Outside Air Temperature Sensor Failure

[cg962]

Hello...I am new here,

i have a RHD 996 GT3 in HK...the car was involved in a heavy rear impact accident which destroyed the rear bumper and one side of the exhaust and an exhaust sensor.

I had the car repaired and resprayed in a new color and recently I have the following message coming up on the dash:

'Outside Air Temperature Sensor Failure' and the temperature dial when called up either goes to --.-- oC or shows something ridiculous like 60 oC and drops to 45 or so rapidly before going back to --.--oC again, the funny thing is it seems to intermittently work after the car is switched off.

Check engine light does not come on and as far as I can tell no adverse effect is recognized to performance or the temperature of the A/C. Apart from the dash display everything seems fine....

I would therefore like to know:

1. Where this outside temp sensor is ( I suspect if its on the wing mirrors the body shop probably misfitted it) and...

2. If I leave it alone will it effect performance? (i.e. is this outside air temp a sensor that is used to calculate A/F mixture or send signals back to the ECU?)

Thanks so much!

CG962 from HK

[ltcjmramos]

Not sure what function it has other than reporting the outside temp to the display. On my LHD '04, the sensor is mounted in a holder on the right hand side in the lower/larger air duct.

[cg962]

wow that was real quick! halfway across the world and i get an instant reply to my problem thats excellent!

the lower larger air duct at the front bumper or at the spoiler air duct?

(sorry for the stupid Qs I m moving into Porsches from Japanese Toy Cars)

Thanks

CG

[therock88]

Hi,

If you are in a RHD car, it is on the passenger side in the large air opening. There is a small plastic ring that it snaps into. It does nothing but read the outside temp. so do not worry about it unless it

bothers you. I guess if you have any options that use outside temp to turn on (like the heated steering wheel on my Cayenne), it may affect that, but not performance.

Attached a diagram for you.

DC

[cg962]

Thanks DC I guess I will just leave it alone then if it does nothing to communicate with the ecu

Thanks this place is great to get technical help for Porsches

[therock88]

You bet! It is a pretty simple device. If you want to give it a shot it just has a pair of wires that plug into the connector. May have just come undone...Otherwise perhaps a fuse? Or let it ride as you suggested.

DC

[cg962]

Will check tonite thanks!!

[clord]

In addition to feeding the outside temp display, the outside temp sensor feeds the HVAC system as it decides how best to keep the cabin at the requested temp.

[cg962]

Hi chord I haven't notice any adverse performance in the ac unit in regulating temperature even when the sensor display shows nothing ...seems the sensor wads damaged during the respray and needs to be replaced as the wires are all plugged in well : (

[Thklinge]

The outside temperature sensor does affect performance of the HVAC-system. The cable to mine was partially broken so it often showed erratic temperatures, like -20 celcius. When the car thinks it's twenty below outside it fires up the HVAC like there's no tomorrow to heat the car up as fast as it can. It figures that while it can only blow out +15 degrees from the A/C it's still worth it since its -20 outside. I dismantled the plug and soldered in a new length of wire and the problem went away. Nice to not have a tornado inside whenever the car is cold and the system is on auto.