Temperature sensor for heat/ac

Chedman13

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Car
2014 Mercedes-Benz GL63 4Matic
So my fx doesn't seem to pick up the right temp in the car. When I set the temp to 70 F and it is 45 F outside and in, it starts out fine going into heat. Then after a few minutes when it get to 70 F it turns on the AC! Usually it stayed on heat, just at the lowest fan speed setting.

Any ideas? I did have audio work so possible something got moved. I thought the sensor was near the windshield in the front.
 
you just know the a/c kicks in with cold air because all of a sudden it blows very cold air? I ask because the a/c is always on and will blow hot, medium, or cold air depending on the temp needed.
 
2nd gen as a a/c switch. Most people always leave it on. without it on, the climate control won't work.

My dad's cadillac at some point the right side would blow steaming hot air and the left side would blow cold cold air. Some sensor had gone out and then it was resolved.
 
from memory I think it's inside the left side knee bolster, think there's a hose & a plug connected to it, if it's not plugged in or it's bad then the car can't really regulate the interior temp because it can't see the interior temp...
 
from memory I think it's inside the left side knee bolster, think there's a hose & a plug connected to it, if it's not plugged in or it's bad then the car can't really regulate the interior temp because it can't see the interior temp...

Cool, will check it out.

---------- Post added at 05:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:22 PM ----------

So there are three sensors -- now to find out where these are and figure out which one has failed...
Ambient temp sensor $36.05
In-car sensor $44.90
Sunload sensor $29.26

---------- Post added at 05:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:45 PM ----------

Cool, don't have my files on me but found this:
http://pdf.textfiles.com/manuals/AUTOMOBILE/NISSAN/FX/2008_FX45-35/atc.pdf

One is behind the front grille, one is lower instrument driver's panel, and the last one is on the front dash, the circle on the passenger side near the glass. Time to go check it out.
 
For those that might need this in the future, the ambient temp sensor is available aftermarket, rest are only OEM.

The in car sensor is most likely the issue for me, it is below the key hole on the bottom panel.

If you look through the grille cover, my sensor is covered in dust. A can of air should fix it.

Maybe I will spray it with obII electronics cleaner too.aeff5541-8e22-5bc9.jpg
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I remember it costing an arm and a leg for my dad....looks like if you take care of it you'll get it done for nothing in comparison!
 
the sun load sensor is at the top of the dash, chances are very slim they could have affected that with audio work. also, it doesn't affect the regulation of the interior temp all that much, it's a secondary load sensor & has an influence but I don't think it could even cause what your talking about. same goes with the outside one, it is just a load sensor but doesn't affect the regulation to the point of it acting the way yours is. that one in the knee bolster is the main sensor.

do yourself a favor & check behind it, make sure the electrical plug is plugged in and also there is a rubber hose that also gets connected to this which goes to the hvac system... this hose has slight suction & causes interior air to draw over the sensor, otherwise it would just measure a stagnant pocket of air, which is not a good indication of interior air temp... that hose needs to be connected for it to work right... it is very easy for someone to replace this panel & miss this hose connection, it's just a slip connection, no clamps or fittings or anything... the sensor is nothing more than a thermistor which rarely goes bad, I'd bet on the plug or hose being disconnected before betting on the sensor itself failing... yeah it's a good idea to blow the dust off of it but no need for electronics cleaner there, electronics cleaner might stain something, to do that you should remove it anyway I'd say but really no need...
 
Good info as always. Thanks John.

That makes sense because it does seem to know the initial temp, but as time goes on, it's not accurate - must be a missed vacuum hose.
 
Amazing how you can diagnose issues across states...

It was the rubber hose that connects to the sensor. stagnant air = horrible air reading. slight air flow = interior air temp is perfect


the sun load sensor is at the top of the dash, chances are very slim they could have affected that with audio work. also, it doesn't affect the regulation of the interior temp all that much, it's a secondary load sensor & has an influence but I don't think it could even cause what your talking about. same goes with the outside one, it is just a load sensor but doesn't affect the regulation to the point of it acting the way yours is. that one in the knee bolster is the main sensor.

do yourself a favor & check behind it, make sure the electrical plug is plugged in and also there is a rubber hose that also gets connected to this which goes to the hvac system... this hose has slight suction & causes interior air to draw over the sensor, otherwise it would just measure a stagnant pocket of air, which is not a good indication of interior air temp... that hose needs to be connected for it to work right... it is very easy for someone to replace this panel & miss this hose connection, it's just a slip connection, no clamps or fittings or anything... the sensor is nothing more than a thermistor which rarely goes bad, I'd bet on the plug or hose being disconnected before betting on the sensor itself failing... yeah it's a good idea to blow the dust off of it but no need for electronics cleaner there, electronics cleaner might stain something, to do that you should remove it anyway I'd say but really no need...
 
did you figure it out all yourself when you took it apart? congrats!

Was the hose just lose, or in need of replacement?
 
did you figure it out all yourself when you took it apart? congrats!

Was the hose just lose, or in need of replacement?

Hose wasnt connected. Team effort between Chris, Andy and myself. Andy was the one though who told us which way to pull to not break the clips.

Oh and Andy put those hose back on while Chris and I held the cover on.

Heck Andy did everything, as always.
 
Hey guys I think I might be having the same problem on my FX but with the outside ambient temp sensor. In my FX the ambient temp sensor is all over the place and sometimes it just stays at -22F. When it is showing that low the AC will not come on, so as its Aug right now it gets pretty hot inside. I was going to try to replace the sensor out by the radiator to see if it makes any difference. Hopefully its just that sensor. I already have one on order from infinitipartsusa.com I will try to find that vacuum line first though.
 
I got it figured out. It was the connector for the sensor. It sat vertically and over the years filled up with water and then corroded to the point that the wires finally broke. I wired in the new sensor then soldered everything and now the sensor is working and showing the correct temperature. I made sure to install the sensor the other way round now so that it won't be able to get full of water.
 
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