.
From my experience driving in heavy traffic along a sunny highway usually causes the readings to be about 3 to 6 degrees higher than official readings. I have noticed that if I drive along a more shaded road with minimal traffic my readings are comparable to official readings.
Overall car thermometer readings are not always accurate. You need to get the car moving to get the best possible accuracy. Readings tend to be more reliable in my experience during the winter when the sun angle is lower, and on cloudy or rainy days year round when solar radiation is minimal.
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