Most modern vehicles have a thermometer that tells you the temperature as soon as you start the vehicle. But have you ever noticed how the number the car gives you and the temperature on your smartphone's weather app can be very different? If you are wondering why that is, here is one explanation.
Modern cars and their climate control functions
First, don't be confused by the numbers. Besides outside temperatures every car that comes out these days uses some form of climate control. Most vehicles display a number or numbers for the temperature inside the car, which can be adjusted up and down for your comfort. For cars with an auto climate option, the setting will automatically adjust based on the temperature outside.
Is the thermometer reading the temperature from inside or outside the car?
Many drivers may be familiar with the other temperature display in the car
but may not know where it actually comes from. The vehicle doesn’t specify whether the number you see is based on the temperature inside or outside.
Usually, the outside temperature is displayed near the instrument cluster on the dashboard, said Chad Merrill, senior meteorologist at Accuweather. Climate control temperatures are shown elsewhere, such as on an infotainment screen.
Are these car thermometers accurate?
The real outside temperature and the number the car gives are sometimes different. This can be due to the numbers going up or down once the car is started and driven for awhile. But how far apart is it from the actual temperature?
Merrill explains:
“Car thermometers tend to have a warmer bias since the heat from the sun beating down on the car during the day can push the readings at least 10 degrees higher than the actual readings. When someone first gets into a car that has been parked in the sun all day and they turn on the car, the thermometer can be 10-15 degrees warmer than the actual air temperature.”
Keenan Thompson is a car culture reporter for the Detroit Free Press. Contact Keenan at kthompson@freepress.com. Follow him on Instagram at @keenanautos. To sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Is outside temp gauge in your car accurate? A meteorologist explains
