How does the ambient temperature of modern cars work?
The ambient outside temperature sensor is mounted behind the front bumper but in front of the radiator. In the same way the readings of a regular household‑temperature gauge can be affected by placing it outside in different locations, a car’s ambient air thermometer can be affected by hot road surfaces, and parking the vehicle in the sun. Although the accuracy of these gauges is improving, the temperature shown on the instrument panel should only be used as a guide due to the many external variations the sensor is exposed to.
