I think my outside temp sensor may be damaged. When I start the car, the temp said -0.5c. It rose to nearly 4c in the space of 10 seconds whilst on the drive parked. I dont think that is normal and certainly would not be affected by heat from the engine in that short space of time.

How much is it to buy and is it easy to fit?

I doubt it's broken....mine does this sometimes too. Seems to have a kind of memory and when you start it can then update itself in increments within a few seconds. I think the manual mentions something about it....

The sensor is located on the front bumper, so in theroy yes the slight heat from the engine will cause this small increase.

I think if you've had the car running, stopped it, then re-started it within 2 hours and the temp has increased within that period the sensor does this.....kind of remembering what the temp was when you stopped the car and having to correct itself. Something like that anyway.

Mine was the same this morning, it said -1 when I started the car but by the time I got to the end of the road it was at +5..

if it's the same as my dad's 207 the temperture will adjust quite quickly his can drop 5oC in a few seconds.

Davy

Where in the bumper is it located?

Behind the trim next to the nearside foglamp if you have one (or behind the trim next to where the nearside foglamp would be if you don't!)

HTH

I am convinced it is the sensor as when I switched on the engine. It showed 14.5c then went straight to 8c. I have ordered a new one and it costs £18.

I am convinced it is the sensor as when I switched on the engine. It showed 14.5c then went straight to 8c. I have ordered a new one and it costs £18.

i've got a new one you could of had for a fiver, oh well never mind , i would have to go and find it anyway , and its cold and dark outside

Can I just add a bit of clarity to this before you go wasting your money?

How most temp sensors work is by the cars ECU passing an electrical current through them to earth. The colder the temperature, the greater the resistance to earth. The highest possible resistance is either a dead sensor or a disconnected one and as such the temp display will normally read about -35 degrees at this point. If the temp displayed is otherwise correct (wierd ignition corrections aside) then it's not the sensor.

The fact that the car chooses to memorise a recent reading which is then corrected gradually as you start the car is not the sensors fault.

Just to clarify or muddy the waters a bit more, most resistive probes head for superconductivity when cooled and increase in resistance when hot ie PT100 NI1000 etc, so an unbelievably low temperature reading means a u/s probe or crushed wiring (s/c) and an unbelievably high temperature reading means broken wiring or u/s (o/c) probe. Different location and maybe probe design, but 6K Ibizas do need their outside temperature probes changed "quite a lot" - and they usually show very low temperatures so inhibit the AIRCON - in summer!! VX used to slow down any rising temperatures and allow quickly dropping temperatures to register - for safety reasons. Thermisters tend to be either "positive" or "negative" depending on application needs.

So the plot thickens. But, as before, if the temperature shows correctly rather than being too high or low then there's no problem with the sensor. The fact that it makes rapid corrections is irrelevant.