Cuppajack

I’m looking for a way to add an outside temperature sensor to my xA and am dissatisfied with the options I’ve found. I’ve got a Scangauge, but the Intake Air Temp reading is obviously not the best solution as the under hood temperature varies widely from the outside temperature. I know there are a few models of Gentek auto-dimming mirrors w/ this feature, but they seem like over-kill as I don’t need the other features, and the install looks like a PITA. I’ve seen a cheap-o battery-powered unit at Target and Autozone that functions as interior/exterior thermometers and clock, but it is ugly/inelegant/impractical…

Am I missing anything? What would a be good-looking a functional way to add a simple external temperature display to my ride?

foxtrot685

this is ghetto fabulous, but in my silverado i took one of the digital thermometers used for cooking and extended the probe from teh readout and mounted the probe in the bumper and the readout in the car. it was only +/- 2 degrees (if that) from my moms infiniti so it was fairly accurate

ZanexGt

Ghetto Fabulous! I love it!

I was thinking that some other sort of digital thermometer, like one of those battery powered units used for indoor/outdoor home temp's would work. But using a cooking thermometer! That's great.

Hey ... Whatever works!

Guess I need to widen the search. I'm still eBay hunting for something to use. Do you have any pics foxtrot?

Cuppajack

Well, I found a couple of different solutions from one company:

Dakota Digital has a couple of different, and very nice looking, temperature gauges including this one:
http://www.dakotadigital.com/index.c...rod/prd341.htm

…but at $165 I’m going to keep looking.

Cuppajack

Found some more, though they are all analog:

http://www.egauges.com/eg_typeI.asp?...r=All&Manf=All

Easyoboe2

I bought an indoor-outdoor remote battery powered temp gauge at a local hardware store for about $20. I tried several locations and ended up putting the sender under the piece that holds the front bumper in place. It's about 6 to 8 inches above the road. I attached it with duct tape. I attached the receiver with velcro in the back of the big cubby over the glove box because you have to keep it out of the sun to get a correct reading on the interior temperature. It has worked fine for many months, except the exterior temp reads too high if you park the car on hardtop in the sun.

ZanexGt

got any pics of that setup easyboe2?

Easyoboe2

I don't have any pics, but it is very simple. If you look under the front bumper there are several supports that come from the body and hold the bumper in place. I put the sender under one of these and wrapped it to the bumper support with duct tape. I tried the sender in several other places under the car but there was heat from the engine or exhaust system. The receiver can be velcroed anyplace, but you need to keep it out of the sunlight to get an accurate inside twmperature.

Cuppajack

Here are some nice looking "JDM" options:
http://www.napolex.co.jp/product/fizz/meter.html

I may have to make a trip to Japantown/little tokyo this weekend...

raymenstein

Those JDM ones that look like guages are really sweet. If you could get one that would look awesome.

Easyoboe2

Google "Remote thermometers" and you will find all kinds of gauges, some for only $15.

BPG

I used a VDO Vision analog outside temp gauge (eGauges.com) and it is mounted in a quad Autometer A pillar pod along with a analog clock, oil temp, oil pressure. Directly to the left of the speedo cluster is a water temp, vacuum and pyrometer gauges. That's a total of 7 additional gauges. If I could figure out how to post pictures I'd show all of you gauge guys.

Neitsdelf

I just ordered a Wayfinder V2020 to solve the same problem. It has a compass and a remote exterior temp gauge. Best price I found, plus shipping, was $85. I also ordered the remote interior temp gauge for another $30.

Cuppajack

I like that unit a lot and would have gone that route, but I the compass is rendered redundant by my GPS...

Post-up some pics when You have it installed!

Neitsdelf

I got the V2020 in, but I'm not all that happy with it. The compass is off, with no way to adjust it. It might be just declination, but it's still a pain. The backlighting is pretty poor, and it's difficult to read at night. Finally, the temps are way off too, but that might just be placement, I'm still experimenting.